Built shortly before the Christian era to allow the aqueduct of
Nîmes (which is almost 50 km long) to cross the
Gardon River, the
Pont du Gard is the highest of all Roman aqueduct bridges and is the best preserved with the
Aqueduct of Segovia. The Roman architects and hydraulic engineers who designed this bridge, which stands almost 50 m high and is on three levels - the longest measuring 275m - created a technical as well as an artistic masterpiece, for which reason it was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in 1985. After the collapse of the
Roman Empire and the aqueduct's fall into disuse, the Pont du Gard remained largely intact due to its importance as a toll bridge. For centuries the local lords and bishops were responsible for its upkeep in exchange for the right to levy tolls on travellers.
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