In the city of Nîmes, located between the Mediterranean Sea and Cévennes, in southern France

 "Make scented geranium cream-Leaves steamed in cream, cream cheese and sugar. When cool-Eat with berries or poached peaches.”

― Sara Midda, South of France: A Sketchbook
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(in southern France) Located between the Mediterranean Sea and Cévennes, the city of Nîmes is heralded as the "Rome of France." Two millennia ago it was one of the most important cities of Roman Gaul, as evidenced by its collection of Roman buildings, including an amphitheater and a 2000-year-old temple. There is much to explore in Nîmes' palm-lined streets today, not to mention a host of high-profile festivals throughout the year. Nîmes is also proud of the futuristic Musée de la Romanité, which opened in mid-2018 and is one of the best archaeological museums in the region.

+ In the 10th century the city passed to the counts of Toulouse, and it was joined to the French crown in 1229. At the time of the Reformation, it became largely Protestant and suffered from persecution after the revocation in 1685 of the Edict of Nantes, which had accorded a measure of religious liberty to Protestants in 1598. Damaged in 1815 during the fighting between royalists and Bonapartists, Nîmes became prosperous again with the coming of the railways later in the 19th century.

+ Once one of the richest towns of Gaul, Nîmes is famous for its many Roman remains, most in a great state of preservation. The vast amphitheater (built in the 1st century CE to seat 24,000) presents the aspect of a double row of 60 arches surmounted by an attic. Though originally intended for gladiatorial shows, chariot races, and naval spectacles, it was used as a fortress in the 5th century by the Visigoths. In the Middle Ages, houses and even a church were built inside of it. Cleared of buildings in 1809, it remains one of the best preserved Roman amphitheaters. The famous Maison-Carrée, a rectangular temple 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 the best preserved). Like the amphitheater, the building has had varied uses (town hall, private house, stable, and church) through the ages. It now houses a collection of Roman sculptures. The Tour Magne, atop a hill just outside the city, is the oldest Roman building; its original function is not known, but it was incorporated into the Roman wall in 16 BCE. Near the Tour Magne is a reservoir from which the water carried by the great Roman aqueduct, the Pont du Gard, was distributed throughout the town.

+ The pleasant Jardin de la Fontaine, situated on the edge of the city, was designed in 1745. The fountain and the canals that flow through it are partly Roman. The Archaeological Museum, housed in a former Jesuit college, has a fine collection of Roman objects, as well as some Iron Age artifacts.

+ Nîmes has expanded considerably since the 1960s; it is now a center for tourism. Refurbishment of the city center has further enhanced its tourist appeal.