Destinations Menu
RSS
FRANCE | Alpilles & Garrigues, France Travel Guide
Wednesday, December 18, 2024
A Brief History of Nîmes
A Brief History of Nîmes
Nomadic Celts had settled around an abundant spring in the sixth century BC, calling the place Nemausus (a name eventually shortened to Nîmes) in honor of their water spirit. By the time the Romans colonized the area, about 500 years later, it was already a thriving center of trade. Located on the Via Domitian, the main route road between Italy and Spain, Nîmes eventually became one of the most important cities in Roman Gaul. The Pont du Gard is part of the 50-km/31-mile aqueduct, built in the first century BC, to supplement the original spring that was Nîmes’ main water supply.
From the fifth century onward, the history of Nîmes is one of religious ferment, for by then various heresies including Aryanism and Albigensianism struggled with the power of the church. In the 13th century, the Jews, who had enjoyed the freedom of Nîmes from the seventh century onward, were expelled. And in the 16th century, the city became a Huguenot stronghold and a focus of religious warfare and persecution that lasted until the French Revolution.
In the Middle Ages, the quality and quantity of the Nîmes water supply led to the growth of textile manufacturing, tanning and dyeing – industries that have continued to the present day. At one time, during the 18th century, at least two-thirds of the town’s working population were engaged in silk-making for stockings. Modern Nîmes remains a center for the manufacture of colorful Provençal fabrics, table linens and clothing.
Last updated November 18, 2013
Posted in France | Alpilles & Garrigues
Explore the Destination
Amenities and Resources
Overview
Hotels(16)
Restaurants(5)
Attractions(19)
Activities(26)
Weather Forecast
- Reported on:
Wed, 12/18/2024 - 05:00
- Reported on:
Trending Themes:
Guides to Popular Ski Resorts
-
Ischgl is a small mountain village turned hip ski resort, with massive appeal among the party-hearty young crowds. It is... Read More
-
Andorra la Vella is its own little world, and not just because it’s a 290-square-mile independent principality (a fifth the... Read More
-
Bariloche (officially San Carlos de Bariloche) is the place to be seen. It is to Argentina what Aspen is to the... Read More
-
Aspen is America's most famous ski resort. And that's an understatement. For, as a ski complex, Aspen is unsurpassed. Its... Read More
-
Zermatt is a small but glamorous mountain resort town, with a population of approximately 5,700. It is one of Switzerland's... Read More
-
St. Moritz is a glitzy, alpine resort town in the celebrated Engadin Valley of Switzerland, with huge notoriety as the... Read More
-
Lake Tahoe is the premier lake resort of America, and the largest alpine lake in all of North America. It is an absolutely... Read More
-
St. Anton, Sankt Anton am Arlberg in German, is Austria's premier ski-bum resort! It's actually a small village cum... Read More
-
Kitzbühel, a small, Tyrolian resort town in the Kitzbüheler Alps, comes with international renown and huge snob appeal, and... Read More