Fountain Sanctuary

The sanctuary of the Fontaine, in Nîmes

The sanctuary of the Fontaine is an ancient site laid out around the spring that gave birth to Nîmes. The Nîmes audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this founding place, the cradle of the Roman city and of its cult of the waters.

The sacred cradle of the city

The sanctuary of the Fontaine is an ancient site organised around the spring of Nemausus, the protective deity that gave its name to Nîmes. A sacred place from the pre-Roman era, then a great Roman sanctuary, it combined the spring, pools, temples and monumental buildings, including the Temple of Diana. Laid out in the eighteenth century to create the gardens of the Fontaine, it keeps many vestiges and testifies to the importance of water in the history and the foundation of the city.

What to see

Here you discover the spring of Nemausus, the pools and the vestiges of the great Roman sanctuary, including the Temple of Diana, within the gardens of the Fontaine. The sanctuary is the cradle of Nîmes and of its cult of the waters. It is a major stop for lovers of ancient history, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The sanctuary of the Fontaine lies within the gardens of the Fontaine, in the heart of Nîmes, reachable on foot. Its vestiges are discovered through the park, freely accessible during opening hours, which vary with the season. You explore it during a walk in the gardens.

Why is the sanctuary of the Fontaine important?

Because it is the founding site of Nîmes, organised around the spring of Nemausus, the deity that gave its name to the city, the cradle of the Roman city.

Where is the sanctuary of the Fontaine?

Within the gardens of the Fontaine, in the heart of Nîmes.