Table of Contents
What material is the Pont du Gard made of?
Shelly limestone
Pont du Gard/Materials
What was the 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.
What is unique about Pont du Gard?
Pont du Gard is one of the highest Roman aqueduct bridges This aqueduct has three tiers of arches; the lower 6 arches are 72 feet tall, the middle arches 66 feet tall while the upper arches are 23 feet tall. This makes Pont du Gard the highest Roman aqueduct bridge.
Does Pont du Gard still carry water?
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.
Why is the Pont du Gard famous?
The Pont du Gard is the highest of all Roman aqueduct bridges, as well as one of the best preserved. It was added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites in 1985 because of its historical importance….
| Pont du Gard | |
|---|---|
| Total length | Upper: 275 m (902 ft) (originally: 360 m (1,180 ft)) Mid: 242 m (794 ft) Low: 142 m (466 ft) |
What does Pont du Gard mean in French?
Bridge of the 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.
What does Pont du Gard mean in English?
Is the Pont du Gard still in use?
Although some of its stones were plundered for use elsewhere, the Pont du Gard remained largely intact. Its survival was due to its use as a toll bridge across the valley.
Is the Pont du Gard still used today?
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.
What was the purpose of the Pont du Gard?
Pont du Gard – Ancient Roman Bridge. Pont du Gard is an impressive ancient Roman aqueduct that served as the main component of the 50km-long canal that carried water between the spring at Uzès to the Roman colony of Nemausus (Nîmes).
When was the Pont du Gard aqueduct built?
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.
How did the Nimes aqueduct affect the Roman Empire?
Nîmes aqueduct network remained in regular use between 1st and 4th century AD, but the fall of Roman empire and arrival of several waves of invaders managed to disrupt the region and almost totally remove the maintenance efforts that kept the water tunnels free from clogging and being structurally safe.