Maison Carre

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Maison Carrée
Nimes, France
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Background

• The Maison Carree is located in southern France.
• The word Maison Carree means Square House
• One of the best preserved temples in the area
  that was the Roman Empire
• Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa built the temple in 16
  BC
• The Maison Carree is dedicated to Marcus two
  sons, Gaius Julius Caesar and Lucius Caesar.
• "To Gaius Caesar, son of Augustus, Consul to
  Lucius Caesar, son of Augustus, Consul designate
  to the princes of youth."

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Why is it so well preserved

• The main reason for the temple to be so well
  preserved is that it was taken over and
  transformed into a Christian Church in the fourth
  century. This saved the temple from the
  destruction that happened to many buildings when
  Romes official state religion was changed to
  Christianity.

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History

• The temple Maison Carree has a very long and odd
  history
• The building was originally a temple during the
  Roman Empire
• Later it was a Christian Church in the Fourth
  Century
• It was later a meeting hall for Citys Consuls
• A canons house
• A stable during the French Revolution
• A storehouse for city archives
• Finally it became a museum in 1823

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Maison Carree

• The building is a mix of the Etruscan and Greek
  architectural styles.
• The Moldings in the building are taken off of the
  Greek style of buildings. This is a direct
  representation of some of the architectural
  styles that the Romans took right from the
  Greeks.
• It was important that this building be just as
  grand and Roman as any building in Rome even
  though it was not located in Rome.

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Vitruvian Architecture

• The building is an example of Vitruvian
  Architecture.
• The building is raised on a 2.85 meter podium
• Forms a rectangle almost twice as long as it is
  wide ( 26.42m x 13.54 m)?
• There are six Corinthian Columns under the
  Pediment
• Pediment the triangular top of the building
• There are twenty columns built into the side of
  the building
• A large door (6.87 m high by 3.27 m wide) leads
  to the surprisingly small and windowless
  interior, where the shrine was originally housed.
  This is now used to house occasional art
  exhibitions. No ancient decoration remains inside
  the cella.
• The present door was made in 1824.

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Website

• http//www.3dancientwonders.com/3d_maisoncaree_vir
  tualreality.htm

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Questions?