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The Maison Carrée (square house) is a Roman temple built at the beginning of the Christian era in Nemausus (Nîmes), a city in the Gaul of Narbonne, a province of the Roman Empire located in the south of France.
Reconstitution de la Maison Carrée dans son contexte antique (Iᵉʳ siècle apr. J.-C.) by Jean-Claude GolvinNîmes, Ville d'art et d'histoire
In ancient times, the temple was located in the middle of a platform in the public square surrounded by porticoes. It was part of the forum, together with other public buildings located around it.
Dedicated to Caius and Lucius Caesar, the grandsons and presumptive heirs of the emperor Augustus, the Maison Carrée was a temple honoring the imperial cult that was instituted under Augustus at the beginning of the Roman Empire.
Fronton de la Maison Carrée (Iᵉʳ siècle apr. J.-C.)Nîmes, Ville d'art et d'histoire
The dedication was removed from the monument at an unknown time in its history. Only the fixing holes of the bronze letters remain.
In 1758, Jean-François Séguier, a scholar from Nîmes, deciphered the inscription by observing the position of the holes. His work, completed and confirmed by stylistic and archaeological studies, made it possible to date the construction of the temple relatively precisely to the early years of the Christian era, before 5 CE.
Caius and Lucius Caesar died in 4 CE and 2 CE respectively. The temple's dedication in Nîmes probably took place shortly after their demise.
Alongside the Pantheon in Rome and the Temple of Augustus and Livia in Vienne, France, the Maison Carrée is currently the best preserved temple of the ancient Greco-Roman world.
Its architecture draws inspiration directly from the most prestigious models of religious architecture of the Augustan period of which only a few remains exist: the Temple of Apollo on the Palatine Hill, Rome (28 BCE), and the Temple of Mars Ultor, also in Rome, inaugurated in 2 BCE by Augustus and his grandsons.
Vue de la Maison Carrée (Iᵉʳ siècle apr. J.-C.)Nîmes, Ville d'art et d'histoire
The architecture of the Roman temple combines the Italo-Etruscan traditions of the Roman territory with the influence of Greek art, which can be explained by the arrival of Greek architects and crafters in Rome after the conquest of Corinth in 146 BCE. Both are clearly visible in the Maison Carrée.
The Italo-Etruscan legacy
The base or raised podium isolates the temple from its environment and places it in a dominant position.
The Italo-Etruscan legacy
A single axial staircase provides access at the front, and the columns are not engaged in architecture of the tower.
Détail de la Maison Carrée (Iᵉʳ siècle apr. J.-C.)Nîmes, Ville d'art et d'histoire
The Italo-Etruscan legacy
A deep and open pronaos (the entrance to the temple) on the façade would have allowed the priest to have a panoramic view outwards and to take in the auspices—omens taken from the observation of the flight of birds.
The Greek influence is reflected by the elongated plan and the sculpted decoration: Corinthian capitals, frieze, cornice …
The Maison Carrée is a temple surrounded by columns. On its closed part, called the cella, the columns turn into half-columns engaged in the walls in order to give the walls more relief through the light and shadow effect.
Détail de la Maison Carrée (Iᵉʳ siècle apr. J.-C.)Nîmes, Ville d'art et d'histoire
The pseudoperipteral temple with its fictitious colonnade first emerged at the end of the 2nd century BCE and flourished at the beginning of the Roman Empire.
Détail des chapiteaux (Iᵉʳ siècle apr. J.-C.)Nîmes, Ville d'art et d'histoire
The acanthus leaves (an ornamental foliage pattern) are an excellent example of the naturalistic trend encountered on the great Roman temples of the early years CE.
Détail des chapiteaux (Iᵉʳ siècle apr. J.-C.)Nîmes, Ville d'art et d'histoire
The supple leaves with their asymmetrical indentations form a vegetal crown that evokes a lush nature feel.
On the frieze, the acanthus rinceau, a decoration of scrolling leaves, is a sculpted motif directly linked to the imperial cult. A symbol of abundance, fertility, order, and peace, it participates in the dissemination of the values and benefits of the new era ushered in by the reign of Augustus.
Realization: Ville de Nîmes, Centre d'interprétation de l"architecture et du patrimoine (https://nimesartethistoire.fr/) en collaboration avec l'Office du Tourisme
Iconography: © Jean-Claude Golvin ; © Licence Creative Commons ; © Ville de Nîmes
