The arena of Nîmes
If a single monument had to be chosen as being symbolic of Nîmes, it would definitely be its ampitheater! Famous all over the world for its outstanding state of preservation, this Roman monument is a source of pride for the inhabitants and is still considered an exceptional building for shows.
Panorama des Arènes (XXIe siècle)Nîmes, Ville d’art et d’histoire
The arena of Nîmes is a Roman construction that was built between the end of the 1st century and the beginning of the 2nd century, and is called an amphitheater.
This building is characteristic of Roman civilization and was designed for a specific purpose: to host gladiatorial combat.
However, the word amphitheater comes from the Greek amphitheatron, which means the theater on both sides. The Romans adopted the semi-circular shape of the Greek theater, which they doubled and joined to obtain a complete shape, here an ellipse.
This type of construction is also called an arena. The name is derived from the Latin word arena, which means sand. Sand was the material that covered the floor in the middle of the building.
The architecture of the Nîmes amphitheater drew its inspiration from the Colosseum in Rome–the building has a hollow structure supported by a series of arches and vaults that form the entrances and access corridors to the stands.
Vue aérienne des Arènes (XXIe siècle)Nîmes, Ville d’art et d’histoire
In Nîmes, the track is 223 feet (68 m) long by 124 feet (38 m) wide. The entire arena building is 328 feet (100 m) wide, 436 feet (133 m) long and 65 feet (20 m) high.
La louve des Arènes (XXIe siècle)Nîmes, Ville d’art et d’histoire
The she-wolf suckling two children, sculpted on one of the pilasters of the main façade, is a reference to Rome. According to legend, Remus and Romulus, the founders of Rome, were a pair of twins who were abandoned by the River Tiber before being adopted by a she-wolf.
The 60 arches of the first floor were the entrance doors leading directly into specific parts of the stands. Thanks to an ingenious system of corridors and staircases, some 24,000 spectators could quickly reach their seats.
The entrances leading to the stands are called vomitories. The set of 34 rows in the stands forms what is called the cavea. The seats were allocated to the spectators according to their social rank: the position where a person was sat in the arena was the exact opposite of their social status.
The entrance reserved for the editor, the organizer of the venues, was decorated with two sculpted bull torsos called protomes. Through this door, at the very bottom of the stands, in the middle of the ellipse, the best seat in the house could be reached.
The original stands, like the whole building, were made of limestone.
Even today, on the preserved stone stands, it is still possible to find carvings on certain blocks that archaeologists have identified as evidence of a counting system or seat numbering.
On the outside of the building, at the top, there are stone blocks pierced at regular intervals.
On the outside of the building, at the top, there are stone blocks pierced at regular intervals.
These stones were used in Roman times to support the velum, which was a large awning stretched over the stands to provide shade for the spectators.
The amphitheater was mainly built to host gladiator combats, but also the wild animal hunts. These shows were part of what was known as the circus games and lasted all day.
The track’s basement was equipped with underground facilities that housed the backstage area and enabled the performers in the shows to appear from below. Only two perpendicular galleries have survived. They form what is known as the cruciform room.
During the Middle Ages, the amphitheater was turned into a fortress. At this point, it became known as the Castrum Arenae. This was the headquarters of the feudal power, embodied by the viscount of Nîmes and the knights of the Arena. The site served as a refuge for the local population in times of danger.
