The Maison Carrée in Nîmes, France is one the most incredible Roman temples in the world. Named ‘the square house’, the temple is an example of beautiful Roman architecture and meticulous restoration works. It has been in use for over 2000 years, and is a museum today that anybody can visit.
Just looking at the Maison Carrée, it certainly looks the archetype of most Roman temples, with rows of symmetrical Corinthian columns and ornate vestibule. In fact, the Maison Carrée has been specifically cited as an inspiration for many other buildings around the world, such as the Virginia State Capitol.
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History of the Maison Carrée
The Roman city of Nîmes was established in the first century BCE as a colony called Colonia Nemausus. The temple was commissioned by Marcus Agrippa and built soon afterwards, around 12BCE (although the exact year it’s not known).
Construction of the Maison Carrée
La Maison Carrée was dedicated to the goddess Roma, and the Emperor’s protective spirit Augusti, but was soon rededicated in 4-6CE to honour Gaius and Lucius Ceasar, the sons of Agrippa. This dedication was inscribed on a plaque, but removed during the middle ages.
In its heyday, the Maison Carrée would have been a dominant feature in the forum (public square) in Nîmes, alongside other Roman wonders such as the Arena of Nîmes and the nearby Pont du Gard. Nîmes served as the provincial capital and grew to 60,000 inhabitants, complete with sophisticated baths and city walls.
Maison Carrée under Visigoths and Franks
As the Roman Empire declined, Nîmes saw frequent barbarian incursions between the 3rd and 5th centuries. Arles overtook Nîmes as the largest city in the region. In 472, the Visigoths sacked Nîmes and took control of the city. They left the temple largely untouched, and it is believed that Gothic kings used the temple as their quarters.
The city came under control of the Muslim Umayyads by 725, but Frankish forces under Charles Martel took the city in 736-737. Pepin the Short consolidated control of Nîmes in 752 under the Carolingian dynasty. The Maison Carrée was used as the seat of the four consuls of the city, serving as a form of town hall. During this time, the Maison Carrée was called the Capitole.
With the consuls as tenants, the central chamber was divided into multiple floors and rooms, with vaults, a chimney, and even a spiral staircase. Later, it was used as a house, a stable, and then converted to a church of the Augustins.
Renaissance era Maison Carrée
In the 17th century, Nîmes prospered and its population reached 50,000 people. The Maison Carrée and amphitheatre were increasingly recognised for their historic value, and obstructions were removed from the forum.
In 1758, the scholar Jean-Francois Séguier used the positions of the holes on the frontispiece to determine what the lost bronze inscription once read. It read: To Caius Caesar consul and Lucius Ceaser consul designated, son of Augustus, princes of youth. Tragically and ironically, both sons died young.
By the time of the French Revolution, the Maison Carrée was used as a meeting place for the Directory, the 5-member governing committee of the First Republic. In the 19th century, it was used as an art gallery, containing art now found in the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Nîmes.
Restoration of the Maison Carrée
Restoration of the Maison Carrée took place in the early 19th century. Details inscribed in Latin on the western side explain that the king and the citizenry donated money for the restorations, completed 1822. By the end of the 19th century, all adjoining buildings were cleared away.
In 1992, a whole new roof of large flat tiles (tegulae) was installed, faithfully replicating the original. A thorough restoration effort was undertaken from 2006 to 2011. It was cleaned and whitened, and the stone protected from future weathering. Altogether it took 44,000 hours of work for the maintenance.
Why Is It Called The Square House’?
The Maison Carrée, which means ‘square house’, originated sometime in the 16th century. Even though the Maison Carrée is a rectangular floor plan, there’s a reason for the unusual name. French language at the time called any shape with four sides ‘carrée‘, with rectangles ‘carrée long‘ (long square), and squares ‘carrée actuel‘ (perfect square). So, rectangle, square, same thing!
Harmony of Proportions
The Maison Carrée is one of (if not the) most perfectly preserved Roman temples in the world. It is a classic example of Roman Vitruvian temple design, with Corinthian columns, large facade, and lavish decorations.
The temple stands on a 2.9 metre (9.3 feet) podium. 15 steps lead up to the vestibule, with the temple chamber (cella) beyond. The main structure is 26.42 metres (86.7 feet) long and 13.54 metres (44.4 feet) wide, featuring 30 columns, each 9 metres (29.5 feet) high, decorated with egg-and-dart reliefs. Other carvings of acanthus leaves, rosettes, and dentils decorate the frieze, and including the height of its roof, it stands 17 metres high.
Entrance to the cella is through a colossal wooden door measuring 6.87 metres by 3.27 metres (22.5 feet x 10.7 feet). The inside is windowless, and is where the shrine was located. However, no artefacts from the inside survived.
The design of the Maison Carrée has been hugely influential on other buildings around the world. The Virginia State Capitol, designed by Thomas Jefferson and Charles-Louis Clérisseau and built 1785-1788, has a facade accurately copying the Maison Carrée. Similarly, the Église de la Madeleine in Paris and Saint Marcellinus Church in Poland also use the beauty of the Maison Carrée as inspiration.
Visiting La Maison Carrée
After spending time as a temple, town hall, house, church, and stable, La Maison Carrée is now a museum, and open to visitors. In the former sanctuary is a 23-minute film that visitors can watch, which explains the history of the temple.
Across the road from the temple is the Carrée d’Art museum. Made of steel, concrete, and glass, it was designed to be a contemporary counterpart to the Maison Carrée, complete with columns and vestibule. It has a wonderful exhibition of contemporary art, as well as the municipal library of Nîmes.
The Maison Carrée is located in central Nîmes, with plenty of nearby parking for visitors arriving by car. Nîmes train station is 13 minutes walk, which serves TER, intercity, and TGV lines, as well as TER buses.
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La Maison Carrée is truly a wonder of the ancient world. Being in constant use across its 2000 years of history, it is remarkable that this beautiful building has survived to the present day. Visiting the Maison Carrée is a must-see for history fans interested in Roman architecture and history!
StickyMangoRice 