Ancient Greek and Roman Art and Architecture

A Celtic castle existed here, from which resistance against the Romans originated. The city was nevertheless taken. Afterward, it began to be built as a Roman city and became an important Roman military base. In the second half of the 5th century, Segovia became part of the Visigoth Empire. From the 8th to the 11th centuries, Segovia was under Moorish possession. In 1085 Alfonso VI conquered the city. From the 13th to the 15th century it was a royal residence. The “Aqueduct of Segovia” is a Roman aqueduct. It was built around the first century AD to bring water from springs in the mountains 17 kilometers away to the city's wells, baths and private homes. It was in use until 1974. It was partially damaged in Moorish times, but the damage was repaired in the 15th century by carefully inserting 36 Gothic pointed arches.

The oppidum of the Celtic Alobroges became a Roman colony about 47 BC under Julius Caesar, but the Allobroges managed to expel the Romans. The exiles moved north and founded the colony of Lugdunum (today's Lyon). During the early Empire, Vienna regained all its former privileges as a Roman colony. The city flourished and became the second capital of southern Gaul during the Roman Empire. The first Christians lived in Vienne around 100 AD. In the 3rd century, the city became a bishopric. After the death of the childless last Burgundian king Rudolf III. Vienne fell in 1032 to the German king Conrad II and thus to the Holy Roman Empire. In the 12th century, Vienne became the capital of the Dauphiné. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Vienne experienced an economic boom, numerous houses were built in the half-timbered style of the time, and the cathedral was completed. During the Wars of Religion, the city was fought over and frequently looted. The Roman temple was dedicated to the imperial cult, to honor Emperor Augustus and his wife Livia. It has two states of construction. The original building was built in the last quarter of the 1st century BC. Following the scholars, a partial reconstruction would have taken place a few decades later and the capitals were carved around the middle of the 1st century. With the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the Christianization, the temple became the parish church of Sainte-Marie-la-Vieille then Notre-Dame-de-la-Vie until the French Revolution. From 1792, the church became the temple of Reason, then the commercial court of Vienne, then the museum and the library of Vienne (until 1852), and finally, after 28 years of work, the building regained its original aspect of a Roman temple.

"Jazz à Vienne" features 250 concerts each year, 1,000 artists, 200,000 festival-goers. The 41st edition took place from June 29 to July 13, 2022. The main stage of the festival is the "Théâtre Antique" a Roman theater, built in the first century AD. It was rediscovered in 1908, the clearing work was undertaken in 1922. It was inaugurated in 1938. Today, its 46 stands have a capacity of around 8 to 9,000 spectators.

Pont du Gard is a Roman aqueduct that crosses the Gardon River. It is one of the best preserved aqueducts and part of the Nîmes aqueduct, a 50-kilometre system built in the first century AD to carry water from a spring at Uzès to Nîmes, a Roman colony named Nemausus. After the Roman Empire collapsed, the aqueduct fell into disuse. The Pont du Gard remained largely intact, due to the importance of its secondary function. It was used as a toll bridge, so for centuries the local lords and bishops were responsible for its upkeep. Starting in the 18th century the Pont du Gard became a tourist destination. Today it is one of France's most popular tourist attractions with about 1.4 million visitors per year, who all take photos... After I had swum through the Pont d'Arc the day before, I decided to do that again here - and it is possible. Easy!

Pont du Gard is a Roman aqueduct that crosses the Gardon River. It is one of the best preserved aqueducts and part of the Nîmes aqueduct, a 50-kilometre system built in the first century AD to carry water from a spring at Uzès to Nîmes, a Roman colony named Nemausus. After the Roman Empire collapsed, the aqueduct fell into disuse. The Pont du Gard remained largely intact, due to the importance of its secondary function. It was used as a toll bridge, so for centuries the local lords and bishops were responsible for its upkeep. Starting in the 18th century the Pont du Gard became a tourist destination. Today it is one of France's most popular tourist attractions with about 1.4 million visitors per year, who all take photos... After I had swum through the Pont d'Arc the day before, I decided to do that again here - and it is possible. Easy!

Pont du Gard is a Roman aqueduct that crosses the Gardon River. It is one of the best preserved aqueducts and part of the Nîmes aqueduct, a 50-kilometre system built in the first century AD to carry water from a spring at Uzès to Nîmes, a Roman colony named Nemausus. After the Roman Empire collapsed, the aqueduct fell into disuse. The Pont du Gard remained largely intact, due to the importance of its secondary function. It was used as a toll bridge, so for centuries the local lords and bishops were responsible for its upkeep. Starting in the 18th century the Pont du Gard became a tourist destination. Today it is one of France's most popular tourist attractions with about 1.4 million visitors per year, who all take photos... After I had swum through the Pont d'Arc the day before, I decided to do that again here - and it is possible. Easy!

The roman "Pont du Gard", more than 2000 years old, is not only one of the main touristic attractions, it is brilliant example of the abilities, the antique engineers had. The aqueduct was constructed to get fresh water from Uzès to Nîmes, a distance of only about 20kms, but full of obstacles like the valley of the Gardon. Here the Pont du Gard is seen from the beautiful village of Valliguières, about 8kms beeline away from the aqueduct.

Orange was founded in 35 BC by Roman veterans as Arausio. The full name was "Colonia Julia Firma Secundanorum Arausio", what means "Julian colony of Arausio established by the soldiers of the second legion." The arch was probably erected during the reign of Augustus on the former Via Agrippa (now RN7). In 27 AC it was reconstructed by Emperor Tiberius, when a inspription was done, celebrating the victories of Germanicus over the German tribes. In medieval times the arch was integrated into the town's walling and was the northern gate of Orange. Restoration works were done in the since the 1820s, when all medieval addons got removed. Many lost parts were "recreated", mainly on the western (left) side. The structure measures 19,57 meters long by 8,40 meters wide, standing to a height of 19,21 meters.

Orange was founded in 35 BC by Roman veterans as Arausio. The full name was "Colonia Julia Firma Secundanorum Arausio", what means "Julian colony of Arausio established by the soldiers of the second legion." The arch was probably erected during the reign of Augustus on the former Via Agrippa (now RN7). In 27 AC it was reconstructed by Emperor Tiberius, when a inspription was done, celebrating the victories of Germanicus over the German tribes. In medieval times the arch was integrated into the town's walling and was the northern gate of Orange. Restoration works were done in the since the 1820s, when all medieval addons got removed. Many lost parts were "recreated", mainly on the western (left) side. The structure measures 19,57 meters long by 8,40 meters wide, standing to a height of 19,21 meters. Weapons are displayed on this large relief. Seen above is a frieze - Roman soldiers defeating the Gauls.

Orange was founded in 35 BC by Roman veterans as Arausio. The full name was "Colonia Julia Firma Secundanorum Arausio", what means "Julian colony of Arausio established by the soldiers of the second legion." The arch was probably erected during the reign of Augustus on the former Via Agrippa (now RN7). In 27 AC it was reconstructed by Emperor Tiberius, when a inspription was done, celebrating the victories of Germanicus over the German tribes. In medieval times the arch was integrated into the town's walling and was the northern gate of Orange. Restoration works were done in the since the 1820s, when all medieval addons got removed. Many lost parts were "recreated", mainly on the western (left) side. The structure measures 19,57 meters long by 8,40 meters wide, standing to a height of 19,21 meters. The arch is topped by this relief depicting fighting scenes between Romans soldiers and Gauls.

Orange was founded in 35 BC by Roman veterans as Arausio. The full name was "Colonia Julia Firma Secundanorum Arausio", what means "Julian colony of Arausio established by the soldiers of the second legion." The arch was probably erected during the reign of Augustus on the former Via Agrippa (now RN7). In 27 AC it was reconstructed by Emperor Tiberius, when a inspription was done, celebrating the victories of Germanicus over the German tribes. In medieval times the arch was integrated into the town's walling and was the northern gate of Orange. Restoration works were done in the since the 1820s, when all medieval addons got removed. Many lost parts were "recreated", mainly on the western (left) side. The structure measures 19,57 meters long by 8,40 meters wide, standing to a height of 19,21 meters. Over centuries vandals carved names names into the arch. This one is just little more than a century old (1897).

Split, the largest city of Dalmatia, was (just like neighbouring Trogir) as the Greek colony in the 4th century BC. Roman emperor Diocletian had a palace built as a retirement residence near Salona, the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia at that time. After the Romans abandoned the site, the Palace remained empty for several centuries, but when Salona was sacked by Avars and Slavs in the 7th century, the walled Palace of Diocletian was settled by refugees from Salona. Since then the palace has been occupied, with residents making their homes and businesses within the palace basement and directly in its walls. Today the remains of the palace form about half the old town and city center of Split. Since 1979 the historic center of Split is included into the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.

I had seen and listened with great pleasure to the punky brass band "La Fanfare A la Gueule du Ch'vaL" that afternoon, and the festival "Les Oreilles en éventail" continued over the whole weekend. When walked back from St. Eutrope and returned to the Roman "Arch of Germanicus", I heard a strange music. Somebody played the accordion - and then I saw, that the musican was "floating" in the air. Meanwhile I know, that the musician´s name is Arnaud Méthivier (aka "Nano"). The scene and the sound had some mystic touch, especially, when it got darker that evening. www.arnaudmethivier.com/ See Arnaud and listen to the music: www.youtube.com/watch?v=MoaIjWpavGw --------- To the left is the bell-tower of the Saint-Pierre cathedral (15th century).

Saintes was a very important "city" in Roman times, named "Mediolanum". In Saintes are the remains of a large Roman amphitheatre and the triumphal "Arch of Germanicus". Just outside Saintes (Mediolanum), next to the Roman road to Bordeaux (Burdigala), that I walked, are the remains of the "Arènes de Thénac". Compared the the amphitheathre in Saintes this was probably a small "Off-Theater", though as well remains of "thermae" have been found nearby. As the Arènes de Thénac was used as a quarry for centuries only few of the large stones were found, when it was excavated in the 1990s.

Settlers, who did trade with Greece, lived here already during the Bronze Age. After the Punic Wars it became a major center of Roman naval power and maritime trade. After the decline of the Roman Empire Brindisi was conquered by Ostrogoths, and reconquered by the Byzantine Empire in the 6th century. In 674 it was destroyed by the Lombards led by Romuald I of Benevento, It was rebuilt and within the 9th century. It was under Saracen rule from 836 to 868, when it was retaken by the Byantines. In 1070, it was conquered by the Normans, led by Robert Guiskard. Brindisi flourished under the Staufer and developed into a privileged port for the Holy Land during the period of Crusades. It was an Episcopal See and a new cathedral was constructed, in which the wedding of Norman Prince Roger III of Sicily and Irene Angelina, daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Isaac II Angelos took place. Emperor Frederick II and Isabella of Brienne embarked from the port of Brindisi in 1228 for the Sixth Crusade. - The Via Appia (Appian Way) is one of the earliest and strategically important Roman roads of the ancient republic. It connected Rome to Brindisi and ended right here. The Via Appia developed into one of the most important trade routes in the Roman Empire. It was named "Regina Viarum" (Queen of the Streets). The distance to Rome is about 540kms and could be covered in 12 days. Once two large columns marked the end of the Via Appia at the harbour of "Brundisium", the Latin name of Brindisi. One column is still "in situ", seen here is the top part of it.

The Temple of Hercules Victor ("Tempio di Ercole Vincitore") is a Roman monopteros with a diametre of about 14,80m. The temple, erected around 120 bC, was converted to a church in 1132. Originally it was dedicated to Saint Stephanus. Since the 17th century is dedicated to "Santa Maria del Sole".

The porticus of the circular Pantheon. The Pantheon (aka "La Rotonda") was a temple, completed around 114 aC, dedicated to all (pan) Gods (theon). It is one of the best preserved antique structure and still the Pantheon's dome is the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. The height to the "oculus" and the diameter of the interior circle are the same, 43.3 metres. From 609 on the Pantheon was used as a church ("Sancta Maria ad Martyres"), today this is a major tourist attraction with more than 6 million visitors every year. The inscription on the porticus: "M·AGRIPPA·L·F·COS·TERTIVM·FECIT" = "M[arcus] Agrippa L[ucii] f[ilius] co[n]s[ul] tertium fecit" = "Marcus Agrippa, son of Lucius, made (the structure) when consul for the third time."

The porticus of the circular Pantheon. The Pantheon (aka "La Rotonda") was a temple, completed around 114 aC, dedicated to all (pan) Gods (theon). It is one of the best preserved antique structure and still the Pantheon's dome is the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome. The height to the "oculus" and the diameter of the interior circle are the same, 43.3 metres. From 609 on the Pantheon was used as a church ("Sancta Maria ad Martyres"), today this is a major tourist attraction with more than 6 million visitors every year. Since the Renaissance the Pantheon has been used as a tomb. Among those buried here is Raphael. All tourists just have to take this shot, standing under the dome.