hauteur pont gard, check these out | Is the Pont du Gard still in use?

Is the Pont du Gard still in use?

Today, it remains the only example of a three-story antique bridge still standing, with three rows of arcades, one on top of the other: 6 arches on the bottom, 11 in the middle, and 35 on top.

Can you walk across the Pont du Gard?

The Pont du Gard site, nestled in the heart 165 ha of scrubland is the perfect place to walk, walk around and discover the many riches of this timeless place. It is a dive in a preserved fauna and flora and a protected historical heritage that we invite you to savor.

What was Pont du Gard used for?

The Pont du Gard is a Roman monument built halfway through the 1st century AD. It is the principal construction in a 50 km long aqueduct that supplied the city of Nîmes, formerly known as Nemausus, with water. Built as a three-level aqueduct standing 50 m high, it allowed water to flow across the Gardon river.

Where is the Pont du Gard in France?

The Pont du Gard is an ancient Roman aqueduct bridge built in the first century AD to carry water over 50 km (31 mi) to the Roman colony of Nemausus (Nîmes). It crosses the river Gardon near the town of Vers-Pont-du-Gard in southern France.

Who constructed the Pont du Gard?

Pont du Gard, (French: “Bridge of the Gard”) giant bridge-aqueduct, a notable ancient Roman engineering work constructed about 19 bce to carry water to the city of Nîmes over the Gard River in southern France. Augustus Caesar’s son-in-law and aide, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, is credited with its conception.

How long did it take to build Pont du Gard?

The main work lasted between 10 and 15 years, under the reigns of Claudius and Nero, with the Pont du Gard taking less than five years. The aqueduct in its entirety counts several hundred meters of tunnels, three basins and some twenty bridges, of which the Pont du Gard remains the most spectacular.

Did slaves build the Pont du Gard?

The Pont du Gard aqueduct France

A trip to the aqueduct’s museum, where all the guides have a passionate and in depth understanding of its story, helps conjure up both the violent sweat and toil of the slaves that built it in the inescapable heat and the lavish lifestyle of those it served for 5 centuries.

Why is the Pont du Gard considered to be an architectural triumph?

The Pont du Gard was built shortly after the Christian era across the Gard river and is applauded as an absolute triumph in Roman aqueduct construction. The bridge is located in an extraordinary natural landscape, where two geological worlds meet against the rocky backdrop of the Garrigues.

How many visitors does the Pont du Gard have?

The Pont du Gard has over a million visitors every year. It stands today as one of Europe’s most prestigious cultural sites.

What is used on top of the Pont du Gard?

Built over the period of just around 15 years in 50AD using 30 million shelly limestones, Pont du Gard aqueduct has the form of three arched bridges placed one atop of other. The top of the bridge features water-carrying channel with a constant gradient of just 2.5cm from one side of the bridge to another.