Nîmes, the crucible of culture and history
Forged by more than four thousand years, from the menhir of Courbessac to the canvases of Viallat, the soul of Nîmes is waiting to share its treasures.
A group of Gauls made their home around a well and consecrated the place to the god of water, Nemausus.
That happened a few hundred years before our era. The town had been given its name.
When the Romans arrived somewhat later, the town grew. Grandiose religious monuments were built: the Maison Carrée [Square House], the Sanctuaire de la Source [Sanctuary of the Well]; others, such as the Arenas, were destined for games. All parts of the town were supplied with water from the castellum, and the ramparts guaranteed protection. Incoming people were vetted at the Porte d’Auguste and the Porte de France; and surveillance was conducted from the Tour Magne.
The coin money, which was minted in Nîmes, celebrating a victory in Egypt of the legionaries from the Nîmes colony gave the town its coat of arms: a crocodile chained to a palm-tree crowned with laurels.
History followed it course, and new cultures arrived in Nîmes. By resisting them and yet absorbing them, the town acquired its architectural originality and forged its identity.
The turbulence of the Middle ages was followed by a century and a half of religious conflict, which would give Nîmes one of the biggest protestant communities in France – as well as its critical spirit. There is a surprising contrast between the austere looking town and the explosive enthusiasm with which the inhabitants give themselves over to celebrating feast days.
In the 19th century, the Arenas once more were used for bullfights, which became a veritable cult, with or without the bull being put to death. This marked the beginning of the Iberian influence in Nîmes, with the corresponding folklore.
Don't ask a citizen of Nîmes whether he feels as if he's Roman, Andalusian, Provençal, from the Languedoc, Camargue or the Cevennes. He's all of them at once. That's what gives him his subtle charm !