Maison Carrée
The Long Square House at Nîmes
Generally considered to be the best preserved of all Roman Temples, the Maison Carrée was built in 16BC during the reign of the Emperor Augustus by Marcus Vispanius Agrippa.
Clasical architecture
It conforms to the Classical pattern of a portico with Corinthian columns under a triangular pediment with an inner room. Twice as long as it is wide, its name derives from the old French, carré long, meaning long square.
Often referred to as the ‘Square House’, it avoided destruction by Christians who converted it into a church. Later it became a meeting hall and, during the French Revolution, a stable. In 1823 it became a museum.