by Tammy Winand

Created on: February 04, 2007   Last Updated: April 17, 2007

Roman Ruins in Provence

Provence is an area of southern France famous for, among other things, its lavender fields, sunflowers, and cooking herbs. Its major airport is in the large modern city of Marseille, and it is served by a well-maintained modern road network.

The entire area is dotted with beautiful villages dating from medieval times, if not earlier. Some of the finest Roman ruins outside Italy are located here, the area known during Roman times as Gallia-Transalpina ("Gaul Beyond the Alps") or Gallia Narbonensis. The following list is by no means comprehensive, but will give you an idea where to start your tour if you are interested in ancient history.

Nimes boasts one of the larger clusters of different Roman sites. Possibly the most famous is the Pont-du_Gard aqueduct, which at its longest point spanned 275 m (300 yards) above the river valley. Built in the early years of the first century A.D., it is remarkably intact. An interesting feature, despite the negligence of those who did it, is the graffiti on various parts of the span, some of which dates to the 1700s!
Also in Nimes you will find an arena dating from the same period as the aqueduct, considered the best preserved building of its type in France, which is still used as a bull fighting arena. The Maison Carree in the town itself was originally a Roman temple. At the top of a nearby hill is the Tour Magna, probably a defensive military position.

Glanum (near St.Remy-de-Provence) is a reconstruction of a Roman village and offers some fine insights into how the commoners lived during that time. There is a guided tour and an informative guide book availble in the Visitor Center which describes the sites.

Arles, actually a Greek city dating from as early as 600 B.C., became a major Roman site by 100 B.C. Along with its arena and ruined baths, a unique attraction here is The Alyscamps, a line of stone sarcophagi where prominent citizens of the time were buried.

As you visit these locations, try to imagine the scope of what the Roman Empire accomplished without the support of modern technological advances. No doubt you will be left with a new perspective on what it meant to be part of that ancient world!

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