What is the Pont du Gard used for?
Pont du Gard, (French: “Bridge of the Gard”) giant bridge-aqueduct, a notable ancient Roman engineering work constructed about 19 bce to carry water to the city of Nîmes over the Gard River in southern France.
How long was the Pont du Gard used for?
The main work lasted between 10 and 15 years, under the reigns of Claudius and Nero, with the Pont du Gard taking less than five years. The aqueduct in its entirety counts several hundred meters of tunnels, three basins and some twenty bridges, of which the Pont du Gard remains the most spectacular.
What is the Pont du Gard made of?
Shelly limestone
Pont du Gard/Materials
Why is the Pont du Gard famous?
The Pont du Gard is the highest of all Roman aqueduct bridges, as well as one of the best preserved. It was added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites in 1985 because of its exceptional preservation, historical importance, and architectural ingenuity.
How did the Romans build the Pont du Gard?
The Pont du Gard is a Roman monument built halfway through the 1st century AD. In essence, the bridge is constructed out of soft yellow limestone blocks, taken from a nearby quarry that borders the river. The highest part of the structure is made out of breeze blocks joined together with mortar.
Does the Pont du Gard still carry water?
It crosses the river Gardon near the town of Vers-Pont-du-Gard in southern France. The Pont du Gard is the highest of all Roman aqueduct bridges, as well as one of the best preserved….
| Pont du Gard | |
|---|---|
| Total length | Upper: 275 m (902 ft) (originally: 360 m (1,180 ft)) Mid: 242 m (794 ft) Low: 142 m (466 ft) |
When was Pont du Gard made?
60 AD
Pont du Gard/Opened
How tall is the Pont du Gard in meters?
Pont du Gard today stands 48 meters (160 feet) tall and 275-meter-long, but in its original state, it was much longer at 360 meters (1,180 feet).
What was the purpose of the Pont du Gard?
Pont du Gard – Ancient Roman Bridge. Pont du Gard is an impressive ancient Roman aqueduct that served as the main component of the 50km-long canal that carried water between the spring at Uzès to the Roman colony of Nemausus (Nîmes).
Why was the Pont du Gard bridge unsafe?
However, even with the moving of the traffic to the side bridge, the Pont du Gard continued to deteriorate. Its damaged arches, loss of stonework and slow erosion slowly but surely made the bridge more and more unsafe, leading surveyors of early 1800s to believe that the collapse of the bridge was imminent.
When was the Pont du Gard aqueduct built?
Built over the period of just around 15 years in 50AD using 30 million shelly limestones, Pont du Gard aqueduct has the form of three arched bridges placed one atop of other.