There is a city, in the south of Francia, which is not among the most visited by those who choose to spend a few days beyond the Alps.
And it is a real shame, because its beauty is majestic and somewhat reminiscent of Rome: we are talking about Nîmes., city ofOccitanie Located between the Mediterranean coasts and the Cévennes mountain range.
Because in the south of France there are not only lavender fields. There is also history, a history of 2000 years that, today, Nimes has decided to celebrate with the inauguration (last June) of its Romanité Museum, a kind of starting point for excursions to discover the treasures hidden in this splendid city.
Because, in the distant past, Nimes was an important outpost of the Roman Empire., whose dominion is still attested today by the well-preserved monuments within the city perimeter: theSand, a two-level amphitheater dating from 70 AD. and today used for evocative concerts, the Roman temple square house with its white limestone, the Pont du Gard aqueduct. In the first centuries of the Empire, the importance of Nîmes was surpassed only by Rome. In a kind of challenge to the last monument.
So what to see in the city? Obviously, the testimonies of that time. Starting sinceanfiteatro, built to host gladiatorial fights and with a perfect elliptical shape: splendidly preserved, it was a symbol of the power of the Roman Empire and, the city in which it was built, gained great prestige in return.
Right in front of the arena, today is the new museum. An ultra-modern building, which stars in a successful fusion between present and past and, through the use of virtual reality, brings the ancient world back to life, allowing visitors to experience moments from the past up close, such as the construction of the walls that once surrounded the city. So a visit here is a must.
Among the rest of the stops in the city that are worth a visit we find the Jardines de la Fontaine: around an old fountain there are remains and monuments such as the important Temple of Diana, a temple built for Emperor Augustus and surrounded by gardens perfect for the time. And then square house, one of the best preserved ancient temples and classified as a historical monument in France since 1840. Finally, the Pont du Gard, a three-level Roman bridge that crosses the Gardon River, is 49 meters high and 275 meters long. site, is one of the (valid) reasons why Nimes is nicknamed “the Rome of France”.
