Citea Nimes

Graffiti

by leics

One of the 'aisles'of the Temple de Diane in Les Jardins de la Fontaine has been restored with more 'modern' stone, which can clearly be seen.

I suspect these stones date from the time when the temples ruins were used as a church in Medieval times.

But the 'off-the-beaten track' thing is the graffiti. Go down the covered 'aisle' to your right as you enter the temple (steps lead there from the 'altar' end). Look carefully at the more modern stones: some (not all) of the graffiti is fascinating.

The photo shows graffiti dating from 1844, so it is now of historical interest in itself.

The Amphitheater (Arenas)

by roamer61

The magnificent amphitheater is twin to a similar one in the city of Arles. But this one is better preserved. It was constructed between the late 1st Century AD and the early 2nd Century. As with the Collessium in Rome, this was used by all the favorite sporting activities. Gladitorial contests and fights using wild beasts. Its dimensions are 436ft by 331ft and its seating capacity was 24,000.

After 400, its original use was forbidden and the Visigoths transformed it into a fortress. It was later transformed into a castle and eventually, it was restored in the 19th century. Today, as in the distant past, it is used for Bull Fights, echoing the past.

The Ferria (or Festival of the Bull) was coming, so the interior was closed during my visit.

Pont du Gard

by antistar

Not strictly in Nimes, but accessible from it, this impressive Roman construction is the only remaining three tier Roman aqueduct in the world. Buses to the Pont du Gard run regularly from behind the train station in Nimes, take about an hour, and cost about 10 euros for a return ticket. It's a local bus, not a tour, so you'll need to organise your visit yourslef. The bus drops you a short walk away from the aqueduct, and it isn't terribly well sign-posted, so you will probably have to ask the bus driver, or the locals, for some help.

The curious thing about this aquaduct is how it appears on the five euro note. The new European currency was meant to depict typical European architecture, but wasn't mean to depict any specific building. This was because they didn't want to show any favouritism to any one nation or city. Someone obviously had the bright idea of showing an Roman aquaduct, a structure found across Europe and symbolic of a shared history. The only problem is the model they decided to draw had three tiers, and as I mentioned earlier, the only one of these in existence is in Nimes.

Nimes

by Julie1and2

"A summer in Nimes"

When I was in grad school I spent a summer studying in Nimes, France. The six weeks in Nimes was one of the best times of my life. I really got to know Nimes well. The French spoken there is much easier to understand than in Paris. The people are super friendly and not as used to Americans as they are in the larger more touristy cities.

Mr_Furious's new Nimes Page

by Mr_Furious

Nïmes is a very beautiful city in the south of France. It has much to offer to the visitor and is worth at least a day.

I past through here on the way back home from France, but surprised by it's beauty I decided to break my journey and spend an extra day here, something I have never regretted