Highest three-tier Roman aqueduct - Pont du Gard (Roman Aqueduct) 344
What and Why
Pont du Gard is the world's most famous aqueduct built in the 1st century CE that carried water along a 50-km journey from the springs of Fontaine d'Eure to Nîmes, crossing the river Gardon at Remoulins. The Roman aqueduct is the highest of all Roman aqueducts, measuring close to 50 m in height, and is considered, even today, an engineering and artistic masterpiece. Why Nîmes? It was because Nîmes was one of the important regional capitals during the Roman Empire (Latin: Imperium Romanum) during the period.
While the most visited and photographed main section is located at Remoulins, it actually stretches a 50-km course, and incredibly only descends in 12.6 m of height over its entire length, which is a great testament of Roman engineering precision during the time. This particular section descends as little as 2.5 cm in 450 m, at an unnoticeable gradient of more than 1 to 18,000!
The aqueduct carried over 40,000 m3 of water to Nîmes daily, and it also coincidentally took slightly more than a day for the water to flow from start to finish. The aqueduct remained in use until the 6th century CE when poor maintenance resulted in clogging. The bridge continued to serve as a toll-bridge across Gardon.
Toponymy
The name Pont du Gard simply means the bridge over the river Gardon in French. Remoulins derives from the word mill (French: moulin).
See
Pont du Gard
The aqueduct is a three-tier structure constructed largely by cutting big precise limestone pieces from nearby quarry without the use of mortar. It contains an estimated 50,400 tonnes of limestone with some blocks weighing up to 6 tonnes. The soft reddish shelly limestone, known as 'pierre de Vers', is soft enough to be carved with precision and were cut to fit perfectly together by friction and gravity, eliminating the need for mortar, again another testament of the engineering prowess at the time. However it has been reported that the aqueduct is now tilting and is in danger of a collapse.
The top of the aqueduct.
The interior of Pont du Gard is very well finished to ensure smooth flow of water along the conduit. The interior can be visited upon reservation, which we did. The height of the duct is just above a normal human height, and we basically had to duck and wade through it. Along some points, the guide mentioned that the calcium deposits is more than what used to be. Photography inside the aqueduct can be quite difficult without professional cameras.
The bridge has long been associated as the might of the Roman Empire with many French monarchs seeking to associate themselves with a symbol of Roman imperial power by paying a visit to the bridge. Even today it is extremely popular amongst tourists and apparently it is visited by more than 1,000,000 visitors annually.
On the north bank of the aqueduct just next to the museum, this is an open-air exhibit on the grounds regarding the livelihoods during Roman times. This trail is also one of the best ways to see the ruins of the aqueduct which do not cross the river.
One thing to look out for what appears to be large stones that are resting against the ruins of the aqueduct. In fact, these are not stones but wood! They are the remnants of wooden structures that were encased in calcium over time due to the flow of water from the mountains. Over the centuries the calcium kept accreting until today it looks like a giant stone that is resting against the aqueduct.
Museum (Musée)
The museum of aqueduct is a very modern museum which describes lucidly the history and artefacts of the bridge. A must-visit, although It is a bit too dimly lit.
Buy and Do
Nothing to buy here except for the usual unnecessary touristy souvenirs. However a must-do thing in Pont du Gard is to take a dip in the water and do a swimming session. All my friends did it without me. The water is very cold though.
Between the bridge and the museum there are a number of monuments or artefacts lying around the river bank, serving as a living museum. The subject is about recent wars near the aqueduct.
Getting There and Around
Pont du Gard is approximately an hour drive from Avignon, where we stayed. The place can also be reached by bus with an extremely affordable bus fare of EUR 1.50€. The area deserves a good afternoon of visit.
UNESCO Inscription
The Pont du Gard was built shortly before the Christian era to allow the aqueduct of Nîmes (which is almost 50 km long) to cross the Gard river. The Roman architects and hydraulic engineers who designed this bridge, which stands almost 50 m high and is on three levels – the longest measuring 275 m – created a technical as well as an artistic masterpiece.
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