Some Historical and Natural
Sights in one Corner of Provence
Part 2: Nimes and its Roman Tower
This tower, the Magna Tower, stands at the top of the park featured on the next page:
It was the crown on a defensive work that covered much area and was meant to impress rather than deter, according to this description in the tower:
This is a Medieval depiction:
And this a portrayal of the various city defensive walls over the ages
:
To more completely appreciate its setting, we are going to walk up to a ridge, and then along that ridge to the tower. As we walk, this is a church (St. Luc) we come to on the ridge (we will see it again later from the tower):
This is our first view of the tower from the ridgeline road:
And this is the second glimpse as we move along:
But while we are moving along, we are passing through a very nice neighborhood of Nimes, here are some scenes:
Now we have arrived within a block of the tower:
It has homes as its neighbors, as well as the park described on the next page:
Time to quit dallying and get into the tower before it closes, we follow these quaint signs:
From the outside, two points appear to allow observation, a large screened window and an outside observation platform (note the man holding a camera):
Doesn't seem all that high until you get inside and look at the stairway:
And when you arrive at the top of the winding staircase, nice view down, but still more stairs:
The screened window is there for light and air, and the screen is to keep out birds, not flying insects:
As soon as I arrive at the top I look back to the ridge just walked and find St. Luc's:
Next, it important to see where I am staying, behind the arena
That was a bit of telephoto magic, here is the same view without magnification and the arena seems very small:
Now we look to the northeast and see more of Nimes:
The park below the tower (subject of the next page) lies below the tower (no surprise here):
Time to head down, and from inside we take one last look up from the landing where the straight stairs meet the winding stairs:
Time to say goodbye to the Magna Tower and hello to the park below it, seen on the next page:
On the next page, you will see some 'modern' art depicting the human form. This was not something the Romans didn't also appreciate, given this illustration in the tower:
The next page shows the Fountain Gardens park below the Magna Tower with its Temple of Diana, to which the fourth page is devoted:
Nimes and its Fountain Gardens park
Climbing a mountain near Glanum
Springs at Fontaine de Vaucluse
Go back to Nimes and its Arena
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