Pont du Gard, Roman aqueduct bridge in Vers-Pont-du-Gard, France
The Pont du Gard is a Roman aqueduct bridge built from shelly limestone that crosses the Gardon River near Vers-Pont-du-Gard on three levels and is listed as a World Heritage Site. The structure extends 275 meters in length and rises 48 meters above the riverbed, with the upper channel originally used for water transport.
The structure was built between 40 and 60 AD to supply drinking water to the colony of Nîmes from springs near Uzès. The bridge formed part of a 31 miles (50 kilometers) aqueduct that carried large volumes of water into the city daily.
The name derives from the Latin "pons" for bridge and the Gardon River, whose old designation was Gard. Visitors today come to picnic on the banks, swim in the shallow water, and view the arches from below.
The grounds are open throughout the year and offer wheelchair-accessible paths to the main viewpoints. During the height of summer, the site stays open until midnight, allowing visitors to experience the arches at sunset or after dark.
The stone blocks were assembled without mortar and weigh up to six tons each. This technique allowed the construction to endure two millennia, with the joints still fitting together precisely today.
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