Title:
The Pont du Gard (bridge of Gard), Roman Aqueduct, National Monument of
Gard, France.
Caption:
The Pont du Gard (bridge of Gard) is the most spectacular part of the
aqueduct built by the Romans in the first century AD to bring fresh
water to the city of Nīmes.
This monument was registered as a World Heritage of Man in 1985. It
attracts more than a million tourists each year; the 2nd most visited
provincial monument after Mont-Saint-Michel.
The difference in level between the two ends of the aqueduct is only 12
meters, making an average gradient of 24 cm/km or 0,24 mm/meter. These
eloquent figures let us appreciate the technical prowess demonstrated by
the Roman engineers.
The structure has a height of 49 m; it is composed of three superimposed
rows of arches, becoming narrower with each. The first level is 6.3m
wide, 21.8m high and 142m long; it consists of 6 big arches. The third
level, 3m wide, links the two edges of the plateau over a length of 275
m. Its 35 arches support the water channel. The biggest stone blocks
weigh close to 6 tons. They come from surrounding quarries of which some
are still in activity.
Damaged during the barbarian invasions, the aqueduct ceased functioning
in the 9th century. It was only used as a bridge for crossing the Gardon
river. In 1743 it operated as a road bridge. In the 19th century, the
monument, worn by time and erosion, risked collapsing. Important work to
consolidate and restore it was undertaken under the Second Empire.
