Pont du Gard

The Pont du Gard is an ancient Roman aqueduct bridge built in the first century AD to carry water over 50 km (31 mi) to the Roman colony of Nemausus (Nîmes).[3] It crosses the river Gardon near the town of Vers-Pont-du-Gard in southern France. The Pont du Gard is the highest of all Roman aqueduct bridges, as well as one of the best preserved. It was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage sites in 1985 because of its exceptional preservation, historical importance, and architectural ingenuity. The bridge has three tiers of arches made from Shelly limestone and stands 48.8 m (160 ft) high. The aqueduct formerly carried an estimated 40,000 m3 (8,800,000 imp gal) of water a day over 50 km (31 mi) to the fountains, baths and homes of the citizens of Nîmes. The structure's precise construction allowed an average grade of 1 cm (0.39 in) in 182.4 m (598 ft). It may have been in use as late as the 6th century, with some parts used for significantly longer, but a lack of maintenance after the 4th century led to clogging by mineral deposits and debris that eventually stopped the flow of water. (Wikipedia). You can see how large this construction is by looking at the people walking over the bridge built next to it. Another remarkable feature is that the Romans built this without using mortar. Your comments are very welcome.

A great beautiful image of this sturdy bridge built to cross the river. Marvel at the skill of the Roman engineers who without modern computers were able to calculate the perfect slope for such a long stretch. I don't think modern aqueducts can last 2000 years. Thanks for the always nice interesting note attached , ciao Giangiorgio

Your composition does justice to this aqueduct bridge. The golden hues of the stones and earth unify the composition with its well allocated space. An excellent pictorial document.

Hi Giangiorgio,

 

thank you very much for your friendly comments and support! Those engineers were pretty skilled indeed. Kind regards, Vincent

Hi Wayne,

 

thank you for your friendly and appreciative comments! The aqueduct fits well in the surroundings and is very impressive. Kind regards, Vincent

Great object and wonderful shot, Vincent! Excellent POV, frame and composition, colors, interesting light and shadows... I like it! Bravo! Sincerely, Tatiana

Hi Tatiana,

 

thank you so much for your friendly comments and continued support! This aqueduct is really unbelievable. I will post another (detail) image later. Kind regards, Vincent