History History

Remains of fossilized fauna and flint tools, as well as various habitats, bear witness to human occupation by hunter-gatherers, notably near the present-day Pont du Gard site.

The first sedentary farmers settled in the region. Transhumance was already practiced and "drailles" were created, tracks that sheep still travel today.

The megalithic civilization took root, as evidenced by the numerous dolmens, menhirs and cromlechs throughout the département. Prehistoric villages were established near refuge caves.

The Volques Arécomiques, a Celtic people, built buildings around a spring that they deified and dedicated a sanctuary to, later called Nemausus (Nîmes). The Arécomiques extended their territory over the entire region.

In 121 B.C., under the influence of Massilia, the Volcans voluntarily submitted to Rome, which in exchange allowed them to retain their laws, religion and customs.

The Roman general and proconsul Cnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus crossed the Rhône with his legions and built the important military road that bears his name, the Via Domitia, in 118 BC. The Romans later built the Pont du Gard, the aqueduct to the city of Nîmes, and the 6 km fortified city wall. The architecture of the Gard region bears witness to the Roman apogee.

The population of Nîmes is estimated at 25,000 in the ^2nd century. In 407, barbarian invasions began again, first by the Vandals, followed by the Visigoths, who put an end to Roman prosperity in the^5th century. Nîmes was invaded by the Saracens in 752, and the Goths placed the city under the protection of the Franks.

From the ^10th century onwards, the region welcomed monastic orders from Gévaudan and Montpellier, and even from Spain. Thetroglodyte abbey of Saint-Roman dates from this period, although occupation of the site goes back much further. The priories multiplied and became hamlets and villages. This development launched the cultivation of chestnut trees.

In 1229, Languedoc became part of the French crown. 1240 saw the creation of Aigues-Mortes by Saint-Louis, who embarked from there on August 25, 1248 for the ^7th Crusade, then in 1270 for the ^8th.

In the 16th century, Uzès was the fifth Protestant city in France. In 1632, the Duke of Uzes was^{the first} Duke of France.

In 1629, the Peace of Alais granted Protestants freedom of worship, but in 1685 Louis XIV revoked the Edict of Nantes, and Protestants either converted or emigrated to Europe, many to the Cévennes. The region's temples were destroyed.

The years 1702-1710 saw the uprising of Protestant peasants and artisans, known as the Guerre des Cévennes or Guerre des Camisards. The country was set on fire, especially during the first two years, which mobilized two Marshals of France and 25,000 soldiers. Persecution of Protestants ceased in France in 1787 with the Edict of Versailles.

Following a terrible winter in 1709, mulberry trees replaced chestnut and olive trees decimated by frost. Silk mills and spinning mills proliferated, and the silk industry reached its peak in 1752. Nîmes would later make its fortune through weaving and hosiery.

Nîmes, a European industrial center, diversified its economy with the cultivation of vines, while the railroads facilitated the transport of wine. The railroad facilitated the export of cotton canvas, which Lévi-Strauss and Jacob Davis worked on in the United States to create the jeans we know today.

In Alès, the Compagnie des Mines, Fonderies et Forges d'Alès was created in 1830. Coal production increased, reaching two million tons in 1912. By 1947, there were 20,000 miners in the Alès basin, from all over Europe.

From the end of the ^19th century, the Gard region was the scene of numerous union battles. It also saw several Resistance cells occupy the Cévennes maquis during the^2nd World War.

Pebrine, a silkworm disease, the opening of the Suez Canal and the emergence of synthetic materials gradually weakened silk production. In 1965, the last silk mill in Saint-Jean-du-Gard closed its doors. From 1958 onwards, competition drove down the price of coal, and the Oules mine was the last to close in 1988.

The Cévennes National Park is a Unesco World Heritage Site, a sign of the region's renewal, which is now focused on the development of its various heritages.