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Origin and history

The bridge of the Gard is a three-storey Roman aqueduct probably built between 40 and 50 AD, during the reign of Emperor Claude. It was part of a 50 km system carrying water from the Eure spring near Uzès to Nîmes, with a elevation of only 12.6 m on the entire route. This work, designed to supply thermal baths, fountains and sewage systems, symbolized the prestige of Nemaususus (Nîmes), already well provided with water.

Built without mortar for the most part, the structure uses 50,400 tons of local limestone precisely cut. The blocks, some weighing up to six tons, were assembled dry with oak cladding. The upper canal, 1.20 m wide and 1.80 m high, was sealed by a special mortar and a red padigeon indicating the cleaning limits. Roman architects opted for a bold solution by rejecting an inverted siphon, more expensive and less durable.

Used as an aqueduct until the sixth century, the bridge was then adapted to the Middle Ages to serve as a roadway crossing, damaging its stability. In the 16th century, regular restorations were undertaken to preserve the monument. In 1743, engineer Henri Pitot joined an independent road bridge. Ranked as a Historic Monument in 1840 and registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, it has benefited since 2000 from a landscape and museum development as part of Operation Grand Site.

The bridge of the Gard resisted historical floods, such as that of 2002 where the Gardon climbed up to three quarters of the lower arches without damaging it. Its 47 initial arches (including 12 destroyed) are organized on three levels: 6 arches of 21.87 m high on the first floor, 11 arches of 19.50 m on the second, and 35 small arches of 7.40 m originally. Marks of stone tailors, such as FRS II inscriptions or apotropaic symbols, bear witness to Roman construction techniques.

In the 19th century, major restorations were carried out under Napoleon III, including the creation of an interior staircase to access the canal. Today, the site attracts more than 800,000 visitors annually, with a museum and educational trails. The aqueduct, with a flow rate of 40,000 m3/day, illustrates Roman hydraulic control, with control basins and an average slope of 24.8 cm/km. Its abandonment in the sixth century coincides with the conflicts between Francs and Wisigoths, the stones being reused for local constructions.

The monument inspired literary works such as Pantagruel de Rabelais or Le Comte de Monte Cristo de Dumas, as well as stamps and modern architectural projects. Its unique architecture, combining functionality and aesthetics, makes it a symbol of Roman genius. Recent studies reveal that its convex curvature results from repeated thermal expansions over two millennia, a phenomenon measured in 1989.

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