Nîmes

Nîmes bears the marks of its Roman past in the amphitheatre, the Maison Carrée and the great tower above the city. These ancient monuments remained part of a living town whose inhabitants adapted old stone to new uses. In the seventeenth century royal officials investigated buildings erected within the Maison Carrée and the amphitheatre. Restoration of the temple between 1670 and 1691 reflected a growing concern to preserve the city's Roman inheritance.