Pont du Gard

The Pont du Gard (English: bridge of the Gard) is an ancient Roman aqueduct bridge that
crosses the Gardon River in Vers-Pont-du-Gardnear Remoulins, in
the Gard dpartement of southern France. It is part of the Nmes aqueduct, a 50 km-long
structure built by the Romans to carry water from a spring at Uzs to the Roman
colony of Nemausus (Nmes). The Roman architects and hydraulic engineers who
designed this bridge, which stands almost 50 m high and is on three levels the longest
measuring 275 m created a technical as well as an artistic masterpiece. Because the
terrain between the two points is hilly, the aqueduct built mostly underground took a
long, winding route that crossed the gorge of the Gardon, requiring the construction of an
aqueduct bridge. Built in the 1st century AD, the Pont du Gard is the highest of all
Roman aqueduct bridges and is the best preserved. It was added to UNESCO's list
of World Heritage Sites in 1985 because of its historical importance. The bridge has three
tiers of arches, standing 48.8 (m) high. The whole aqueduct descends in height by only
17 (m) over its entire length, while the bridge descends by a mere 2.5 (cm) a gradient of
only 1 in 3,000 which is indicative of the great precision that Roman engineers were
able to achieve using only simple technology. The aqueduct formerly carried an estimated
200,000 m3 of water a day to the fountains, baths and homes of the citizens of Nmes.
After the collapse of the Roman Empire and the aqueduct's fall into disuse, the Pont du
Gard remained largely intact due to the importance of its secondary function as a toll
bridge. It attracted increasing attention starting in the 18th century and became an
important tourist destination. It underwent a series of renovations between the 18th and
21st centuries, commissioned by the local authorities and the French state, that
culminated in 2000 with the opening of a new visitor centre and the removal of traffic
and buildings from the bridge and the area immediately around it. Today it is one of
France's most popular tourist attractions and has attracted the attention of a succession of
literary and artistic visitors. Built on three levels, the Pont is 49 m high above the river at
low water and 274 m long. Its width varies from 9 m at the bottom to 3 m at the top. The
three levels of arches are recessed, with the main piers in line one above another. The
span of the arches varies slightly, as each was constructed independently to provide
flexibility to protect against subsidence. Each level has a differing number of arches. The
Pont du Gard was constructed largely without the use of mortar or clamps. It contains an
estimated 50,400 tons of limestone with a volume of some 21,000 m3 ; some of the
individual blocks weigh up to 6 tons. From the Middle Ages to the 18th century, the
aqueduct was used as a conventional bridge to facilitate foot traffic across the river. The
masonry was lifted into place by block and tackle with a massive human-powered
treadmill providing the power for the winch. A complex scaffold was erected to support
the aqueduct as it was being built. The face of the aqueduct still bears the mark of its
construction, 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

believed to have taken about three years to build, employing between 800 and 1,000
workers.

Vocabulary :
Aqueduct - a water supply or navigable channel (conduit) constructed to convey water.
Bridge - a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley,
or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle.
Arch a curved structure that spans the opening between two piers or columns and
supports loads from above.
Pier - a raised structure, including bridge and building supports and walkways, over
water, typically supported by widely spread piles or pillars.
Tier - One of a series of rows placed one above another.

SPECIALIZED VERBS :
To rise in tiers a creste in niveluri;
To form an arch curve a forma o curba de arca;
To build a bridge over smth. a construe un pod peste ;

SUMMARY:
The Pont du Gard is an aqueduct in the South of France constructed by the Roman Empire. It
was originally part of a 50 km canal supplying fresh water to the Roman city of Nimes. The
aqueduct was constructed entirely without the use of mortar. The aqueducts stones some of
which weigh up to 6 tons were precisely cut to fit perfectly together eliminating the need for
mortar. From the Middle Ages to the 18th century, the aqueduct was used as a conventional
bridge to facilitate foot traffic across the river. This bridge stands almost 50 m high and is on

three levels. Built in the 1st century AD, the Pont du Gard is the highest of all Roman
aqueduct bridges and is the best preserved. It was added to UNESCO's list of World
Heritage Sites in 1985 because of its historical importance. The three levels of arches are
recessed, with the main piers in line one above another. The span of the arches varies
slightly, as each was constructed independently to provide flexibility to protect against
subsidence. . Each level has a differing number of arches. It is believed to have taken
about three years to build, employing between 800 and 1,000 workers.