Pont du Gard

Located near Remoulins in the southern French Gard department, the Pont du Gard is a bridge on a Roman-built aqueduct running 50 kilometres between Uzès and Nîmes. It stands almost 50 metres high and is built on three levels with a total of 64 arches. Spanning 275 metres over the Gardon river, it is an outstanding feat of Roman civil engineering. The Pont du Gard was constructed entirely without mortar out of yellow limestone blocks weighing up to six tons. It is attributed to Augustus' son-in-law Agrippa and thought to have been built in 19 BC - newer excavations however suggest a later construction date between 40 and 60 AD. The Pont du Gard and the aqueduct it forms a part of supplied up to 35,000 cubic metres of water daily to Nîmes, a flourishing centre under Roman rule. The bridge fell into disrepair after the decline of the Roman Empire and became virtually unusable. It was restored several times between the 18th and 20th centuries. Various inscriptions can still be found on the bridge's surface, ranging from building instructions and symbols to ward off bad luck to graffiti left by builders and restorers through the ages. The Pont du Gard is inscribed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites and is one of France's major tourist attractions.