The donkey back Roman bridge over the Ouvèze river at Vaison-la-Romaine in the Vaucluse area of southern France has survived everything that nature - and mankind - could throw at it for nearly 2,000 years.
Vaison-la-Romaine, Vaucluse, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France: still standing after nearly 2,000 years ... the Roman bridge on the Ouvèze river has survived wars, invasions and extreme weather to maintain a physical link between the ancient Gallo-Roman settlement on the north bank with the medieval upper town to the south. In this image shot on a July evening, sightseers lean on the ancient stone parapets beside old rubble houses, against pale blue outlines of distant mountains and a pink-streaked, post-sunset sky with drifting low cloud. The bridge stands where the river narrows. It was strongly built of limestone blocks, held together by ironwork and anchored to the rocks. Although it had to be partly rebuilt after disastrous flooding in 1992, more recent bridges in the area were destroyed. The donkey back arch spans metres (56 ft) with a roadway 9m (30 ft) wide. The site of Vaison-la-Romaine was originally the capital of the Celtic Vocontii tribe, whose fortified settlement stood on the north bank. Under Roman rule, the Vocontii retained some autonomy, but their town, Vasio Julia Vocontiorum, became increasingly Romanised. The bridge was among public monuments built in the late 1st century that included aqueducts, thermal baths and a theatre. The city thrived during the peaceful Pax Romana period, growing to cover about 75 hectares. It was among the richest settlements in the Roman province covering modern Provence and Languedoc, with many mosaic pavements in its finer houses. The era of peace and prosperity ended in 276 AD when the city was burned and pillaged by barbarian invaders. It never recovered, although after the Roman Empire fell, it became an important Christian centre with its own bishop. On the north bank, extensive Roman remains are now open to visitors in two areas, La Villasse and Puymin.
Size: 4256px × 2832px
Location: Vaison-la-Romaine, Vaucluse, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France.
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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