The Roman Heritage

In the first century BC, when Julius Caesar’s Legionnaires defeated the Celts in southern Gaul, the conquered land became Roman Provincia, now known as  Provence.

Roman rule brought Roman building. We visit the ancient Roman amphitheatres at Arles and Nîmes and see the modern counterpart of the grandiose Roman spectacles; the bull festivals. Bullfighting in Provence is unique. The rules of the fight are explained by a famous Provençal bullfighter.

We examine construction of the great aqueduct Pont du Gard and see its quarries, still in use today. We visit real Roman roads, temples and the beautiful bridge at Vaison-la-Romaine.

Arles’ Golden Age featured the intriguing Rhône River boat-bridge crossing; we see a model of how it worked. We film the hillside remnants of the 3rd century Barbegal flour milll and demonstrate its amazing operations. We wonder at the heating system of the sunlit Roman Baths and the gory legend of Les Alyscamps cemetery.

The recipe for Roman wine and its exact manufacture in the first century AD, is followed today in a Provençal winery; a popular tourist attraction.

We see the similarities and differences between Caesar’s Legionnaires in Provence who were foreign born in a foreign land, and of that corps d'elite, the French Foreign Legion. Its members receive their training here and we visit their retirement home. 

• Southern Gaul becomes Roman
• Amphitheatres in Arles and Nîmes
• Bull worship and bullfighting. Fighting bulls on horseback
• Nîmes, its water gods and construction of the aqueduct, the Pont du Gard
• Roman roads, milestones and the Rhône River’s boat-bridge crossing
• Arles’ Golden Age; its hydraulic flour mill, Roman Baths and Les Alyscamps cemetery
• Vaison-la-Romaine and its ancient past
• The French Foreign Legion’s connection with Caesar’s Roman Legionnaires
• Wine production began with the Greeks; Roman wine is produced today