Move Over Rome! This Less Crowded City In France Also Has A Colosseum
Vespa rides by way of slender streets lined with pastel-hued buildings, charming piazzas centered round ornate public fountains, and all that recent, do-it-yourself pasta. And after all, the Colosseum—ah, absolutely the marvel that it’s!
It’s no marvel hundreds of thousands of vacationers flock to Rome yearly:
It is a boundless trove of historic wonders, however if you cannot stand the surging crowds or standing in line for hours to go to an attraction, it won’t be the idyllic European getaway you are craving this summer season.
Luckily for you, the Romans did not cease on the Italian peninsula when constructing the best empire in historical past—they expanded far and vast throughout Europe, together with what’s now France:
Though not as well-known because the Eternal City, Nîmes is dwelling to a plethora of Roman monuments, together with one of many best-preserved arenas of the Ancient World:
Nîmes Is The Most Italian City In France!
Located in Occitanie—a historically-significant area within the South of France that’s typically ignored by vacationers who set out for Provence or the French Riviera—Nîmes is oftentimes described as ‘probably the most Roman metropolis exterior Italy’.
Founded within the 1st century BC as Nemausus, a Roman colony in a then-Gaul-majority territory, it grew to become a strategic outpost and non secular middle of the bygone empire.
Now, Nîmes is actually an extension of the Italian Peninsula in France, and strolling round its labyrinthine Old Town, dotted with picture-perfect piazzas and pastel-hue edifices, you will really feel such as you’re in a extra compact, quieter Rome.
Rome might have the Pantheon, dubbed the best-maintained Roman temple nonetheless in existence, however Nîmes has the Maison carrée, maybe second in state of preservation and an basically unimpaired, 2,035-year-old edifice situated proper within the middle of city.
Dedicated to the dynasties of Gaius and Lucius Caesar, it grew to become a major image of the Imperial Cult—the deification of Roman emperors and their households—and although smaller in measurement, it’s simply as spectacular because the Pantheon, with its Corinthian columns, ornate portico, and marble steps.
Roman Ruins Galore
Nîmes’ resemblance to Rome is not restricted to the Maison carrée:
Whereas the Italian capital has the Roman Forum, its smaller French counterpart has the Jardin de la Fontaine, a Seventeenth-century public backyard providing tree-flanked pathways, magnificent fountain shows, and, biensûr, loads of historic ruins.
Most notably, the 1st-century Temple of Diana, with partially preserved vaulted ceilings and niches that when probably held beautifully-carved sculptures, and the Nymphaeum, a water sanctuary later enhanced with Renaissance additions, nonetheless fed by town’s millennia-old spring.
Wait, there’s extra: Perched on a hill overlooking the gardens, Tour Magne is a uncommon instance of a Roman-era fortification in-built 28 BC, across the identical time as Rome’s Mausoleum of Augustus.
A quick half-hour drive from downtown Nîmes, there’s additionally a UNESCO-listed Pont du Gard, an aqueduct that used to provide water to Nemausus—very like Rome’s personal Park of the Aqueducts, besides this one spans a crystal-clear river that doubles as a swimming spot in summer season.
Of Course, There’s An Ancient Arena
We’ve saved the perfect for final:
Les Arènes de Nîmes, or the Nîmes Arena, is town’s most monumental Roman construction nonetheless standing, in addition to one of many best-maintained Roman amphitheaters on the planet.
Roughly 2.5 occasions smaller than the Colosseum, it might not be as mighty as its well-known counterpart, however it’s arguably in higher situation.
The outer facade remains to be largely intact, and visual tiered seating stays, whereas the Colosseums have been destroyed with the passing of time. It additionally has vaulted corridors.
The enviornment also can accommodate as much as 24,000 spectators, and as a matter of reality, it continues to serve its unique objective:
In summer season, it hosts live shows, festivals, and even bullfights, carrying on a millennia-old custom of entertaining the general public—granted, there aren’t any gladiatorial fights anymore, however are you able to think about attending a pop live performance in a 2,000-year-old venue?
How To Get To Nîmes This Summer
The quickest strategy to Nîmes this summer season is to take a prepare from one of many bigger cities within the South of France, both Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, or Nice, although Nice is farther out.
The journey takes round 50 minutes from Marseille, a bustling Mediterranean port and France’s second-largest metropolis. Tickets common €19–€26.
Aix-en-Provence presents the quickest route, at solely 11 minutes and with tickets ranging from as low cost as €4–€5, although you’d must get to Aix by prepare first, because it doesn’t have a world airport.
Finally, from Nice, which hosts nonstop flights from at the very least 4 totally different U.S. cities this summer season, together with New York and Philadelphia, the prepare journey takes as much as 4h30, and tickets common €60–€70.
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