Nîmes
The French Rome
Nîmes is a city located in the south of France, in the Occitanie region. It is known for its rich historical heritage, notably for its well-preserved Roman arenas, which are among the best preserved from Antiquity. The city is also famous for its Maison Carrée, a Roman temple, as well as its magnificent cathedral.
To discover
in Nîmes
5 raisons de visiter Nîmes
Its arenas, still extremely well-preserved
The Maison Carrée, an ancient Roman temple
The Tour Magne, offering a splendid panorama of the city and its surroundings
The Jardins de la Fontaine and their splendid decorations
Its Cathedral of Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Castor de Nîmes, the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Nîmes
On vacation in Nîmes
There is so much to see and do in Nîmes! The Roman presence has left an indelible mark on the city, dotted with various structures that remind us of its past grandeur. Many other buildings, including some religious ones, also dominate the locals with their ancestral power.
Summer Holidays
The main attraction of Nîmes is, of course, its splendid arenas.
Built around 90 AD under the reign of Imperator Caesar Domitianus Augustus Germanicus, these arenas were designed to appease and entertain the inhabitants of Nemausus (the original name of Nîmes) who had recently been colonized. The ludi (circus games) were frequent, as evidenced by numerous engravings of gladiatorial combat and bullfighting.
After the arenas closed in 404, the Visigoths repurposed the structure as part of their fortification plans, likely adding a watchtower and some moats around it (as indicated by the remains found underground). The arenas earned the nickname “castle of the arena knights,” due to its towers at the top (similar to those still found in the Arles arenas).
In the early Middle Ages, the arenas served as a last-resort fortification, the castrum arenae. Inside this small space, two small churches, 220 houses, and a small “castle” were built. The seating was largely demolished to make way, and the stones were used for construction. The arenas seemed well and truly lost…
Until the 16th century, when Francis I visited the city. Alarmed by the state of the arenas, he was the first to order the evacuation of the village located within them. A demand… that came to nothing. It wasn’t until 1786 that the houses built inside and adjacent to the arenas were finally demolished. The fortification walls were also removed in 1809, once calm had returned following the French Revolution. By 1812, the arenas had “almost” regained their ancestral glory.
Under the reign of Napoleon III, architect Henri Révoil took on the task of rehabilitating and restoring the most damaged parts of the arenas. The first archaeological investigations were conducted, leading to the discovery of the “cruciform hall” in 1865. Initially thought to have been built “by the early Christians to hide the ceremonies of their emerging cult,” it was later revealed to be simply the access corridors to the arena itself, the last place where gladiators could prepare their minds before facing the public… and their opponents.
Since 2009, the arenas have been under constant restoration, allowing fifteen arches to regain their original splendor by 2022. Still under construction, the work is expected to be completed by 2034.
But it’s not just the interior of the arenas that has been undergoing work: in 2007, the arena’s forecourt was also entirely redesigned, and a bronze statue of the matador Nimeño II was installed there.
Your vacation home near Nîmes
In rainy weather, take a drying moment to visit the Church of Saint-Paul. Built between 1835 and 1849, its bell tower rises 62 meters above the ground.
It notably hosted the wedding of journalist Yves Mourousi in 1985.
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Places to Visit in Nîmes
There is so much to see in Nîmes that it would be almost impossible to list everything. From ancient times to more modern architecture, it’s over 2,000 years of history watching over us!
Family Vacation
Have you ever looked at a city and wondered, “What made people settle here?” For Nîmes, the answer lies in the Jardins de la Fontaine. Built around an ancient and revered spring, commonly called “The Nymphaeum,” this site was already venerated by the earliest inhabitants long before the Romans arrived. Aware of the reverence for this underground water source, the Romans erected numerous statues of their gods around it, making this site a sacred land.
The park also features two equally magnificent buildings to visit: the Tour Magne, a Roman watchtower, and the Temple of Diana, a ruin that has been repeatedly captured by the French painter Hubert Robert (a curator at the Central Museum of the Republic, later known as the Louvre).
Romantic Getaway
The Maison Carrée is an ancient Roman temple. In fact, it is one of the best-preserved Roman temples in the world.
Built by Emperor Augustus Caius Iulius Caesar Octavianus, the adopted son of Julius Caesar himself, it was intended as a gift celebrating his grandsons Lucius Caesar and Caius Julius Caesar, both prominent Roman strategists and military leaders.
Transformed in the Middle Ages into a consular house (a type of town hall), the temple underwent many modifications to meet the needs of the time. Later, it became a residence, a stable, and even a church.
In 1822, by royal order and thanks to generous donations from the locals (as indicated by a plaque on the west side of the building), the temple finally regained its original appearance.
Despite its name, the Maison Carrée is actually rectangular. Indeed, in the 16th century, when it received its nickname, the word “carré” referred to any shape with four sides. Thus, a rectangle was called a “long square.”
Vacation with Your Dog
Located a 30-minute drive away, the hiking spot “La Baume Saint-Vérédème” is a lovely place for walking, running, or swimming (if you’re brave enough) with your four-legged companion. This spot is rarely visited, as most tourists don’t even know it exists. Running along the Gorges du Gardon, the view is simply breathtaking. The only downside: to reach the hiking trails, you’ll need to descend a slope for about 30 minutes. Of course, you’ll need to climb back up later… But trust us: it’s worth the effort!
Coming to Nîmes
Nîmes is a large city bordered by the A9 and A54 motorways, the N113 and N106 national roads, and crossed by the D540 and D999 departmental roads.
With its train station and numerous bus and tram lines, getting around the heart of the city is easy without needing to use a car.
The city of Nîmes has planned numerous bike paths and lanes, as well as many areas favoring pedestrians and cyclists.
Nearby Cities to Nîmes
- Caissargues: About 5 kilometers.
- Rodilhan: About 6 kilometers.
- Milhaud: About 7 kilometers.
- Bouillargues: About 7 kilometers.
- Marguerittes: About 7 kilometers.
Nîmes, History, Traditions, and Culture
Another significant part of the city’s history, aside from its Roman heritage, is its religious history.
Numerous Catholic churches, Protestant temples, Jewish synagogues, and Muslim mosques are scattered throughout the city.
Two of these places of worship have particularly interesting histories.
The first synagogue in the city was built in 1793 when a group of Jewish merchants (mainly dealing in mules and textiles) settled after being expelled from Carpentras in the Comtat Venaissin. The building features architecture similar to that of the Comtat: on the ground floor, there are the annexes, the rabbi’s house, the ovens used for baking traditional Matzah bread, and the Mikvé, a traditional ritual bath. Except for the exterior façade, which was restored in 1893, the interior of the building remains original.
The most impressive religious building is undoubtedly the Cathédrale Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Castor de Nîmes. Built in 1096 (though probably not fully completed until the 12th century), the original structure was a Romanesque cathedral, of which very little remains: a gable wall surmounted by an old bell tower attached to the current tower, which housed the first bells, as well as a Romanesque frieze with the first seven panels still visible.
During the Wars of Religion, the Reformed damaged the cathedral twice, in 1567 and 1621, leading to the loss of the “Tour du Trésor,” one of the cathedral’s towers.
To repair the damage, a new cathedral was built on the site in the 17th century. The baroque Rosary Chapel is the main remnant of this reconstruction.
The third and final cathedral was built between 1877 and 1882. The third chapel contains a paleo-Christian sarcophagus panel and the tomb of Cardinal de Bernis.
Blending antiquity and Provençal tradition, the Nîmes arenas host numerous bullfights every year, especially during its feria. Held since 1952, the feria is actually much older but was largely conducted in secrecy due to laws prohibiting it.
Starting with Camargue bulls, from 1853, Spanish bulls were also introduced.
In 1894, despite state laws banning bullfighting due to the killing of bulls (33 had been “estoqué” the previous year), the mayor organized a grand bullfight, which the Provençal writer Frédéric Mistral (later a Nobel laureate) agreed to preside over. For years, there were many clashes between those who defended the traditional art of bullfighting and those who deemed it a barbaric sport. However, in 1952, the state adopted a new law: bullfights could be held provided that “local tradition could be invoked.” Nîmes was the first city that year to openly host bullfights, and it has continued ever since.
Held in May, the feria attracts over a million visitors each year.