Incredible Roman Arena of Nimes and its Ancient City

For nearly 2,000 years an imposing Roman amphitheatre has dominated the French city of Nimes — the capital of Gard Department on the edge of Provence — dating back to around 70 A.D. The Arena of Nimes is a testament to the degree of perfection achieved by Roman engineers in designing and constructing extremely complex buildings such as these, and the best preserved amphitheatre of the Roman era.

The monumental Roman building encloses an elliptical central space of 435 feet (133 meters) long by 330 feet (101 meters) wide, ringed by 34 rows of seats supported by a vaulted construction. It was constructed of stones from two quarries near the town — Barutel and Roquemaillere.

The front of the building consists of 2 levels of 60 over-and-under arches and an attic, separated by a cornice. Massive stones overhang at the top which were drilled to support long poles that suspended a huge canvas over the arena, providing protection for the spectators against the sun and foul weather. LINK



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