Nîmes, Historical Roman city in southern Occitanie, France.
Nîmes is a city in the Gard department of the Occitanie region in southern France, positioned between Montpellier and Avignon. The old town displays ancient Roman structures, including a first-century temple and an oval amphitheater with two tiers built from pale limestone.
The Roman colony began in the first century before our era and grew quickly under Emperor Augustus into a major settlement. After the fall of the Roman Empire the city lost importance and experienced a revival in medieval times through textile trade and later through silk production.
The city takes its name from the Celtic god Nemausus, whose spring still flows in the Jardin de la Fontaine and draws locals year-round. Visitors notice the coat of arms featuring a palm and crocodile throughout town, recalling the Egyptian campaign veterans who settled here under Rome.
The compact old center is easy to explore on foot, with most Roman sites within roughly a kilometer of each other. During high summer heat can become intense around midday, so a visit in the morning or late afternoon works better.
The sturdy cotton fabric from the region became known as Serge de Nîmes in the seventeenth century and was later shortened to denim in America. This cloth formed the foundation for the famous work trousers worn around the world today.
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