Nimes, France - Hutchinson encyclopedia article about Nimes, France Printer Friendly
Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary
3,581,935,707 visitors served.
forum Join the Word of the Day Mailing List For webmasters
?
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

Nîmes
(redirected from Nimes, France)

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.

Nîmes

Enlarge picture
The Pont du Gard that spans the River Gard near Nîmes in southern France. With a height of 48 m/160 ft, it is one of the highest Roman bridges built to carry an aqueduct.
Enlarge picture
The Pont du Gard near Nîmes, France. The Pont du Gard is an aqueduct bridging the river Gard, and was built on the order of the Roman emperor Agrippa, c. 19 BC.

Administrative centre of Gard département, in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France, 100 km/62 mi northwest of Marseille; population (1999) 133,400. Its Roman remains include an amphitheatre dating from the 2nd century and the nearby aqueduct known as the Pont du Gard. The city gives its name to the cloth known as denim (de Nîmes).

Commerce

Silks, carpets, footwear, brandy, and machinery are manufactured, and there is a trade in wine, grain, and other foodstuffs. Nearby is Perrier, the source of a popular mineral water.

Features

The amphitheatre was converted into a fortress in the Middle Ages. Other Roman remains include a temple in the style of the Parthenon; the temple of Diana; an ancient tower 28 m/92 ft high; two Roman gates; and the aqueduct of the Pont du Gard. Nîmes is the seat of a bishopric and was the birthplace of the writer Alphonse Daudet (1840).

History

Formerly known as Nismes, it was originally a La Tène stronghold, laid out with walls enclosing about 2.2 sq km/0.9 sq mi in 16 BC, but ruined in the barbarian invasions. In the 16th century its growing industrial prosperity suffered from the revocation of the Edict of Nantes.



How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content.
?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Feedback
?Sign in SSL protected
Email:
Password:
Register

Mentioned in?  References in periodicals archive?   Hutchinson browser?   Full browser?
 
They had travelled on a Ryanair flight from Nimes, France, to spend five months in the UK to visit friends and promote Taylor's blossoming music career.
2006 Chateau Grande Cassagne, Rose, Costieres de Nimes, France ($9).
23-June 30, 2008 SWITZERLAND Jasper Johns: An National Gallery of Art, Allegory of Washington, DC Painting, 1955-1965 Mark Dion Carre d'Art, Nimes, France GERMANY Gilbert & George Castello di Rivoli, Tate Modern, London Turin, Italy, Oct.
 
 
 
Hutchinson Encyclopedia
?

Terms of Use | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2012 Farlex, Inc.
Disclaimer
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.