A few kilometers from Uzès and the Pont du Gard, discover Nîmes, a city which has preserved its Roman heritage with remarkable elegance. Prepare for a journey through time, where every stone whispers tales of past glory and every street reveals hidden treasures.
A bit of history
Au 6th century BC., a Celtic tribe, the Arecomic Volques, settled around a source and dedicated a sanctuary to it which we know today under the name of the Gardens of the Fontaine. Gradually, they built the city named in honor of Nemausus, son of Hercules, and built buildings in dry stone. Among these buildings we find the Magne Tower, a tower perched high on the hill, will later be raised and integrated into the Roman ramparts.
The Romanization of Nîmes truly began during the first century BC, it became a “colony under Latin law” and was adorned with sumptuous monuments still standing today: the Arena, the Maison Carrée, the temple of Diana...
Ideally located on the Via Domitia which connects Italy to Spain, Nîmes was established by the Emperor Augustus as a city promoting Romanism. Nîmes expands and is fortified by a 7 km long enclosure which encompasses 220ha. In the 2nd century its population was estimated at nearly 25 inhabitants. In the 000rd century, successive invasions then in the 3th century, the arrival and installation of the Visigoths put an end to the prosperity of the ancient city.
In the 8th century, the city folded in on itself, becoming almost ten times smaller than the original Roman city. Insecurity pushes residents to take refuge in the amphitheater, transformed into a fortress in the event of attacks. The old Roman ramparts are used as a quarry where everyone comes to help themselves, and certain districts, like that of La Fontaine, are left abandoned.
From the year 1000, a new enclosure was created. Thanks to the cultivation of vines, olive trees and livestock, trade resumes. The Source once again plays a crucial role in bringing prosperity to tanners, dyers and fabric merchants thanks to its waters which flow through the city for several centuries.
Nîmes crosses time and religious wars. Protestants turned to trade and manufacturing production. The production of fabrics and silk stockings is exported to Europe and the Spanish Indies and two thirds of the active population of Nîmes are employed in textiles.
The city gets richer.
great mansions appear, an urban renewal is taking shape. In the Age of Enlightenment, the Roman sanctuary of the Source was rediscovered and a major urban planning project was made of it. The silk industry converted to making shawls thanks to first Jacquard looms initiated by Turion, a worker from Nîmes.
Many years of success place industrial Nîmes at a European level. But the competition is tough and very quickly, we reinvest in the vineyard. The cultivation of the vine is facilitated by the construction of the canal du midi, the transport of wine by rail. This is a new era of prosperity. The station area is sumptuously landscaped and Nîmes station becomes the transit center for Cévennes coal towards Beaucaire and the Rhône.
What to see in Nîmes?
- The Tour Magne, located on Mont Cavalier, will give you access to a breathtaking view of the city and its surroundings.
- The remains of the temple of Diana, in the heart of the Jardins de la Fontaine, would have served as a sanctuary dedicated to Augustus
- The Arenas (or Amphitheater), dedicated to animal and gladiator fights, can be visited and regularly host concerts and open-air shows
- The Maison Carrée, built in honor of the two heirs of Augustus and recognized as the best preserved Roman temple in the world, can also be visited. Inside, you can discover a film retracing the history of the city
- The Castellum divisorium, arrival point of the Nîmes aqueduct and whose departure is Uzès
- The Porte de France and the Porte d’Auguste
What to visit in Nîmes?
- The Musée de la Romanité, very recognizable by its undulated facade draped in glass, is dedicated to the history of Romanity
- The Museum of Old Nîmes, installed in the former 17th century episcopal palace, traces the life of the people of Nîmes since the end of the Middle Ages
- The Natural History Museum presents three themes to its visitors: prehistory, ethnography in the light of the 30s and zoology
- The Carré d'Art is a contemporary art museum, also bringing together a library and a media library on its site
- The Museum of Fine Arts presents a collection of French, Italian, Dutch and Flemish paintings
- The Museum of Bullfighting Cultures Claude and Henriette Viallat exhibits art and everyday objects linked to bullfighting traditions, very anchored in the Nîmes identity
Diary
- The Pentecost Feria in spring and the Harvest Feria in September, two must-sees in the city. Take part in these huge popular festivals combining bull races, aficionado meetings, and the musical atmospheres that enliven the city
- The Nîmes Festival which hosts numerous concerts every year in June and July in the grandiose setting of the Arènes de Nîmes
- The Great Roman Games meet history buffs to attend spectacular reenactments of gladiator fights, legionnaire parades and equestrian races
- The Flamenco Festival, every year in January
- Thursdays in Nîmes, it's the summer meeting place in Nîmes to spend convivial moments around tapas, craft markets and musical entertainment in the streets