Col. Nem.
Colonia Augusta Nemausus.
The Colony of Nemausus.
Or as the French call it now, Nîmes.
That’s where my thesis research—which is currently top secret, shhh!—took me. Nîmes, like Paris, is one of those magical European cities where Southern European chic blends seamlessly with the magic of the ancient world. Tucked into the sun-soaked region of Occitanie (and yes, I can confirm that Occitanie is still sunny even in late autumn), this French city is basically a living time capsule. With its jaw-dropping ancient monuments and absolutely exquisite food, Nîmes radiates that warm, slow-living energy you picture when you think of the South of France.
The logo of the city (the As de Nîmes) is a crocodile chained to a palm tree, symbolizing Augustus’ victory over Egypt (well, over Mark Antony and Cleopatra) during the naval Battle of Actium in 31 BCE. Of course, the crocodile stands for Egypt and the palm tree is a symbol of victory in Roman iconography. One example of this is a dupondius (a type of ancient Roman bronze coin minted in Nîmes) from the collection of the Ville de Nîmes. The obverse contains two portraits: Octavius with the laurel wreath and Agrippa with the rostral wreath, signifying naval victory. The As de Nîmes is on reverse (what we call ‘tails’), with the chained crocodile and the palm tree.
After the naval victory, Augustus settled veterans from the Egyptian campaign in Nemausus and “gave it the rights of a colonia.” Much of what is today modern-day France was part of the Roman Province of Gaul, with many of its famous cities colonies of the Roman Empire. For example, Lyon (the gastronomic capital of France) was called Lugdunum and Paris was Lutesia (or Lutecia). Nemausus grew to become one of the most important cities in the province of Roman Gaul and was decorated with many important Roman monuments, such as the Maison Carrée (a temple to the Imperial Cult), the city’s defensive walls, and the famous Aréne, which is still in use today!
But before I slip into full-on Romanist mode and keep yapping with a history lesson about this southern French gem, here’s what I enjoyed eating, doing, and seeing during my time in Nîmes and what you definitely shouldn’t miss when you visit!
EDERE (TO EAT): BEST EATS IN NÎMES
- L’Atypique: Lovely French fare with the kindest waiters, who will belt “Hit the Road Jack” without a moment’s warning. Rather than opting for a separate appetizer, entrée, and dessert, I chose to order from their set menu, having œufs mimosa, the kebab, and the fougasse, a Nîmes special. Overall, it was all delicious and relatively affordable given the portion size!
- Barancini: The best Italian street food I had in the South of France! The menu features arancini and pinsa, which are made in-house with the freshest ingredients. My favorites? Their Arancino Fromager and Arancino Végétarien and the Pinsa Romana. But the star of the show was their Tartelette citron Basilic, which was both a culinary creation and delight. It had a piped, sour Sicilian lemon custard with a homemade basil reduction-type sauce, making for the perfect pair. Heavenly!!
- Boulangerie Alle: My go-to boulangerie for the entire trip. From delicious desserts to savory quiches, Boulangerie Alle had it all for my breakfast, lunch, and goûter needs. In the morning, I would stop by for a pastry, for lunch, I would rotate between their quiches or their sandwiches, and then for goûter, I bought their cake with pears and roasted chestnuts.
- Café Historique Courtois: Walking into Café Historique Courtois feels like stepping back in time. The café itself was established in 1850 and is the oldest pastry shop in Nîmes. The interior is cozy, and it was so hard to choose between all the delicious pastries on display. Their crepes are divine and their chocolat chaud is even better! Just make sure to snag a table as soon as you walk in, or else the mamies will take the table that you’ve been eyeing right by the window.
- Columbus Café & Co.: If RISD Museum’s Bolt Coffee and Ellie’s had a French cousin, it would be this place. Walking into Columbus, I felt like a student at Unîmes, cramming for the end of term with a café viennois and a speculoos muffin. For getting work done, I would highly recommend coming to Columbus! Keep in mind, though, that the second floor is always filled with students, so try the couches on the first floor before anything else.
- Printemps des Thés: The most delicious sweet treats, including cakes, and an amazing selection of tea. It’s right next to the Arénes, which was perfect for those days when the wind tore through the city and cut straight to the bone. I loved sitting with a cup of warm tea inside Printemps des Thés, watching old friends reunite, families stopping for a sweet treat, and neighbors chatting as I recharged for the afternoon!
VIDERE (TO SEE): ICONIC SPOTS YOU CANNOT MISS
- Maison Carée: Located just a few minutes walk away from the center of Nîmes, the Maison Carée was one of the most exciting spots for me to visit on my trip. Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023, Maison Carrée was originally a temple to the Imperial Cult (the worship of the Imperial family) dedicated to Augustus’ adopted sons, Gaius Caesar and Lucius Caesar. In 1785, Thomas Jefferson visited the Maison Carée, and it appears that he incorporated some of the temple’s architectural elements into those at Monticello! Definitely a must-visit for the architecture lover!
- Jardin de la Fontaine: Jardin de la Fontaine was one of the first public gardens in Europe, converted from a Gallo-Roman water sanctuary dedicated to the water deity Nemausus into a neoclassical garden. It was designed in the 1700s by Jacques Philippe Mareschal, an engineer of King Louis XV. And with the rise of the textile industry, specifically denim (yes, denim is literally “de Nîmes”) in Nîmes in the 18th century, a constant flow of water was required to supply the city’s dyeing workshops. In fact, one of Brown’s very own professors in the History of Art and Architecture Department, Gretel Rodríguez, is researching the Nîmes water sanctuary, which made walking through the space even cooler.
- Temple of Diana: The so-called Temple of Diana, isn’t actually speculated to be a temple! Some believe that it may have originally been a library, though determining its original purpose remains a mystery. Visitors to the Jardin de la Fontaine are allowed to step foot inside the ruins, but are reminded not to climb the walls, take things from the site, or deface the ruins in any way. My favorite part of visiting the Temple of Diana was seeing the graffiti from centuries past etched on the columns, the foundation, and any architectural element that human hands could reach. The earliest one I found was from 1664!
- Arénes: Nîmes’ most famous attraction is the Arénes, which, to this day, hosts the world-famous Feria de Nîmes, with bull-fights and festivals that fill the city with hundreds of people twice a year. During the low season, visitors are still encouraged to visit the Arénes, with options to visit the museum, the arena, and the Tour Magne through the Pass Romanité.
- Cathédrale Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Castor de Nîmes: The cathedral traces its origins back to Roman antiquity, though it was consecrated in 1096. According to the church’s website, it is built upon ruins from the 7th century that were discovered during excavations, with some ancient stones even being reused in the foundations!
FACERE (TO DO): SIGHTS, SHOPS, AND SITES
- Musée de la Romanité: While I visited the museum primarily for research purposes, I could see any visitor spending 2+ hours here. The museum is organized as a journey through time, from Nîmes’ pre-Roman history to its medieval past, with models of the city, reconstructions of houses, tactile elements, videos, children’s activities (which I very much enjoyed as well), and so much more! Stepping into the Musée de la Romanité was, with all the clichés intended, like stepping back in time.
- Souvenir shop next to the Arénes: While I didn’t end up buying anything from this souvenir shop, its convenient location next to the arena makes it a great place to stop for postcards, plates, water bottles, “I love Nîmes” cups, wines, laurels, magnets, t-shirts, and literally so much more.
- Bookstores: Nîmes is littered with little bookstores on every street, with postcards, books, and stuffed animals (I reckon some of them are even official Jellycat resellers if my eyes didn’t deceive me…). Librairie L’Eau Vive (a children’s bookstore) was one of my favorites, with its festive holiday display twinkling in the night, long after the store had closed for the day.
Et voila!
Visiting Nîmes felt like so much more than a research trip—it became a reminder of just how tangible the ancient world is, even though the modern city hums with the sounds of 21st-century life. Through the roar of motorcycle engines or the sounds of the cash register when buying my non-negotiable baguettes, fromage, and jambon from Carrefour, the whispers of the ancient city were still there, through the wind that whistled through the Arénes or rippled the water at Jardin de la Fontaine.
What I loved most about Nîmes was not that it was the ‘Rome of France’ or the incredible objects I saw, studied, and photographed, but the way that the city made 2000 years of history feel closer than life. As a Romanist and history of art student, it’s one thing to learn about art history through lecture or see a work of art on the big projector screen in LIST110. In that sense, it’s a completely different experience to walk through a place that refuses to let the past fade. From views of the arena to chatting with locals, who shared their own experiences with Nîmes’ Roman past, the city taught me that ancient history isn’t just, well, ancient, but it’s thrumming beneath our feet, shaping the spaces we inhabit and the stories we carry home.