Cité de Nîmes — Maison Carrée

The Maison Carrée in Nîmes is one of the best-preserved Roman temples in the world and one of the most striking ancient buildings in France — a near-perfect peristyle temple of white limestone standing 14 metres high on a raised podium in the heart of the city, its 30 Corinthian columns still intact after 2,000 years. Built around 4–7 BC during the reign of Augustus and dedicated to the grandsons of Augustus (Gaius and Lucius Caesar), it forms part of the ancient Roman forum of Nemausus — the Roman colony that became modern Nîmes in the Occitanie region of southern France. The temple survived intact through the medieval period because it was continuously put to use: as a meeting hall, a church, and even briefly as a stable. Napoleon famously had its proportions studied when designing the Church of the Madeleine in Paris, and Thomas Jefferson declared it the most beautiful building he had ever seen. Today the interior houses a 3D immersive film — 'Grands Hommes de la Romanité' — projected across the original stone walls and ceiling, which brings the history of the Roman city of Nîmes to vivid life through animated reconstructions of the forum, baths, amphitheatre, and aqueduct. The film lasts approximately 20 minutes and runs in a loop through the day. The exterior of the Maison Carrée is freely viewable at all hours and is arguably as impressive as the interior for its proportional perfection. The building sits within walking distance of the Arènes de Nîmes and the Jardins de la Fontaine, and a combination ticket covering both major sites offers good value.