The Square House

The Maison Carrée in Nîmes: An Eternally Recognized Roman Jewel

In the heart of the city of Nîmes, in the Gard department, stands a monument of unparalleled beauty and historical importance: the Maison Carrée . This Roman temple, completed at the beginning of the 1st century AD, is much more than just an ancient structure. It embodies an exceptional testimony to Augustan architecture and the spread of imperial worship in the Roman provinces. Its recent inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List on September 18, 2023, makes it the 51st French property and the 9th in Occitania to receive this prestigious recognition, thus confirming its Outstanding Universal Value .

An Architectural and Symbolic Masterpiece

The Maison Carrée is hailed as the only and oldest surviving example of the Augustan Corinthian order, retaining its entire decorative features. Along with the Pantheon in Rome, it is one of the best-preserved Roman temples in the world. Its dimensions—13.54 meters wide by 26.42 meters long—and its thirty 9-meter-high Corinthian columns give the building a timeless majesty.

Built on a high podium of 2.65 meters, the Maison Carrée dominates its surroundings, with a single staircase of fifteen steps leading to the cella , the interior space reserved for the priests to house the statues of the divinities. The architecture of the Maison Carrée is a harmonious fusion of influences: the arrangement on a podium and the single access by a staircase are inherited from the Etruscan tradition, while the structure of the plan and the use of the Corinthian order reveal a strong Greek inspiration. Its pseudo-peripteral character, present in Italy from the beginning of the 1st century BC, adds dynamism and rhythm to the façade. This reduced model is directly inspired by the Temple of Apollo in Rome and shares similarities with the Temple of Augustus and Livia in Vienna, both dedicated to the imperial cult.

The decoration, mainly concentrated on the entablature and the capitals of the columns, is distinguished by an architrave divided into three bands and a frieze decorated with acanthus scrolls, imitating that of the Ara Pacis in Rome. These stylistic choices were not the result of chance; the construction of a religious building under Augustus was strictly regulated, only allowing models inspired by the official creations of Rome.

An Immortal Dedication: Tribute to the “Princes of Youth”

The temple once bore a dedication in bronze letters sealed in stone on its frontispiece. Although it has disappeared, this inscription was reconstructed in 1758 by the Nîmes scholar Jean-François Séguier, thanks to the arrangement of the sealing holes. It revealed a tribute to "Caius Caesar consul and Lucius Caesar consul-designate, sons of Augustus, princes of youth."

This dedication sheds light on the original function of the Maison Carrée : dedicated to the grandsons and designated heirs of Augustus, Gaius and Lucius Caesar, before their untimely deaths. These sons of Agrippa (Augustus's closest advisor and patron of Nemausus) were central figures in the imperial cult. The temple was completed between 2 and 3 AD, with the second line of the dedication dating to 4-5 AD. The Maison Carrée , like other Gallo-Roman imperial temples, continued to venerate the reigning emperor under the title of Augustus, thus perpetuating the founding idea of the monument.

A Journey Through the Centuries: From Temple to World Heritage

The post-Roman history of the Maison Carrée is as fascinating as it is eventful, which makes its current state of preservation all the more remarkable.

From the 11th to the 16th century, the building served as the Consular House of Nîmes, a sort of medieval town hall, then called the "Capitol" or "Cap-duel." This period was marked by numerous transformations to adapt it to its new occupants, including the division of the interior into rooms and floors, the addition of fireplaces and staircases, the creation of windows and even a cellar. The original steps were even demolished.

Subsequently, the Maison Carrée had various uses: a dwelling house, a stable, and then an Augustinian church. It was even coveted by the Duchess of Uzès for use as a tomb.

During the French Revolution, it became a meeting place of the Directory, then the prefecture of Gard between 1800 and 1807. In the 19th century, it was restored and served as a place for exhibiting antique objects from 1824, as evidenced by the Latin inscription engraved on its west facade: "Repaired by the munificence of the king and the money offered by the citizens, 1822".

Continuous Preservation and Modernization

The commitment to preserving the Maison Carrée has never wavered. In 1992, a new roof, faithful to the original antique design, was installed. The following year, British architect Norman Foster erected the Carré d'Art opposite the Maison Carrée, a contemporary art museum designed as its modern counterpart, also redesigning the square for perfect harmony.

Between 2006 and 2011, the Maison Carrée underwent a meticulous restoration of its facades, aimed at restoring its original whiteness and protecting it from the ravages of time. A colossal effort of more than 44,000 hours was required, and consideration was even given to restoring the bronze letters of the original dedication on the main facade.

Today, the interior of the Maison Carrée , whose original decor has not been preserved due to its multiple uses, has been completely redesigned as a mediation space. Managed by Edeis under the supervision of a scientific committee led by the City of Nîmes, it offers visitors an immersion in its history through a large model of the reconstructed monument, thematic supports and video testimonies from experts such as the historian of Roman architecture Pierre Gros, the architect Norman Foster, and the historian of Antiquity Gilles Sauron.

The Culmination of Worldwide Recognition

The inscription of the Maison Carrée as a UNESCO World Heritage Site is the culmination of ten years of hard work by the municipality of Nîmes and its teams. The application, submitted in January 2022 by France through the Ministry of Culture, was examined at the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee in Riyadh in September 2023.

This consecration goes beyond mere architectural beauty. The Maison Carrée is recognized for its ability to bear witness to a key moment in history: the advent of the Pax Romana under Augustus, an era of lasting peace, harmony, and prosperity that the Roman Empire strove to ensure. The Nîmes temple embodies this ambition through its stylistic choices and the political significance of its dedication.

The UNESCO listing of the Maison Carrée is a source of immense pride for Nîmes and all of France. It represents not only major cultural recognition, but also a significant boost to tourism. With 150,000 visitors per year prior to its listing, the city now hopes for an increase of around 30% in visits, generating economic benefits and showcasing Nîmes on the world stage. Although, during a previous attempt, UNESCO had postponed listing a broader area including other Roman monuments, this specific recognition of the Maison Carrée is a significant victory for the preservation and promotion of ancient heritage.

The Maison Carrée in Nîmes, a vestige of the past glorified by the present, continues to write its history, now shining on the world stage as a timeless symbol of Roman ingenuity and the universal values of peace and prosperity.

How to Visit the Maison Carrée: Tickets and Access

To discover the Maison Carrée , visitors can easily purchase their tickets on site, directly at the entrance to the monument, where a sales point is set up. It is also strongly recommended, especially during periods of high tourist influx (school holidays, long weekends, summer), to opt for purchasing tickets online via the official website of the Nîmes Tourist Office or that of the Monuments of Nîmes. Purchasing online often allows you to benefit from skip-the-line access and organize your visit in advance, thus avoiding waits. Combined tickets, including access to other emblematic Roman sites of Nîmes such as the Nîmes Arena and the Magne Tower , are also available and represent an economical and practical option for a complete immersion in the city's ancient past. Once you have your ticket, the interior tour of the Maison Carrée offers an enriched experience: a mediation trail presents the history of the temple, its construction and its multiple uses over the centuries, complemented by a large model reconstructing the monument in its ancient context on the Roman forum, as well as video testimonies from experts. It is important to note that access to the cella (the raised interior part) is via a staircase of fifteen steps and is unfortunately not accessible to people with reduced mobility; however, a tablet presenting a video tour of the interior is available upon request to compensate for this difficulty. Braille, large print and thermoformed maps are also available for the visually impaired, and magnetic induction loops (MILs) are present at the reception desk for the hearing impaired, thus ensuring a welcome adapted to a wide audience.