Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The town hall of Nîmes occupies the former Royal Treasury, built in the 14th century. This Gothic building, partially renovated in the Renaissance, originally housed the king's finances. The facade on the Rue de la Trésorerie preserves broken arches and a trilobed window, witnesses of this medieval period. Under the vault on the dogive cross, a vaulted passage once linked the place to the administrative rooms.

In 1700, the city acquired the Royal Treasury to install the city hall, which had been transferred from Horloge Square. The architect Augustin-Charles d'Aviler designed the plans, while Jacques Cubizol supervised the works, completed in 1703. The façade was then enlarged to 45 metres long in the 19th century (1836–37), with the addition of five windows. A wrought iron ramp, made in 1851–52, adorns the monumental staircase, overhanged by four naturalized crocodiles (1587–1703), symbols of the Roman legionaries of Egypt installed in Nimes under Augustus.

Ranked a historic monument in 1959, the building combines medieval heritage and classical transformations. The crocodiles, suspended under the ceiling, recall the ancient past of the city, while the modifications of the nineteenth century (1851) reflect its adaptation to municipal needs. Gothic remains, such as the broken arched door, contrast with Renaissance additions and modern embellishments, illustrating the architectural evolution of Nîmes.

The city hall remains a symbol of local power, mixing royal history (Treasurery), Roman heritage (crocodiles) and civic functions. Its inscription to historical monuments protects its oldest elements, including the ogival vault and the facade on the Rue de la Trésorerie, witnesses of seven centuries of urban history.

External links