Castellum

These are the remains of the castellum, standing right in the middle of the street, just a stone’s throw from the University of Nîmes. The castellum is a rare vestige of the Roman era. It was built in the 1st century AD. As the city expanded and its population grew, the water from the spring in the Fountain Gardens was no longer enough to supply the city’s inhabitants. It should also be noted that the Romans were huge lovers of public baths, or thermal baths. It was therefore imperative to find a new water source for the city. The Eure fountain, near Uzès, was chosen. As a result, the Nîmes aqueduct, which also includes the impressive Gard Bridge, was built to connect the fountain to the city. The water thus travelled almost 50 km before reaching its destination! The castellum was built at the same time to receive the water from the aqueduct and distribute it to the various distribution pipes, so that all the fountains in the various districts could benefit from it. It was in fact just like a water tower, which is what ‘castellum’ means in Latin. At the time, there was even a sewer system to evacuate waste water and ensure the town was kept clean. It was discovered in 1844, and is one of the only examples of this type of monument still visible in Europe! It is of course listed as a Historic Monument.