Timeline

Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The aqueduct of Nîmes, built between 40 and 80 AD probably under Emperor Claude, is a masterpiece of Roman engineering. It connected the source of Eure near Uzes at Nîmes for about 50 km, crossing the garrigue and crossing the Gardon via the bridge of the Gard. Its layout, studied in 1926 by Émile Espérandieu and then from 1984 to 1990, reveals two phases of use: optimal operation for 150 years, followed by degradation from the third century, with a probable abandonment in the sixth century. Recent discoveries (2023) suggest an extension of 2 km to the Moulin Neuf in Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie.

The construction combines unarmed concrete, lime mortar and limestone, with waterproof coatings including a reddish layer called malta (calm milk and quartz sand). The constant slope of 25 cm/km allowed a flow of 35,000 m3/day. The work, protected in several stages (classification of the bridge of the Gard in 1840, successive inscriptions between 1979 and 1999), illustrates the Roman expertise in hydraulics. The remains, spread over 14 communes of the Gard, include arches, bridges and the castelum divisorium of Nîmes, classified in 1875.

The materials used — buttress, spacers, and specific coatings — demonstrate a sustainable design. Geochemical analyses of the concretions (Gillely study, 1986) have been used to date periods of exploitation and decline. Aqueduct, shared property (private and departmental), remains a symbol of ancient heritage, studied for its role in the water supply of the Roman colony of Nemaususus (Nîmes).

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