MAGNE Tower

Prestigious building

The Magne Tower is the only remaining vestige of the Roman city wall of Nîmes, which once featured 80 towers of this type. Both a prestigious structure and a strategic feature, it marked the location of the sanctuary—the Nîmes spring—and protected the oppidum. It also offers the most beautiful view of the city and its surroundings. Its name, Turris Magna (Great Tower), first appeared in the 12th century, but its origins date back much further.

An Early Gallic Tower

Around 400 B.C., an early monument already served as a landmark visible from afar. Built of dry stone by the Gallic tribe of the Arecomici Volcae, this first tower stood about 18 meters tall. Shaped like a “sugar loaf,” it had a paved platform at its summit. This type of massive tower can still be seen at other pre-Roman sites in the region. From this structure, the ramparts extended northward and westward, encircling the Gallic settlement.

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Travel Through the Ages

During the reign of Emperor Augustus (27 B.C.–A.D. 14), the sacred spring at the foot of Mont Cavalier was completely redesigned. The Magne Tower, the highest point of the new Roman wall, was also extensively remodeled. To create the monument we still see today, the Romans covered the old tower that the Arecomici Volcae had built using dry-stone masonry several centuries earlier. Now twice as tall, it stands 36 meters high. Visible from a great distance, the tower signaled to travelers along the Via Domitia and other roads the power and wealth of Nîmes. Far from destroying the ancient Volques structure, their Gallo-Roman descendants reverently preserved it at the heart of a new construction. It also offers a view, for kilometers in every direction, of much of the territory that the city overlooked during the Roman era.

The History of the Magne Tower

Plan Your Visit

Thanks to the redesign of our showcase page, you can now more easily access:

  • Digital Immersion: New Audio Guides and Interactive Content.
  • Practical Information: Hours, prices, and online reservations to avoid waiting.

Step inside the Magne Tower. Feel the history.

FAQ

Regular business hours
  • Open 7 days a week, all year round.
  • Last admission: 15 minutes before closing
  • January, November, December: 9:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. / 2:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m. (Closes at 5:00 p.m. during the Christmas break)
  • February: 9:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. / 2:00 p.m.–4:30 p.m. (Hours extended until 6:00 p.m. during the February school break)
  • March & October: 9:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. / 2:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.
  • April & May: 9:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m.
  • June: 9:00 AM–7:00 PM
  • July & August: 9:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.
  • September: 9:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m.
Directions, Train & Parking

  • The Roman monuments of Nîmes are located 30 minutes from the Pont du Gard, Arles, and Montpellier; 45 minutes from Avignon and Orange; and 1 hour and 30 minutes from Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, and Narbonne.

  • By train (ideal): The Nîmes Centre TGV station is just a 5-minute walk from the Arènes.
  • By car: Take the A9 or A54 highway, exit at Nîmes and follow signs for “Centre-ville,” then “Arènes.”

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