page_title: Nîmes
section_title: Sights
hierarchical_section_title: Nîmes / Sights
context_page_description: Nîmes is the prefecture of the Gard department in the Occitanie region of Southern France. Located between the Mediterranean Sea and Cévennes, the commune of Nîmes has an estimated population of 151,001.
  Dubbed the most Roman city outside Italy, Nîmes has a rich history dating back to the Roman Empire when the city was a regional capital, and home to 50,000–60,000 people. Several famous monuments are in Nîmes, such as the Arena of Nîmes and the Maison Carrée. Because of this, Nîmes is often referred to as the French Rome.
context_section_description: Several important remains of the Roman Empire can still be seen in and around Nîmes:
  The elliptical Roman amphitheatre, of the 1st or 2nd century AD, is the best-preserved Roman arena in France. It was filled with medieval housing, when its walls served as ramparts, but they were cleared under Napoleon. It is still used as a bull fighting and concert arena.
  The Maison Carrée (Square House), a small Roman temple dedicated to sons of Agrippa was built c. 19 BC. It is one of the best-preserved Roman temples anywhere. Visitors can watch a short film about the history of Nîmes inside.
  The 18th-century Jardins de la Fontaine (Gardens of the Fountain) built around the Roman thermae ruins.
  The nearby Pont du Gard, also built by Agrippa, is a well-preserved aqueduct that used to carry water across the small Gardon river valley.
  The nearby Mont Cavalier is crowned by the Tour Magne ("Great Tower"), a ruined Roman tower.
  Later monuments include:
  The cathedral (dedicated to Saint Castor of Apt, a native of the city), occupying, it is believed, the site of the temple of Augustus, is partly Romanesque and partly Gothic in style.
  The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nîmes
  There is modern architecture at Nîmes too: Norman Foster conceived the  Carré d'art (1986), a museum of modern art and mediatheque, and Jean Nouvel designed the Nemausus, a post-modern residential ensemble.
  Tree-shaded boulevards trace the foundations of its former city walls.
caption: The Jardins de la Fontaine.
exif: {}