Vienne began as a native Celtic settlement on the left bank
of the Rhone, twenty miles south of Lyons. The historic town of Vienne was founded
by Julius Caesar (Giulio Cesare) in 47 BC as a Roman colony. Named under
Augustus: "Colonia Julia Augusta Florentia Vienna". From 259 to
269 AD, Vienna was the capital of Provincia Viennensis.
In 438 AD the Germanic tribe,
called the Bourguignons, took the town. A century latter, the town was dominated by
the Franks. Later, Charles II, the Holy Roman emperor, gave Vienne to the king of
Provence. In 933, it became part of the Bourguignon kingdom of Arles. Late in
the 9th century, the town became part of the Holy Roman Empire. The many Roman
monuments in Vienne’s historical past include the following ruins: a theater
(that could seat more than 13000), an aqueduct, the Forum’s portico, the pyramid
surmounted upon the arch at the site of the circus and the Roman Temple of Augustus and
Livia that dates from the early 1st century AD.
Forum Arches, Vienne. Two massive arches
stand at the corner of the "Archaeological Garden of Cybele". The two arches are
built of fine limestone imported from the South of France. This edifice was built during
the reign of Tiberius.
Temple to Augustus and Livia, Vienne. The
Temple of Augustus and Livia still stands almost intact in the centre of the city , it's
surrounded on three sides by columns. Stylistic criteria allow to place the first period
of its construction in the years 20-10 BC. From that time the temple was probably
dedicated to the emperor. Later the facade and two thirds of the eastern side of the
edifice were rebuilt, this time the temple was dedicated also to Livia, Augustus' wife,
who died in 29 AD and was deified at the beginning of Cladius' reign.
Column detail, Temple to Augustus and
Livia, Vienne.
Temple to Augustus and Livia, Vienne.
ORANGE
Situated in
the Rhone valley, the ancient theatre of Orange, with its 103-m-long facade, is one of the
best preserved of all the great Roman theatres. Built between A.D. 10 and 25, the Roman
arch is one of the most beautiful and interesting surviving examples of a provincial
triumphal arch from the reign of Augustus. It is decorated with low reliefs commemorating
the establishment of the Pax Romana.
The Roman theatre of Orange is registered by UNESCO as a World Heritage Monument of
Humanity since 1981.
In the 1st
century BC, the Romans arrived and made Vasio a federal town (allied city with Rome). They
named the town "Vasio Vocontiorum". The planning of the town began with
agricultural buildings, which grew up into town houses, with the creation of the roads and
the construction of big public buildings in the second half of the 1st century AD: the
theatre, the bridge, an aqueduct, and the baths. An area of some 2,000 to 5,000 square
metres was taken up by residences and became amongst the most important in Gaul.
Remains of the old Roman town, Vaison.
Archaeological museum, Vaison: the Gallery
of the "Gallo-Roman House" a mosaic of 33 m² from the Peacock villa (villa du
Paon ).
Theatre, Vaison. The Theatre dates from the
Ist century AD, and is an example of imperial architecture. It was restored in the IIIrd
century. Its size and shape allow for seating of up to 6 000 spectators.
The street of shops,
Villase, Vaison. This magnificent street is one of the most striking examples of Vasio's
town planning. Made from large limestone paving stones, built to take horse drawn
chariots, it has a huge sewer under the pavement. On the western side, a path covered by
the overhang of the buildings' first floors meant that pedestrians walk around shielded
from bad weather.
The Arcades of the Baths, Villasse, Vaison.
The Roman Bridge, Vaison. This old bridge
link between the town centre and the medieval town on the hill, is built into the cliff
where the River Ouvèze narrows. It consists of a single arch of 17 m long and 9 m wide,
and constitutes one of the town's major monuments. The construction goes back to the end
of the 1st century AD.
PONT DU GARD
This monument is registered as a World Heritage Monument of Humanity since
1985. The Pont du Gard was built shortly before the Christian era to allow the aqueduct of
Nîmes (which is almost 50 km long) to cross the Gard river. The Roman architects and
hydraulic engineers who designed this bridge, which stands 49 m high and is on three
levels – the longest measuring 275 m – created a technical as well as an
artistic masterpiece. 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 m
thick, 22 m high and 142m long. It consists of 6 arches. The second
level is 4 m thick, 20 m high and 242 m long. It consist of 11 arches. The third level, 3 m thick, 7 m high links
the two edges of the plateau over a length of 275 m. Its 47 arches support the water
channel. On its first level, it carries a road and at the top of the third level, a
water conduit, which is 1.8 meters high and 1.2 meters wide and has a gradient of 0.4
percent. The sole objective for the aqueduct was to carry a section of the channels and
pipes that in total stretched over 50km from the abundant spring waters of the Eure to the
water tower (Castellum) in Nîmes. The Pont du 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 Nîmes. Nîmes aqueduct was a major construction operation that
took some 15 years to build between 40 and 60 A.D., under the empires of Claude and Nero.
Damaged during the barbarian invasions, the aqueduct ceased functioning for good in the
9th century. It was only used as a bridge for crossing the Gardon river. In 1743 it
operated as a road bridge. The biggest stone blocks weigh close to 6 tons. The aqueduct
harnessed the waters of the source of Eure, near Uzès. It snaked its way through the
brush for nearly 50km, skirting the hills or passing through them by way of underground
canals, crossing over valleys through overhead constructions. There are still remains of
the aqueduct in the surrounding countryside. Marked footpaths around the Pont du Gard
permit you to discover them. Between the departure (Eure spring in
Uzès (Gard) 71,25 m.) and arrival point (Castellum, rue de la Lampèze in Nîmes 58,95 m.) of the water, the height difference is just 12 meters, making an average
gradient of 24 cm/km or 0,24 mm/meter.
The Roman colony of Nemausus was founded in 28 BC near the Celtic village, soon absorbing it. The village grew, probably replacing Narbonne as the
capital of Gallia Narbonensis. In 16 BCE
the city’s walls were built. Several gates still remain, each built at a different
time and replacing a smaller, original gate. Nîmes was one of the greatest cities in Gaul when it became a
colony under Roman law. The population grew rapidly to reach some 20,000 inhabitants, this
was due also to its location on the Via Domitia, the main Roman road between northern
Italy and Spain. The original Roman name was: "Colonia Julia Augusta Nemausus Volcarum Aremecorum".
Maison Carrée,
Nimes. The Maison Carree was donated by Agrippa to
commemorate the grandchildren of Augustus, Gaius and Lucius Caesar. It was built around 16
BC. Today, the building is a museum, and contains an imposing statue of Apollo.
Detail of Maison Carrée,
Nimes.
Detail of Maison Carrée,
Nimes.
The Amphitheater,
Nimes. Considered one of the world's best-preserved Roman amphitheater, it is still
used today.
It was built around in the 1st century AD with a seating capacity of 21,000. It measures
133 m. in length and 101 m. width, with a façade is 21 m. high, made up of two levels of
60 arcades each.
Detail of the
Amphitheater, Nimes.
ARLES
Arles began
its existence in the Bronze Age as a Celtic settlement and later became a Greek colony.
Known to the Romans as "Arelate", in 46 BC the town sided with Julius
Caesar during the siege of Marseille. In reward, the town was granted colonial status.
Caesar settled many of his veterans here, and Arles became one of the most important of
the Roman colonies. Located along the Via Domitia, the main road between Italy and Spain,
and in the site of the first bridge across the Rhone River. Arles is a good example of the
adaptation of an ancient city to medieval European civilization. It has some impressive
Roman monuments, of which the earliest – the arena, the Roman theatre and the
cryptoporticus (subterranean galleries) – date back to the 1st century B.C. During
the 4th century Arles experienced a second golden age, as attested by the baths of
Constantine and the necropolis of Alyscamps. In the 11th and 12th centuries, Arles once
again became one of the most attractive cities in the Mediterranean. Within the city
walls, Saint-Trophime, with its cloister, is one of Provence's major Romanesque monuments.
Arles has 7 monuments registered by
UNESCO as a World Heritage Monument of Humanity since 1981.
The Roman
Amphitheatre, Arles. It's probably the most prominent tourist attraction in Arles.
Measuring 136 m. in length and 107 m. wide, the 120 Romanesque arches date back to the
first century BC (built around the year 90 AD). The amphitheatre was capable of seating
over 20,000 spectators, and was built to provide entertainment in the form of chariot
races and bloody hand-to-hand battles. During the Middle Ages, the building became
a fortress, sheltering two chapels and 212 houses within its walls.
The Roman
Amphitheatre, Arles.
Details of the Roman
Amphitheatre, Arles.
SAINT REMY DE PROVENCE
St. Remy de
Provence, the old Roman town of "Glanum", is situated on the plains at
the northern edge of the Alpilles, 20 km south of Avignon. The earliest signs of
occupation date from the first millenium BC as was recently shown by the discovery of a
fortified settlement dating from the Iron Age. During the Greek era, Glanum played the
double role of a religious and commercial center, a role that was reinforced by the Roman
conquest. The Roman city, was filled with temples, forum, arch of triumph or mausoleum.
Only two splendid monuments are still in good condition: l'Arc de Triomphe and the
Mausolée des Antiques.
Triumphal Arch, St. Remy de Provence. It's the oldest Roman arch of the narbonensis region, it
dates from around 20 AD. Most of its upper part has since disappeared. Exquisite reliefs
illustrating Caesar’s conquest of Gaul decorate it.
Mausolée des Jules, St. Remy de Provence.
This is a particularly well-preserved funerary monument dating from 30-20
BC. It was raised by the Julii (descendants of an important Roman family) in honor of
their father and grandfather. It is formed by a rectangular base with four magnificently
sculpted sides, crowned by a double-entry triumphal arch on top of which is erected a
small round temple with columns and a pyramidal roof sheltering the two persons that this
exceptional monument was dedicated to.
Detail of the Mausolée des Jules, St. Remy
de Provence.
