Pont du Gard (Roman bridge-aqueduct)

Located in the Occitania region, the Pont du Gard is a key element of an aqueduct 50.02 kilometers long, built to supply water to the city of Nîmes, the ancient Roman colony of Nemausus, from the Eure spring located near Uzès. The three-tiered bridge-aqueduct, standing 48.77 meters high, allowed the water conduit to cross the Gardon River. The aqueduct was constructed without the use of lime: the lower tier has six arches, the middle tier eleven, and the upper tier thirty-five. As it approaches the riverbank, the width of the arches decreases.

In fact, it is a triple bridge, with the longest upper tier measuring 360 meters in length. It is a unique masterpiece of Roman architecture, but at the same time, it is a work of art whose presence transforms the landscape. The Pont du Gard rests on a rocky foundation carved by the river, which flows under its main arch. The gentle and symmetrical narrowing of the arches, the span of the lower arches, and the regularity of the upper gallery give it an exceptionally airy appearance for a structure of this scale.

Pont du Gard is an outstanding example of ancient bridge architecture. It is characterized by the use of arches on the lower level, each consisting of matched stone blocks arranged as wedges with engraved marks for precise positioning. Among Roman aqueducts, this exceptional structure stands out due to its careful adaptation to the river regime of the Gardon, whose floods can be sudden and destructive. Stone cutwaters installed in front of the piers are designed to withstand strong water flows, and the width of the main lower arch (24.52 meters compared to 21.87 meters for the side arches) facilitates the passage of water.

The aqueduct ceased functioning shortly after the fall of the Roman Empire, but the aqueduct itself was used for centuries as a bridge for carts. Between 1743 and 1747, a modern bridge was built nearby, and traffic on the Pont du Gard gradually stopped. In the mid-19th century, the ancient monument was restored by order of Napoleon III. The Pont du Gard, built on the first two levels from large stone blocks and on the upper level from small stone rubble holding the adjacent channel slabs, is one of the most outstanding monuments demonstrating construction processes of the early imperial era. Tool marks from stonemasons can still be seen on the stone finishing, and sometimes stones are coded with numbers and letters indicating their position in the assembly scheme. The precision of execution perfectly matches the complex design, and since the 16th century, the Pont du Gard has been considered one of the main achievements of Roman civilization. Also, in the Middle Ages, the bridge was adapted for passage of people and animals: a road was laid, and the piers of the second level were hollowed out by more than half their thickness, which endangered the stability of the structure. Despite these damages, the remarkable preservation of the Pont du Gard should be emphasized. In 1699–1702, the piers were repaired, and cornices were built at the pier level to provide passage.

Finally, in 1746, the construction of a vehicular bridge attached to the first level of the Roman bridge was entrusted to engineer Henri Pitot, who ensured that his work matched the style and construction of the ancient structure as closely as possible. The exceptional uniqueness of the Pont du Gard project is evident in all its aspects, including its slightly curved layout and the presence of protection installed in front of the piers to effectively combat powerful water flows during floods.

The stone for construction was quarried approximately 600 meters from the site of the bridge. The Nîmes aqueduct ceased to exist around the beginning of the 6th century, and since then the Pont du Gard has never regained its original purpose. From the late 17th century to the present day, the Pont du Gard has undergone multiple restorations, which have allowed it to be preserved as a testament to the grandeur of Roman civilization.

Currently, the aqueduct is located away from populated areas, and only two buildings were constructed in its immediate vicinity in 1865 and 1901: a mill, later converted into a restaurant on the left bank, and a hotel on the right bank.

Sources:

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pont-du-Gard

https://pontdugard.fr/en