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Fine early woodcut image of the ancient Roman aqueduct that crosses the Gardon River near the city of Nimes. This woodcut was published in the Chesneau and Sonnius La Cosmographie Universelle de Tout le Monde.
The aqueduct pictured is one of the most lasting landmarks left in France by the Roman Empire. The aqueduct brought water to the city of Nimes from the Eure springs, but the height difference between these two locations is tiny at 17 meters over a distance of 50 kilometers. This means that the design of the aqueduct bridge required impressive preciseness: it drops only one centimeter over its 187-meter length. This aqueduct allowed for a consistent water supply to be delivered to Nimes, and delivered eight million gallons per day during its use.
The text at the bottom of the map describes the architecture and design of the structure. The diminishing sizes of the arcs on each round are compared, with their dimensions given. This design, similar to a reversed house of cards, is critical for giving the aqueduct the stability required to last 2,000 years.
The Cosmographie Universelle was a French reprint of Munster's Cosmographie. The publishers Nicolas Chesneau and Michel Sonnius felt that Munster's work, even when published in French, focused too heavily on Germany and thus needed updating for a French audience. The final work would contain 163 plates, only 49 of which were based on Munster's original.
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