The Pont du Gard aqueduct is an ancient Roman heritage. Pont du Gard: the tallest ancient Roman aqueduct in the world Monument of Architecture and History of France®

Travel in France. Aqueduct Pont du Gard

Pont du Gard means "bridge over the (river) Gard" in French. This ancient Roman aqueduct has stood for more than two millennia and is the highest of the ancient Roman aqueducts that have survived to our time, as well as the largest structure of this kind ever erected by the Romans. The river is called Gardon, but earlier it was called Gar. The Pont du Gard was erected in 19 BC. under Marcus Agrippa, friend and son-in-law of Emperor Augustus.

This giant bridge was part of a 50-kilometer aqueduct that supplied drinking water to the ancient Roman city of Nimes in what is now French territory. The bridge functioned reliably for almost four centuries and was one of the main links of the aqueduct in Nîmes.

Thanks to the aqueduct, each of the 50,000 inhabitants of Nimes could consume 400 liters of water daily. Water was distributed throughout the city through pipes made of lead. The fact that this metal is dangerous to health was already known, but they put up with the reality, because due to the increased hardness of the water, the walls of the pipes were soon covered with a protective layer of calcium anyway. But the walls and bottom of the canal were environmentally friendly - they were built of stone and lined with pink malta (a smooth, waterproof mixture of lime, lard and the milky juice of unripe fig fruits).

The Pont du Gard consists of arcades arranged in three tiers. Six arches form the lower tier, eleven - the middle one, and thirty-five make up the upper tier, directly along which the water supply runs.

The height of the aqueduct is 48.77 (the size of a 16-storey building) and the length is 275 meters. The deep valley where the aqueduct stands is known for its hurricane-force winds, and in spring the dark calm river turns into turbulent streams of water flooding the surroundings.

The researchers found that the bearing part of the bridge is only one of the six lower arches. The Pont du Gard is made of six-ton stones, so tightly fitted to each other that its builders did not need lime mortar. Of course, the speed of local winds could create small cracks in the seams of the masonry, and then the gradual destruction of the bridge would begin, but this did not happen, since the Pont du Gard has a double safety margin.

The height difference between the source that supplied the water supply and the pool in Nîmes was only 17 meters, so that when designing tunnels and bridges that were supposed to become part of the aqueduct, Roman builders had to take care of a negligible average slope along the water canal route, not exceeding 34 cm for 1 km! Such a slope is imperceptible to the eye, so even a small mistake of the builders could lead to stagnation of running water, but the Roman builders foresaw not only this, they took into account the danger of overflowing the channel, the way it was cleaned, and many other subtleties that were invisible to the uninitiated. By the way, it still remains a mystery how the Romans managed to calculate everything so accurately - after all, the mathematical formulas that are still used today in the construction of water pipelines with gravity water supply were derived only in the 19th century!

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the aqueduct fell into disrepair, and its walls were covered with thick deposits of calcium. By the 8th century, the Pont du Gard was practically out of action. Over time, wars and earthquakes destroyed many sections of the aqueduct, and people broke out parts of it for their own needs.

The Pont du Gard was especially hard hit in the Middle Ages, when some smart guy came up with the idea of narrowing the second tier supports to make room for the movement of people and large vehicles. This path was used until a modern bridge was built nearby in 1747.

The Pont du Gard was only rebuilt in 1855, when Napoleon III finally ordered a thorough renovation.

The Pont du Gard has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1985.

The Pont du Gard aqueduct is featured on the 5 euro banknote:

The Pont du Gard is an ancient Roman aqueduct located in the French department of Gard. The name literally translates as "bridge over the Gar".

The Pont du Gard is the tallest surviving ancient Roman aqueduct, at 275 meters long and 49 meters high. Thus, the bridge is about the same height as a 16-story modern building.

The Pont du Gard is made of six tons of stones, without the use of lime. It is believed that the Pont du Gard was built by order of the great commander Marcus Agrippa, a friend of Emperor Octavian Augustus, in 19 BC. However, according to modern research, the construction of the bridge was completed only in the middle of the 1st century AD. The Pont du Gard was part of a 50-kilometer aqueduct that connected two ancient Roman cities in southern France - Nimes and Uzès.

The Pont du Gard is a three-tiered aqueduct, with a different number of arches on each tier: thirty-five arches in the upper tier, in which the water supply ran. There are eleven arches in the middle tier, and only six in the lower tier, while only one of these six arches is the bearing part of the bridge. The width of the arches decreases as you approach the shore.

According to modern estimates, thanks to this aqueduct, the inhabitants of Nîmes, of which there were about 50 thousand people, could use 400 liters of water per day for each.

The Pont du Gard served as an aqueduct until the fall of the Western Roman Empire, then it was sometimes used as a bridge. But already in the VIII century, the ancient aqueduct was practically put out of action: winds and time destroyed many of its sections, and the locals broke out the stone for construction. In addition, in order for larger wagons to pass over the bridge, part of the aqueduct supports had to be hollowed out, which could cause the entire structure to collapse. However, the Pont du Gard stood for more than a thousand years, and traffic on the Pont du Gard finally stopped only in 1747, when a modern bridge was built nearby. And in 1855, the ancient aqueduct was restored by order of Napoleon III.

Since 1985, the Pont du Gard has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is believed that this bridge is depicted on the back of the 5 euro banknote.

Pont du Gard is the highest of all Roman aqueducts that have survived to this day. The name of the bridge is given in honor of the river it crosses - Gard. Now, however, it has been renamed the Gardon River. The bridge is located in the vicinity of the city of Nimes in the Languedoc-Roussillon region, in the Gard department.

This bridge was part of a 50-meter aqueduct built to transport water from the Uzes springs to the city of Nîmes. It is believed that the construction of the bridge began in the middle of the 1st century AD. during the reign of Claudius or Nero. About a thousand people worked on the construction of Pont du Gard for 5 years. This is the highest bridge built in antiquity.

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This is a grandiose building 275 meters long and 47 meters high, built of stones without the use of lime. The bridge consists of three tiers: 6 arches in the lower tier, 11 arches in the middle and 35 arches in the upper tier. The closer to the shore, the narrower the arches become. This is the last of the three-tiered bridges of Ancient Rome that have survived to this day.

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Aqueducts were built at an angle so that water flowed to the right place under the influence of gravity. Thanks to literally the smallest slope, averaging only 25 cm per kilometer, the Pont du Gard provided Nimes with 30,000 to 40,000 m3 of running water per day, supplying numerous thermal baths, fountains, water pipes in rich houses.

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The aqueduct fell into disuse almost 500 years after its construction, shortly after the fall of the Roman Empire, although Pont du Gard for many centuries it served simply as a bridge over the river Gar. In the middle of the 18th century, a modern bridge was built nearby, and traffic through Pont du Gard gradually closed.

In 1985 Pont du Gard added to the list UNESCO world heritage sites.

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From 1696 to 1702, large-scale work was carried out to restore the bridge. And in 1747, a modern bridge was built near the aqueduct, thanks to which the Pont du Gard gets rid of the constant load. It is being repaired and brought back to its proper condition. Now it is a popular tourist destination.

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its height is 49 meters. The building, rare for that time, consists of 3 floors of arches: in the first row - 6 arches, in the second - 11, in the third - 35. The total weight of the structure is 50 thousand tons.

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At one time, the Pont du Gard aqueduct made a deep impression on the philosopher and thinker Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the writer Stendhal, the artist Hubert Robert, whose painting Pont du Gard is now kept in the Louvre.

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According to modern estimates, thanks to this aqueduct, the inhabitants of Nîmes, of which there were about 50 thousand people, could use 400 liters of water per day for each.

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G ard bridge- This is a Roman aqueduct, located on the territory of modern France, near the city of Nimes. Pont du Gard, as the French call it, is an outstanding structure 275 meters long and 48.7 meters high. This is the highest ancient Roman aqueduct that has survived to this day.

The Romans built excellent houses and aqueducts. Through aqueducts, water reached its destination and provided the inhabitants of the settlement with its life-giving moisture. The importance of aqueducts for the ancient world cannot be overestimated. They were vital and were amazing technical structures built according to certain rules. Often several aqueducts participated in the water supply system.

Panorama of the Pont du Gard

The clone of the aqueduct system had to be constant throughout, so that the water was guaranteed to reach, as they would say now, the consumer. And it was often tens of kilometers. And for all the complexity of the task, the Romans managed to build real masterpieces. The bridge of Gard stands out for the perfection of proportions achieved by the use of the "golden section" and rhythmic structure in the construction.

Form perfection

This combination is typical of ancient buildings. Attempts to achieve harmony in the Garda bridge were made in the 19th century. in Europe, but this was never achieved as the rhythmic structure was replaced by modern builders with a metric one. The amazing proportions of the Garda Bridge became the subject of study by a special commission.

Gard bridge - view from space on Google map. Clickable

Let's take a closer look at the Pont du Gard.

The aqueduct itself is three-tiered: there are six arches in the lower tier, eleven in the middle, and thirty-five in the upper. As you approach the shore, the width of the arches decreases. Garda bridge was built without the use of lime, it is made of golden tuff and today makes a grandiose impression. This is one of the most majestic ancient buildings.

P he du Gard was erected in the middle of the 1st century. AD and was part of a 50-kilometer aqueduct that led from Uzès to Nimes in southern France, at that time the province of Gaul.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the aqueduct ceased to fulfill its main function, but for many centuries it was used as a bridge for transportation across the Gar River.

The length of the Garda bridge is 275 m. For example, the length of the longest ancient Roman aqueduct in Western Europe is 728 m, which is located in the Spanish city of Segovia.

It should be added that today it attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world. Located in a picturesque place, it is an amazing creation of ancient architects. The Pont du Gard is depicted on the 5 Euro banknote. Garda Bridge was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.

Guard Bridge on a 5 euro banknote

17 reviews so far...

admin writes:

That's right, Volodya. They built, even as they built without fancy equipment. It is unlikely that modern buildings can compete with the ancient ones. Look at our roads, you can still drive and walk on Roman roads today, but ours are all potholes and are repaired twice a year.

admin writes:

Kirill writes:

Very interesting review and the photos are professional and beautiful. Everything would be remembered, used and applied in the right situation. I think your article will be useful to many people who ask this question. I wish you great victories and great luck. I would be very grateful to you for a mutual visit.

admin replied:
May 10th, 2012 at 13:14

Aqueduct Pont du Gard (France) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Reviews of tourists, photos and videos.

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If you need a living example of a historical and architectural paradox, then southern France is the best suited for this: the monuments of the era of the Roman Empire are more numerous here than in Italy itself, and even more preserved than an example. Theatrical performances are still held in the Nimes amphitheater, and the highest Roman aqueduct in the world, the Pont du Gard, even managed to serve as a road bridge until the second half of the last century.

This paradox has an explanation: the territories of Provence and Languedoc became part of France quite a long time ago, and subsequent historical storms passed them - in contrast to Italy, torn apart by internecine wars.

"... worked out by the slaves of Rome"

The dimensions of the Pont du Gard aqueduct can amaze even in the 21st century: the length of the structure is 275, and the height is 49 m (For comparison, this is the height of a modern 16-story building!). But no matter how grandiose the current bridge is, in fact it is only part of an ancient water pipeline 50 km long. It supplied Him with water for half a millennium, and its throughput was sufficient for each inhabitant of a 50,000-strong city to consume up to 400 liters of water per day. The height difference between the start and end points of the water pipeline was only 17 m (or 34 cm per kilometer). How Roman engineers managed to achieve such incredible accuracy is still a mystery to historians.

The Romans did not suffer from megalomania and did not waste resources on stupid things like the Egyptian pyramids: in addition to practical functions, their buildings had a clear political goal - to inspire the conquered peoples in awe of the might of the Empire and destroy the very idea of \u200b\u200bresistance in the bud.

Another mystery of the Garsky bridge is hidden in its design. It was built by simply joining six-ton blocks of stone butt-to-butt - without the use of binders (although the Romans were well aware of the properties of concrete - because they themselves invented it). It is surprising that this structure has stood for two millennia, because the conditions in the Gardon River Valley are extremely difficult: in spring and autumn, the bridge supports are affected by floods, and the three-level structure as a whole is exposed to wind erosion all year round.

It is possible that the entire water supply could survive to this day, but it was not ruined by bungling builders or vandalism, not by wars or natural disasters, but by the properties of local water - it contains too much lime. After the death of the Empire, there was no one to clean the water supply from deposits, and it just clogged up. The stones of an already useless design were used to build houses and fortresses, and the Pont du Gard survived because they found another use for it - as a bridge.

Pont du Gard today

The Old Bridge has finally found a well-deserved peace: traffic on it has been stopped, since 1985 it has been under the protection of UNESCO, and now only tourists walk under the arched vaults. A museum has been equipped near the bridge, playgrounds, souvenir shops and restaurants with cafes are located nearby - in a word, everything you need to slowly and comfortably explore the unique heritage of Rome - the majestic Pont du Gard.

Practical Information

GPS coordinates: 43° 56" 50; 4° 32" 08.

The Pont du Gard is open 7 days a week all year round. Ticket category "Short excursion" (Pont du Gard, Museum, Cinema, Game Library, route "Memory of Gariga", Expositions) - 9.50 EUR, Ticket "Aqueduct": "Short excursion" + excursion along the canal accompanied by a guide) - 14 EUR. Evening ticket for illumination (only in June, July, August and September) - 5 EUR. The opening hours of the museum depend on the season, the information is regularly updated on the official website. Prices on the page are for March 2019.

How to get there: By car, take the A9 motorway to exit 23, then follow the signs for Pont du Gard. You can use buses A15 (from Avignon) or B21 (from Nimes) - in both cases, the journey will take about half an hour.