Nîmes is displayed!

The Arena, the Maison Carrée, the Magne Tower, and the Jardins de la Fontaine (Fountain Gardens) … and its surroundings with the Pont du Gard. 
This aggregation of monuments disregards perspective and geographical reality!

The wealth of ancient monuments has long fueled artist creativity in Nîmes. This draft poster of the tourist office from the early 20th century, as well as this large panel that probably served as a set for the theater of Nîmes in the previous century, the symbolic sites of the city: 

The city's location on the route to Italy meant attempts to encourage learned travelers to stop over in Nîmes were common in the 18th century. This grand tour satiated the interest in Roman history that was very much in vogue since the end of the 17th century.

Albert Éloy-Vincent, a prominent artist in 19th century Nîmes, designed this poster. It depicts the Roman monuments of Nîmes and the Pont du Gard. The edge of the poster features the station's red coats of arms of the Paris-Lyon-Marseille rail line, which was booming at the time. 

With the development of the railroad, French winter resorts developed in the second half of the 19th century. 
With a higher number of sunny days than the national average and its rich history, Nîmes was the perfect place for cultural trips. 

The advertisers clearly understood this and used the works of painters of ruins, such as Hubert Robert, in the poster:
the monuments are shown in a picturesque out-of-time setting, where the modern city is obliterated.

This highlights the aesthetics of the ruins, as in the pediment of the Maison Carrée, which is covered with foliage. 

This representation, which was popular since the end of the 18th century, can be found in many posters until the 20th century. 

This poster of the Congrès Rhodanien, a regionalist association, celebrates the Rhône festival. This event has been organized for almost a century by the French-Swiss association in order to celebrate the Rhone Valley from an economic, cultural, and folkloric perspective.

At the top of the poster, there is a nod to the Swiss mountains where the river originates from the Furka glacier. The Swiss coat of arms adorns a gargoyle that pours water into the Camargue delta on the outskirts of Nîmes to flow into the Mediterranean Sea. 

The Maison Carrée represents the Roman heritage found in Nîmes. In addition to the development of the railroad (the Paris-Lyon Méditerranée line), the city could also be reached by barge on the Rhône River between Lyon and Beaucaire, a city close to Nîmes.

Close to a previous poster reminiscent of Hubert Robert's painting exhibited at the Louvre Museum, this is another example of communication promoting the development of resorts. Made by the organization promoting tourism in the last century, it advertises the bus service connecting the city and its surroundings. This means of transportation contributed to the touristic appeal of the region.

By the way, did you know that Nîmes is also called the French Rome? The Maison Carrée (Square House) is the best preserved Roman temple in the world. This fragment of Italy has had many uses. Originally dedicated to Lucius Caesar and Caius Julius Caesar, the two grandsons of Augustus, it was repurposed as a consular house and a church before becoming a museum in the 19th century. It is still open to the public.

The Magne Tower, a Gallo-Roman monument that dominates the skyline of Nîmes, is represented here as in the guise of a lighthouse, bathing the ancient Roman city in light. 

An indication in the upper left corner of the poster mentions four strong economic forces in Nîmes and its region: trade, industry, wine-making, and agriculture.