The Pont du Gard, a Roman aqueduct close to the city of Nîmes, France. It was built in the late 1st century BC or the early 1st century AD to channel water from a spring from Nîmes. It was constructed of beautifully sized and precisely cut stones, without the use of mortar, and consists of three tiers of arches. It exemplifies the simplest use of the arch as a structural element. The arches …showed first 75 words of 491 total…

…showed last 75 words of 491 total…bowl-shaped dome. Inside, the eye is drawn upward over the circle patterns made by the sunken panels in the dome’s ceiling to the light entering the central opening. The simple shape of the dome belies its sophisticated design and engineering. Its surface of marble veneer disguises the internal brick arches and concrete that supports it. The walls are disguised by columns, pillars, and entablatures in two tiers. Seven niches originally held statues of gods.