Arènes de Nîmes

The Arènes de Nîmes, the best-preserved amphitheatre Roman in the world.

There are larger Roman amphitheatres, but this is the best preserved of them all.

The Arènes de Nîmes is one of the must-see Roman sites in the Languedoc region. They are a perfect illustration of the degree of perfection achieved by Roman engineers in designing and constructing this highly complex type of building. Oval in shape, 133 metres long and 101 metres wide, they are perfectly symmetrical.

The exterior façade (21 metres high) is made up of two storeys of 60 superimposed arcades and an attic, separated by a cornice.

At the top, projecting stones with holes in them held masts from which a velum was hung, a huge canvas spread out over the spectators to protect them from the sun.

Originally, all the arcades on the ground floor were open to serve as entrances or exits.

In Roman times, the monument could accommodate 24,000 spectators. They were spread over 34 rows of tiers divided into four autonomous zones or maeniana.

Each area was served by a gallery, hundreds of staircases and passages known as vomitories. This judicious layout ensured that there was no risk of overcrowding when spectators flooded in.

A free audio guide is available to enhance your visit!

Complete your visit to the Nîmes Arena: Roman Nîmes

To complete your discovery of Roman Nîmes, don’t miss a visit to two other not-to-be-missed monuments: the Tour Magne, a vestige of the old ramparts offering a superb panoramic view of the city, and the Maison Carrée, the only fully preserved Roman temple. The Maison Carré has been refurbished (work due to finish in June 2022), and now offers a new visitor experience enhanced by new, evolving storytelling modes and new technologies.

The new layout also meets the scientific requirements of the monument’s application for inclusion on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

You can also visit the superb Musée de la Romanité, just opposite the Arena.