Pont du Gard, Nimes, France


Related person
Addison Godel (was created by)
Date
14 CE ca.
Description
The Pont du Gard forms part of an aqueduct 40 km long, constructed to bring water to Nimes from the neighborhood of Uzes. It crosses the valley above the river Gard and is a bearing masonry structure held together with iron clamps, without mortar. The Pont du Gard is composed of colossal dressed blocks of masonry which were laid without mortar, the stones held together with iron clamps. The three levels of arches are recessed, the piers in line with one another. The span of the arches vary slightly within each range. The stones obtruding from the face were scaffolding supports and were left not only to facilitate maintenance work but to add interest to the surface as do the ridges on the piers, which held the semi-circular wooden frames on which the arches were constructed. The structure was restored under Napoleon III. The Archivision Collection of Ancient Sites was funded by the Jack Martin Balcer Library Endowment. Keywords: France, Languedoc-Roussillon, Gard, engineering, transportation of water, aqueduct, Imperial, Roman, monumental, repetitive form, engineer-inspired, superimposed arches, water channel, Mediterranean, isolated site, tourist site, spans river, stone, hydraulic structures. Photographed by Scott Gilchrist, Archivision.
Style/Period
Roman
Material
stonework
stone and/or rock
water
plant material