The Pont du Gard Aqueduct Bridge is Roman Masonry at its Finest
Far more than just your typical bridge, the Pont du Gard (Roman aqueduct bridge) in southern France was once a virtual lifeline to the city of Nimes. The Pont du Gard was part of a 50 km aqueduct that ran from Uzes, at the source of the Eure, all the way to Nimes where it was one of the main sources of water to the rapidly expanding city.
Image by Wolfgang Staudt
The aqueduct itself was built over a span of 15 years between 40-60 AD, during the Roman Empires of Claude and Nero. The aqueduct was truly an architectural feat in that the height difference between the source of the water and its destination in Nimes, was only a mere 12 meters. Despite that, engineers managed to build the aqueduct so that through the power of gravity alone, the water would travel from Uzes to Nimes with ease.
The Pont du Gard was able to give Nimes the much sought after prestige it desired, as a result of being able to provide water to its fountains, sewage lines, spas and homes. In its prime, around 200 million liters of water per day used to travel across the Pont du Gard.
The Pont du Gard is a stunning masterpiece and is recognized as the highest of all the roman aqueduct bridges. Constructed over the Gard River, the Pont du Gard consists of three levels. The lower level has 6 arches, each measuring 22 meters high. The middle level has 11 arches, each measuring 20 meters high. The third, and last, level has 35 arches (although it used to have 47), each measuring 7 meters high.
The bridge was built primarily of stone, around 54,000 tons of it, and used very few clamps or mortar. Some of the individual blocks weigh up to 6 tons each. The bridge is 49 meters high when the river it at its lowest and 274 meters long.
During the 13th century, the King granted local lords the right to levy tolls on all who crossed the bridge, in exchange for them helping with the upkeep of the bridge itself. After sustaining serious damage in the 1600s, the bridge received some minor patch-ups and repairs. However, it is thought that if Napoleon III hadn’t taken a personal interest in this Roman masterpiece it would never have received much needed repairs and restoration in the mid 1800s.
Since then a number of massive floods, including one that entirely submerged the lower level of the Pont du Gard, have ravaged the bridge. Thankfully due to its architectural and cultural value, it was added to UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) list of World Heritage Sites in 1985 and continues to be kept up and maintained.
One look will tell you why the Pont du Gard has become one of France’s top tourist destinations and what many consider a required stop for French masons looking to study and learn about its incredible masonry.
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