Although the Pont was built 2,000 years ago, it remains in very good condition. The Romans, themselves, considered it an example of their greatness. It is the highest bridge they built and is around 48m (157.4 ft) tall. The bridge was actually built as part of a 50km (31 mile) long aqueduct, and there is evidence to suggest it was in continuous use for 400-500 years. It carried water from the springs near Uzès to the city of Nimes. The Romans built it using enormous stone blocks, some of which weighed about 6 tons. These blocks were hauled into place by a system of pulleys and lots of slave labor. As you will see, the bridge has three tiers of continuous arches. Quite the engineering feat! Wonder how many edifices today will be around in 2,000 years!
We walked across the bridge and back along with other tourists. And, we were amused to read graffiti, some of which is from the 19th century. There is also a lovely, new museum facility on the side of the bridge closest to Nimes, but it was closed when we were there.
But, words really don’t do it justice, so here are some pictures:
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This was taken from the Uzès side after we walked across. |
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| Taken from the walkway on the lowest set of arches. Just take a look at the size of those blocks! |
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| Taken from the Nimes side. You can see tourists walking back across the bridge. |
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| David took a picture for a French family, and they took this one of us. |
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