Today we decided that we should visit the Pont du Gard having been encouraged by many of the people we have met here that we should see the Roman engineering wonder. The aqueduct across the Gard River is only 22 miles from Congenies.
We arrived at the site and at first thought that it must be closed because we couldn’t see any other cars in the carpark. This was strange as apparently it attracts 1.5 million visitors a year making it the 2nd most visited provincial monument in France. However, happily, it was open but we must have picked a quite day. We walked along the wide promenade leading to aqueduct, with it looking more and more impressive as we approached. Clearly the promenade had been built for many more people than the few we passed.
Le Pont du Gard from the promenade
The three-tiered Roman aqueduct was originally built as part of a wider construction to supply much needed water to the important Roman colony of Nemausus (Nîmes). The waterway carried water from a spring at Uzès to Nîmes, a distance of 31 miles. It was built around 1st Century AD and carried water until the 3rd century AD, and is the highest aqueduct in the Roman empire standing 50m above the river, and is 275m long.
It seemed a bit strange to us that a road bridge was built along the lower tier in the 18th century; we wondered if this would have been countenanced today.
Views of Le Pont du Gard (with a few people on the river bed on the left)
On Le Pont du Gard
View from Le Pont du Gard The “Tree of Peace”
Particularly moving was the “Tree of Peace”. It was planted January 11th, 2015 after the terrorist attacks in Paris but is in memory of all the victims of terrorism around the world.
The cost to enter the carpark, so that one could see Le Pont du Gard, was €18 per car and up to 5 people. This included: walking over the bridge; entry to the museum and a video show; entry to the garden “Mémoires de Garrigue” - 20 acres of mixed landscapes recounting the history of the site. The museum was impressive and well worth a visit, and gives a great deal of information about the construction and history surrounding the structure. Unfortunately we were wending are way home when we remembered the garden, which meant we really really didn’t get our full monies worth from the ticket, however it was still an enjoyable afternoon.
Note: Double-Click on photos for an enlarged view. Feel free to post a comment on the blog.
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