Written May 2, 2019 10:20 am
They’re everywhere, on little brass coins in the walkways, embedded in the posts that separate street from walkways, in the signs of restaurants, and there, in the Place du Marche, represented as a full-sized statue in a fountain, the perch of a happy pigeon this hour. The Palm and Crocodile are the symbol of Nimes.
It’s one thing to know this town was once a Roman centre, another to see history in its emblems. In 31 CE, the Roman who subsequently became known as Augustus Caesar defeated our auld buddies Anthony and Cleopatra, and awarded lands in this area of southern Gall to his worthy soldiers. The new coin of this town called Nemausus had the image of the Crocodile chained to the Palm, a symbol of the conquest of Egypt by Rome.
As soon as we had checked into our hotel, we left to visit the arena (built in CE 80), a magnificent amphitheatre just now being set up for the annual Roman Games, an undoubtedly kitschy spectacle of fake galleons and fake gladiators and chariot races and the like. Had we planned better, we might have caught the first night of festivities, but, typical of my planning, we found out too late, and we’re moving on before the games begin. That’s fine, we get to experience Nimes before the crowds arrive, which I’m sure they will.
We also visited the Maison Carrière, a remarkably preserved Greco-Roman building that looks like a small version of the Parthenon, and climbed to the top of the Tour Magne once the highest point in the walls of the city. A rather Roman day.
We ate lunch on the roof of a Modern Art museum overlooking the Maison Carrière. Asparagus soup, a beautiful piece of white fish. Lots of good food, but we were craving salad. Our choice of a restaurant for dinner was based on the selection of salads, and when we squealed in delight when the waiter brought us our huge plates, he must have thought us crazy. Salad and rosé, what could be better!?
They’re everywhere, on little brass coins in the walkways, embedded in the posts that separate street from walkways, in the signs of restaurants, and there, in the Place du Marche, represented as a full-sized statue in a fountain, the perch of a happy pigeon this hour. The Palm and Crocodile are the symbol of Nimes.
It’s one thing to know this town was once a Roman centre, another to see history in its emblems. In 31 CE, the Roman who subsequently became known as Augustus Caesar defeated our auld buddies Anthony and Cleopatra, and awarded lands in this area of southern Gall to his worthy soldiers. The new coin of this town called Nemausus had the image of the Crocodile chained to the Palm, a symbol of the conquest of Egypt by Rome.
As soon as we had checked into our hotel, we left to visit the arena (built in CE 80), a magnificent amphitheatre just now being set up for the annual Roman Games, an undoubtedly kitschy spectacle of fake galleons and fake gladiators and chariot races and the like. Had we planned better, we might have caught the first night of festivities, but, typical of my planning, we found out too late, and we’re moving on before the games begin. That’s fine, we get to experience Nimes before the crowds arrive, which I’m sure they will.
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| Arena, built 80 CE |
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| Arena by night |
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| Arena Interior, with props for the Roman Games |
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| Arena interior colonnade |
We also visited the Maison Carrière, a remarkably preserved Greco-Roman building that looks like a small version of the Parthenon, and climbed to the top of the Tour Magne once the highest point in the walls of the city. A rather Roman day.
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| Maison Carrière |
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| Maison Carriere |
We ate lunch on the roof of a Modern Art museum overlooking the Maison Carrière. Asparagus soup, a beautiful piece of white fish. Lots of good food, but we were craving salad. Our choice of a restaurant for dinner was based on the selection of salads, and when we squealed in delight when the waiter brought us our huge plates, he must have thought us crazy. Salad and rosé, what could be better!?
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| Nimes Street |
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| Salad -- with duck & foie gras, because salad without meat is all but inconceivable in France |
3 comments:
Nice description & pics!
Great pics Anne thanks.
Love the Roman games. Watch out for the lions
Are those seriously your photos? Wow! Love the vivid storytelling as always 😉
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