What is the Maison Carrée?
The so-called Maison Carrée or “square house” is an ancient Roman temple located in Nîmes in southern France. Nîmes was founded as a Roman colony (Colonia Nemausus) during the first century B.C.E.
Who commissioned the Maison Carrée in Nîmes?
Marcus Agrippa is said to have commissioned the beautiful Maison Carrée in Nîmes in around 19th century BC, the dates are uncertain but it was during the reign of Caesar Augustus that this temple was designed and started to be built. Caesar Augustus and Marcus Agrippa were very close, he was not only his intended successor, but also a very power...
What happened to La Maison Carrée?
La Maison Carrée was lucky to survive the fall of the Empire, mostly due to the building becoming a church in the 4th century. The inscription dedicating the temple was removed during the medieval period. However, in 1758 a local scholar was able to reconstruct the inscription from holes where the original bronze letters had been attached.
What is the difference between the Maison Carrée and the temple?
The Maison Carrée stood in the south eastern corner of the forum, facing another building which was probably the curia, the gathering place of the local senate, as the remains of marble decorated meeting rooms have been found in the Rue Auguste. The Carrée d’Art is a modern counterpart to the temple, with a similar shape and with columns.
Who built La Maison Carrée?
Marcus Vipsanius AgrippaOriginally built in 16 BC by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa – the close friend and confidant of Emperor Augustus – the building was dedicated to Agrippa's sons (and the adopted heirs of Augustus) Gaius Caesar and Lucius Caesar between 4 and 7 AD.
Where was Maison Carrée built?
NîmesThe Maison carrée (French pronunciation: [mɛzɔ̃ kaʁe]; French for "square house") is an ancient Roman temple in Nîmes, southern France; it is one of the best preserved Roman temples to survive in the territory of the former Roman Empire. The Maison carrée inspired the neoclassical Église de la Madeleine in Paris, St.
How long did it take for Maison Carrée to be built?
Built between 20 and 12 BC, the Maison Carrée dominated the Forum (the administrative and economic heart of the Roman city). Dedicated to the emperor Augustus' heirs - Caius and Lucius Caesar - its architecture and decoration were inspired by the temples of Apollon and Mars Ultor in Rome.
What was the Maison Carrée used for?
The Maison Carrée or “Square House” is the best preserved Roman temple in Europe. It sits undisturbed in the small city of Nîmes, which also has a splendid Roman amphitheater, still used for bull-fighting and other spectacles.
Can you go inside Maison Carrée?
Visiting Maison Carrée Entry is included with the Nîmes Pass. The film, shown inside, is every half an hour, on the hour and at half past.
Is the Maison Carrée set on a podium?
This means that the building has a single cella (cult room), a deep porch, a frontal, axial orientation, and sits atop a high podium. The podium of the Maison Carrée rises to a height of 2.85 meters; the footprint of the temple measures 26.42 by 13.54 meters at the base.
When was the Pantheon built?
125 ADPantheon / OpenedThe Pantheon is one of the best-preserved monuments of ancient Rome. The structure, completed around 126-128 A.D. during the reign of Emperor Hadrian, features a rotunda with a massive domed ceiling that was the largest of its kind when it was built.
What is the Maison Carrée made out of?
limestoneThe Maison Carrée is probably the best example left of a Roman temple, with a near perfect facade. 26m long, 15 m wide and 17m high and built of local limestone by Roman architects, the temple is a fine example of Vitruvian architecture.
Who built the Maison Carrée?
La Maison Carrée history. Originally built in 16 BC by Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa – the close friend and confidant of Emperor Augustus – the building was dedicated to Agrippa’s sons (and the adopted heirs of Augustus) Gaius Caesar and Lucius Caesar between 4 and 7 AD.
Where is Maison Carrée in France?
Getting to La Maison Carrée. Located in central Nîmes off the A9, A54 and N106 in southern France, La Maison Carrée is accessible by car as there is plenty of nearby parking. Nîmes train station serves the Intercity, TER and TGV lines as well as the TER bus. The station is a 13 minute walk away.
What was Maison Carrée used for?
Through the ages, La Maison Carrée was used as a consul’s house, stables and the town’s archive. The building has been partly renovated and restored over the years, and during the late 1980s was given a new roof and cleared from all surrounding buildings.
Where is the square house in Rome?
La Maison Carrée or the ‘Square House’ in the French city of Nîmes is a staggeringly well-preserved Roman temple dating back to the reign of Rome’s first emperor, Augustus.
What is the Carrê d'Art Museum made of?
Across the square, the modern Carrê d’art museum of contemporary art and municipal library – made of glass, steel and concrete – stands in contrast to the ancient temple, celebrating the great age of La Maison Carrée.
Did the Maison Carrée survive the fall of the Empire?
La Maison Carrée was lucky to survive the fall of the Empire, mostly due to the building becoming a church in the 4th century. The inscription dedicating the temple was removed during the medieval period. However, in 1758 a local scholar was able to reconstruct the inscription from holes where the original bronze letters had been attached.
Where is Maison-Carrée in France?
Maison-Carrée, Roman temple at Nîmes, France, in remarkably good repair. According to an inscription, it was dedicated to Lucius and Gaius Caesar, ...
How long is the Maison-Carrée?
The famous Maison-Carrée (12 bce ), a rectangular temple 82 feet (25 metres) long by 40 feet (12 metres) wide, dedicated to Gaius and Lucius Caesar, adopted sons of the first Roman emperor Augustus, is one of the most beautiful monuments built by the Romans in Gaul and…
Who was the grandson of Augustus?
Gaius Caesar. Gaius Caesar, grandson of the Roman emperor Augustus (reigned 27 bce –14 ce ), who would probably, had he survived Augustus, have succeeded to the imperial throne. Caesar was the eldest son of Augustus’ closest associate, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, and Julia, the emperor’s daughter. Adopted….
When was Maison Carree built?
Maison Carree in Nimes was built in around 20 or 19 BCE, during the Roman urbanization of the Celtic’s land in southern France (Gaul). Maison Carree was one of several buildings done under Augustus’ rule. It was originally commissioned by his son-in-law Marcus Agrippa, but the person who designed it is unknown.
What is Maison Carree?
Maison Carree was a temple dedicated to Rome, Augustus and his two adopted sons Lucius and Gaius Caesar rather than to a deity as most temples were. It became a cult temple to follow the celebrated Emperor and his sons.
What style of architecture did Maison Carree use?
In short, Maison Carree, among other buildings that were being constructed at this time, was a merging of Etruscan temple style and Greek style, with heavier influence from the Greeks than from the Romans who tended towards curves and domes.
Where is the Maison Carrée?
The Maison Carrée stood in the south eastern corner of the forum, facing another building which was probably the curia, the gathering place of the local senate, as the remains of marble decorated meeting rooms have been found in the Rue Auguste.
When was the Carrée d'Art opened?
In 1923 , when Norman Foster designed the Carrée d’Art opposite, he also opened up the square to create a modern day forum. Bronze circles in the ground now mark the location of the porticoes. By night, the temple is illuminated and looks striking against a dark sky.
What is the Carrée d'Art?
The Carrée d’Art is a modern counterpart to the temple, with a similar shape and with columns. You can see the Maison Carrée reflected back in the plate glass wall.
Is Maison Carrée a square house?
Although it has been called Maison Carrée (Square House) since the 16th century, it is in fact rectangular. Carrée used to mean any rectangle that had 4 right angles. The porch is supported by free standing Corinithian columns, the cella is decorated with engaged columns (ones that are partially built into the wall).
Where is Maison Carree?
Maison Carree, UNKNOWN DESIGNER, Classical Roman, NIMES, France, 117 AD. Image 1: Plan and section of Maison Carrée. Many existing projects and/or ruins from the Classical Roman empire are located in modern day Italy. There are also many projects located in the large expanse of the remainder of the empire that once flourished outside of Italy.
Who designed the Mediatheque?
Adjacent to the Maison Carrée is the Mediatheque, by British architect Sir Norman Foster. The scale of the Mediatheque is significantly larger than the Maison Carrée; it could have easily overwhelmed the small scale of the Maison Carrée. Foster skillfully designs scale relationships and proportions through several techniques.
Where is the Maison Carrée?
The so-called Maison Carrée or “square house” is an ancient Roman temple located in Nîmes in southern France. Nîmes was founded as a Roman colony (Colonia Nemausus) during the first century B.C.E. The Maison Carrée is an extremely well preserved ancient Roman building and represents a nearly textbook example of a Roman temple as described by the architectural writer Vitruvius.
When was Nîmes founded?
Nîmes was founded as a Roman colony (Colonia Nemausus) during the first century B.C.E. The Maison Carrée is an extremely well preserved ancient Roman building and represents a nearly textbook example of a Roman temple as described by the architectural writer Vitruvius.
Summary
Architecture
- The frontal temple is a classic example of the Tuscan style temple as described by Vitruvius (who wrote On Architecture in the first century B.C.E.). This means that the building has a single cella (cult room), a deep porch, a frontal, axial orientation, and sits atop a high podium. The podium of the Maison Carrée rises to a height of 2.85 meters; the footprint of the temple measures 26.42 b…
Purpose
- The temple once carried a dedicatory inscription that was removed in the Middle Ages. Following the reconstruction of the inscription in 1758, scholars believe that the dedication of the building honored Augustus grandsons and intended heirs, Caius and Lucius Caesar. The dedicatory inscription read, in translation, To Gaius Caesar, son of Augustus, Consul; to Lucius Caesar, son …
Early history
- The late first century B.C.E. Temple of Augustus and Livia in located in Vienne, France (an ancient settlement of the Allobroges that received a Roman colony) is very similar in plan to the Maison Carrée. This temple was originally dedicated to Augustus alone, but in 41 C.E. the emperor Claudius re-dedicated the building to include Livia, his grandmother (and the wife of Augustus). …
Literature
- James C. Anderson, jr., Roman Architecture in Provence (Cambridge & New York: Cambridge University Press, 2013).
Editions
- Jean-Charles Balty, Etudes sur la Maison Carree de Nimes. (Bruxelles-Berchem, Latomus, revue detudes latines, 1960).
Sources
- Pierre Gros, Laugusteum de Nîmes, Revue archéologique de Narbonnaise 17.1 (1984) pp. 123-134. Pierre Gros, Larchitecture romaine : du debut du IIIe siecle av. J.-C. a la fin du Haut-Empire. 1, Les monuments publics (Paris: Picard, 2001). John Bryan Ward-Perkins, From Republic to Empire: Reflections on the Early Provincial Architecture of the Roman West, The Journal of Roman Studi…