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Origin and history

The Auguste Gate, formerly called "Porte d'Arles", was built in the first century BC in Nîmes, within the Roman enclosure surrounding the city. It marked the main entrance to the Domitian Way in the colony of Nemaususus and was located to the east of the present area of the ECUson. Its remains, classified as historical monuments since 1840, testify to its strategic role in ancient urban planning.

The structure consists of four arches in full hanger: two large vehicle centre and two small side for pedestrians. Originally, it was flanked by two semicircular towers, whose locations are now materialized by flat stones on the sidewalk. The Latin inscription above the arches, dedicated to Emperor Augustus, states that he offered "doors and walls" to the colony in 16 B.C., at its 11th consulate.

The epigraphic inscription, partially preserved, makes it possible to date precisely the construction: "IMP CAESAR [D]IVI F AVGV[S]TVS [C][O[S] X[I] TRIBV [PO]TEST VIII". It celebrates the imperial power and its role in building the defences of Nemausus. The gate thus illustrates the Roman military architecture and its integration into the eldest network of the Narbonnaise Gaul.

Ranked among the first French historical monuments in 1840, the Auguste Gate is now owned by the commune of Nîmes. Its remains, though partial, remain a major testimony of Roman urban planning in Occitanie and Augustus' influence in the region. The site is accessible to the public, although its state of conservation requires an approximate location (precision: 5/10 depending on the Merimée base).

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