Pont du gard

The most excellent time to visit one of France most well-liked tourist spots must be in February. Being almost alone, taking time to study the place and the information of this fascinating 2.000 year old structure - or the 1.000 year old Olive tree - a small attraction by itself..

Pont du Gard, Roman aqueduct across the Gard River, Gard dept., S France. Built in 19 B.C. to supply Nîmes with water, it consists of three tiers of arches and is c.900 ft (270 m) long and c.160 ft (50 m) high. This well-known construction is admired for its architectural scope. The lowest tier is now used as a road bridge.

It was constructing entirely without the use of mortar. The aqueduct stones – some of which balance to 6 tons – are held together with iron clamps. The masonry was lifted into place by block and tackle with a gigantic human-powered treadmill provide the power for the winch. A complex scaffold was erected to maintain the aqueduct as it was being built. The face of the aqueduct still bears the mark of its building, in the form of protruding scaffolding supports and ridges on the piers which supported the semicircular wooden frames on which the arches were constructed. It is understood to have taken about three years to construct, employing between 800 and 1,000 employees.