Maison Carrée, Nîmes, France

The Maison Carrée is one of the best preserved Roman temple façades to be found in the territory of the former Roman Empire. In about 4-7 AD, the Maison carrée was dedicated or rededicated to Gaius Caesar and Lucius Caesar, grandsons and adopted heirs of Augustus who both died young. The building has undergone extensive restoration over the centuries.

The Maison Carrée is an example of Vitruvian architecture. Raised on a 2.85 m high podium, the temple dominated the forum of the Roman city, forming a rectangle almost twice as long as it is wide, measuring 26.42 m by 13.54 m. The façade is dominated by a deep portico almost a third of the building's length. It is a hexastyle design with six Corinthian columns under the pediment at either end, and pseudoperipteral in that twenty engaged columns are embedded along the walls of the cella. Above the columns, the architrave is divided by two recessed rows of petrified water drips into three levels. Egg-and-dart decoration divides the architrave from the frieze. On three sides the frieze is decorated with fine ornamental relief carvings of rosettes and acanthus leaves beneath a row of very fine dentils.

A large door (6.87 m high by 3.27 m wide) leads to the surprisingly small and windowless interior, where the shrine was originally housed. This is now used to house a tourist oriented film on the Roman history of Nîmes. No ancient decoration remains inside the cella.

Until the 19th century, it formed part of a larger complex of adjoining buildings. These were demolished when the Maison Carrée housed what is now the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nîmes (from 1821 to 1907), restoring it to the isolation it would have enjoyed in Roman times. The pronaos was restored in the early part of the 19th century when a new ceiling was provided, designed in the Roman style. The present door was made in 1824.

References:

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User Reviews

Simon Jones (11 months ago)
The Maison Carrée is a beautiful and historic Roman temple situated in the heart of Nîmes. For any intrepid traveller interested in Roman history, this building is a definite location to visit when visiting Nîmes. When perusing around the temple there is good information given to you about the history of the building over the past 2000 years. You can buy a combination ticket that includes access to this building as well as the Amphitheater of Nîmes and the Tour Magne. It is a recommended purchase if you are interested in site seeing Nîmes.

Michael Yamnitsky (11 months ago)
A stunning Roman temple, amazingly preserved and painstakingly restored.

Rogerio Vasconcelos (2 years ago)
Maison Carrée in Nîmes is a true architectural gem. This exceptionally well-preserved Roman temple showcases the elegance and precision of ancient Roman design. Its stunning Corinthian columns and intricate detailing are a testament to the craftsmanship of the time. Whether you're a history enthusiast or simply appreciate beauty in architecture, Maison Carrée is a must-visit. The site offers informative displays, enhancing the visitor's understanding of its historical significance. Nîmes itself is a charming city, and Maison Carrée stands as a captivating window into its rich past.

J_Gogo (2 years ago)
The temple is well preserved and shows its importance even today in the center of the square. I didn't really like how it was set up inside as it doesn't value it well how could in addition to the cost which is slightly high.

Kirill Maksimkin (2 years ago)
Beautiful example of ancient architecture. If you like history you’d be definitely inspired. However I don’t think that it is worth to buy a ticket to get in (6€ per person). There’s a big empty room with some information about the building… so you can read it on the Internet.

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