UNESCO

The Pont du Gard was built shortly before the Christian era to allow the aqueduct of Nîmes (which is almost 50 km long) to cross the Gard river. The Roman architects and hydraulic engineers who designed this bridge, which stands almost 50 m high and is on three levels – the longest measuring 275 m – created a technical as well as an artistic masterpiece. Since then walkers, hikers, lovers, poets, painters, tour groups, apprentice explorers from the region and beyond have flocked to marvel at the magnificent construction. Pont du Gard was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1985.

In the 14th century, Avignon was the seat of the papacy. The Palais des Papes, an austere-looking fortress lavishly decorated by Simone Martini and Matteo Giovanetti, dominates the city, the surrounding ramparts and the remains of a 12th-century bridge over the Rhone. Beneath this outstanding example of Gothic architecture, the Petit Palais and the Romanesque Cathedral of Notre-Dame-des-Doms complete an exceptional group of monuments that testify to the leading role played by Avignon in 14th-century Christian Europe. The Palais des Papes was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1995.

The Roman Theatre of Orange is extraordinary in that it has retained its magnificent stage wall - one of the best preserved of all the great Roman theatres. Because of the wall it still has wonderful acoustics. It was a great centre for shows in Roman times and still draws huge audiences to musical events today. The Roman arch, built between A.D. 10 and 25, is one of the most beautiful and interesting surviving examples of a provincial triumphal arch from the reign of Augustus. The sites were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1981.

Arles is noted for the wealth of its Roman and Romanesque heritage. The monuments of the city were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1981 and include the Roman amphitheatre (the arena), the Roman theatre, the Cryptoportico (foundations of the Roman Forum), the Roman baths of Constantine, the remains of the Roman circus, the cloister and portal of St. Trophime’s, and the Alyscamp cemetery. The oldest sites date back to the 1st century B.C but the baths of Constantine and the necropolis of Alyscamps were builded during Arles’ second golden age in the 4th century. In the 11th and 12th centuries, Arles once again became one of the most attractive cities in the Mediterranean area.

Lyon is a prime example of human settlement. An exceptional witness to enduring urban installation over more than two millennia. In most European towns, the different districts have developed on existing sites. The geographical location of Lyon, however, has enabled the city's districts to extend towards the East over the centuries, thus providing a remarkable physical continuity between each era's centres. Lyon has continued to play a major role in Europe's political, cultural and economic development ever since, vividly illustrated by its urban fabric and the many fine historic buildings from all periods. The city was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1998.