Greatness and monuments: the marks of Rome
Roman architecture shapes the south of the département, and is unique in its propensity to assert itself, to express the power of its Empire, but also in the quality of its constructions, which allow them to endure. At 49 metres high, the Pont du Gard is the only three-storey ancient aqueduct still standing. Even at the time of its construction, 50 BC, its scale was colossal, to keep pace with the expansion of Nîmes, which it supplied with water for 5 centuries. Fountains and thermal baths consequently multiplied in the city. Nîmes' arenas are also among the best-preserved Roman buildings in Europe. Perfectly symmetrical, they could accommodate up to 24,000 spectators. The magnificent acanthus-leaf columns and steps of the Maison Carrée, dedicated to imperial worship, are typical of this architectural style. The Temple of Diana and the Tour Magne were built on much earlier structures established by the Volcanoes, but have become landmarks of the Roman period. The Jardins de la Fontaine, created in the 18th century, were designed to showcase them. Antiquity continued to be cited in the region's architecture, from the Middle Ages to the present day. Fragments of bas-reliefs in facades and sculpted friezes in door frames are all nods to this period.
Monastic immigration, pilgrimages and crusades: the Middle Ages
From the beginning of the Middle Ages, various monastic orders settled in the Gard region, building on their popularity and providing a much-appreciated learning environment. They came from Montpellier, Gévaudan and even Spain. The abbeys became places of effervescence and power. A magnificent troglodyte monument inhabited by hermits since the5th century, the Abbey of Saint-Roman in Beaucaire became a Benedictine abbey in the 7th century and became home to a studium, a college for teenagers from all social classes. It was the crowds of pilgrims flocking to theabbey church of Saint-Gilles that gave rise to the town of the same name, with up to 30,000 inhabitants. Pilgrims came from all over Europe, and most of them took the Régordane route, the Cevennes section that linked the Île-de-France to the Lower Languedoc. The Château de Portes, located on this route, certainly played a role in this passageway and its expansion benefited from it. Small monastic orders then moved north of the département, into the Cévennes, with Benedictine and Cistercian priories becoming the basis for numerous villages. Farmhouses were founded, the land cleared, retaining walls and faïsses built. In 1240, Saint-Louis, seeking direct access to the Mediterranean for his Crusades, negotiated Aigues-Mortes with the town's abbey and built the Tour Carbonnière and Tour Constance. The ramparts were initiated by his son and completed 30 years later. The enclosure, the majestic rib vaults of the towers and the keep are gems of Gothic architecture for a military structure.
Between sobriety and domination: religious wars and the Renaissance
From the 16th century onwards, the Reformation spread throughout France, and Protestants transformed Catholic buildings to suit their own spiritual outlook, by abolishing the worship of images and statues of saints, and reorganizing the interior of churches, doing away with the altar and refocusing the edifice around the flesh. The first temples to be built were inspired by theaters, with circular or oval floor plans, as they were primarily meeting places rather than sanctuaries, where speaking and listening predominated. Uzès was the fifth-largest Protestant town in France, although it also boasted a bishopric, and in 1632, the Duke of Uzès was made the first Duke of France, to establish his loyalty to the crown. On the façade of the Duchy, the three classical orders of architecture - Ionic, Doric and Corinthian - are superimposed. Beaucaire, well known as a staging post on the Via Domitiana and then as the French capital of merchandise thanks to the Foire de la Madeleine, grew in architectural splendor and refinement to match the wealth of its merchants. In both towns, you can still admire the charm of well-preserved 16th and 17th century facades and mansions. The Wars of Religion and their guerrilla-style violence led to the destruction of many Catholic and Protestant buildings from 1685, when the Edict of Nantes was revoked. Catholic architecture gradually regained the upper hand in the region, until the French Revolution, which once again upset the balance.
From silk to coal: the industries that shape places
With the abundance of watercourses flowing through the Gard, old mills can be found in large numbers. Towards the north of the département, the rural habitat is characteristic of the schistose Cévennes, with remote villages such as Anduze, Mialet and Aujac featuring tall, narrow, rustic houses built of hewn stone. With their "lauzes" roofs, they are built without foundations, directly on the rock. There are many mas (traditional farmhouses) with their sheepfolds close to the main residence. The clèdes, small cottages used to dry chestnuts, are further away, scattered in the mountains. Adjacent to the houses are the magnaneries, where silkworms were cultivated. Made of stone and thick chestnut beams, these spaces, essential to sericulture, retain a picturesque charm. The large abandoned spinning mills are located in the villages, near the rivers, and are still impressive. Many of them have been put to new uses, often cultural, as in Val d'Aigoual or Lasalle, or as museums, such as the Maison Rouge in Saint-Jean-du-Gard. Around Alès and La Grand Combe, there are still the much more modern miners' houses. Former warehouses are also now occupied by associations and cultural initiatives, while retaining the marks of the area's strong working-class past.
