Nimes
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
nem, a city of southwestern France. It is situated in a beautiful valley sixty-two miles northwest of Marseilles. It lies in the midst of a fertile district, and is a local point of considerable importance in the wine, brandy, vinegar, and oil trade. Like Lyons, it is a center of the silk industry. The chief importance of Nimes to the reader, however, lies in its antiquities. It was one of the principal seats of Roman power in Gaul. It was a fortified city of great strength. Although the ramparts have been leveled to make place for boulevards some idea may yet be had of their extent. What is known as the Great Tower has been preserved. It is still sixty feet in height. There is an ancient Corinthian temple in the center of the city. It stands on a platform approached by fifteen steps. It is surrounded by thirty columns. It is one of the most beautiful and best preserved specimens of Grecian architecture known. Early in the nineteenth century, it was restored, surrounded by an iron railing, and converted into a museum of antiquities. The old Roman amphitheater in which the military governors held gladiatorial shows to amuse the populace still stands. It is 100 feet in height and has thirty-two ranges of seats. It is sufficiently commodious to accommodate 20,000 spectators. It was occupied as a fortress by the Visigoths and by the Saracens. In 1809, when the local authorities decided to protect the building against further desecration, it was necessary to drive out no less than 2,000 people who were living in the various chambers beneath the seats. It is not only a great edifice, but it is the most perfectly preserved Roman amphitheater in the world. It is now in use as an open-air theater. Another relic of the time of Roman occupancy is a magnificent aqueduct, known as the Pont du Gard. This aqueduct, which serves also as a bridge, crosses the valley of the Gard on a series of beautiful stone arches. It is regarded as one of the finest specimens of Roman architecture extant. There are also gates, fountains, statues, reliefs, and other sculptures of interest.
What Has Changed in the Last Century
The monuments Aiton's praised in 1910 are all still standing, and better protected than ever: the Pont du Gard was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985 and the Corinthian temple, the Maison Carrée, joined it in 2023. That temple is Roman rather than "Grecian" as the entry has it, built in Greek-derived style around the beginning of the first century AD and dedicated to Augustus's heirs Gaius and Lucius Caesar; the antiquities museum that once filled it has moved out, and since 2018 a purpose-built Musée de la Romanité stands beside the amphitheatre. The arena still fills, as the entry notes, though for bullfights and rock concerts rather than gladiators, and it seats nearer 16,000 than 20,000 after long restoration. What has gone is the trade the entry lists: the silk industry has vanished, leaving behind only the cloth that took the city's name, serge de Nîmes, or denim.
Written for this edition, 2026.