Pont du Gard. The Pont du Gard is an ancient Roman aqueduct bridge built in the first century AD to carry water over 50 km to the Roman colony of Nemausus.
It crosses the Gardon River near the town of Vers-Pont-du-Gard in southern France. The Pont du Gard is the highest of all Roman aqueduct bridges, and one of the best preserved.
It was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1985 because of its historical importance. The bridge has three tiers of arches, stands 48.8 m high, and descends a mere 2.5 centimetres-a gradient of only 1 in 18,241-while the whole aqueduct descends in height by only 12.6 m over its entire length, indicative of the great precision that Roman engineers were able to achieve using simple technology.
The aqueduct formerly carried an estimated 40,000 m 3 of water a day to the fountains, baths and homes of the citizens of Nīmes. It may have been in use as late as the 6th century, with some parts used for significantly longer, but a lack of maintenance after the 4th century led to clogging by mineral deposits and debris that eventually stopped the flow of water.
After the Roman Empire collapsed and the aqueduct fell into disuse, the Pont du Gard remained largely intact due to the importance of its secondary function as a toll bridge. For centuries the local lords and bishops were responsible for its upkeep, in exchange for the right to levy tolls on travellers us
It crosses the Gardon River near the town of Vers-Pont-du-Gard in southern France. The Pont du Gard is the highest of all Roman aqueduct bridges, and one of the best preserved.
It was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1985 because of its historical importance. The bridge has three tiers of arches, stands 48.8 m high, and descends a mere 2.5 centimetres-a gradient of only 1 in 18,241-while the whole aqueduct descends in height by only 12.6 m over its entire length, indicative of the great precision that Roman engineers were able to achieve using simple technology.
The aqueduct formerly carried an estimated 40,000 m 3 of water a day to the fountains, baths and homes of the citizens of Nīmes. It may have been in use as late as the 6th century, with some parts used for significantly longer, but a lack of maintenance after the 4th century led to clogging by mineral deposits and debris that eventually stopped the flow of water.
After the Roman Empire collapsed and the aqueduct fell into disuse, the Pont du Gard remained largely intact due to the importance of its secondary function as a toll bridge. For centuries the local lords and bishops were responsible for its upkeep, in exchange for the right to levy tolls on travellers us
Wikipedia ...