Nîmes - a mixed bag

Nîmes is known as the French Rome and became a Roman colony sometime before 28 BC. It was a regional capital and numbered  some 50,000–60,000 inhabitants. The Visigoths finally captured the city from the Romans in 473 AD.

I've been keen to visit Nîmes for a long time but when I eventually got the opportunity I was, for the most part, disappointed. I was especially disappointed by the arena which dates from the end of the second century.

The arena is in reasonable condition but is extremely dirty on the outside, worse than the smaller arena at Arles. The thing that irked me the most was the galvanised fencing around the seating level. I found it ugly and totally detracting from the ancient monument though I realise it's for crowd control during events.

There are several levels to explore if you are moderately fit on stairs. Not quite as big as the Colosseum in Rome, it is still just as impressive with its elliptical shape and  21-metre high façade composed of two rows of 60 arches surmounted by an attic. By taking one of the five concentric, vaulted galleries and passing though a vomitorium, you can  sit in one of the 34 rows of seats that can accommodate up to 20,000 spectators.

Twice a year Nîmes hosts one of the main French bullfighting events. Not something I would want to encourage.

I thought the small exhibit on gladiators needed a lot of work and dusting for its own credibility. There's more to see at this arena than at Arles but the elegant Roman charm is missing, for me. Other sights in the city give a better indication of its classical past, before it was invaded by visigoths and muslims over the centuries.

The highlight of a visit to Nîmes is the Maison Carre, a small Roman temple dedicated to the sons of Agrippa and built around 19BC. It is certainly one of the best preserved Roman Temples. Its preservation is due to its conversion to a church in the 4th century which spared it from destruction when pagan temples were being felled elsewhere, during the early years of the Christian era.

The capitals show beautiful detailing and it's hard to appreciate they have stood for 2000 years and all the human history that has swirled around them.
Inside there is nothing to see. It is empty except for the opportunity to watch a short video about the history of Nîmes. It is worth watching it.

 

Les Quais de la Fontaine - the embankments of the spring that provided water for the city, the first civic gardens of France - were laid out in 1738–55. I enjoyed wandering around but seemed to have been bitten by insects which rather took the gloss off. At the end of the Quai there are the Jardins where you'll find regal balustrades, broad stairways, statues and marble vases.

When the Jardins de la Fontaine opened in 1745 it was one of Europe’s first public parks, and came about after attempts to channel the natural spring led to the discovery of a temple to Augustus and theatre.

The site is called the “Temple of Diana” although the exact purpose of the building is unknown – it was possibly a library instead. The temple suffered damage by fire in more modern times. In short, the city is worth a visit, cherry-pick the sites and move on to, perhaps, the Pont du Gard.