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Showing posts with the label Maison Carrée

Romanity

The ancient Romans were prolific builders. They certainly left their architectural imprints across France. The Maison Carrée (square house) in Nîmes is a fine example of an ancient Roman temple in the Vitruvian style. The temple was dedicated to the grandsons of Augustus according to the reconstructed inscription from 1758 which reads: "To Gaius Caesar, son of Augustus, Consul; to Lucius Caesar, son of Augustus, Consul designate; to the princes of youth." The Maison Carrée is on a raised podium with six Corinthian columns across its façade and a deep pronaos or porch. Twenty columns attached to the wall line the sides and back of the building.  The Roman style ceiling is from a restoration done in the 19th century.  There is only one windowless  cella or cult room in the temple.  A 3D film about the founding of Nîmes  is shown continuously throughout the day in the cella.  The Arènes de Nîmes is an elliptical shaped Roman amphitheater from the second half of