LYONS
NÎMES 144¾ 27¼ [PONT-D’AVIGNON], station on the west side of the Rhône for [Avignon] (p. 63). Omnibuses from the hotels await passengers. The omnibus between Avignon and Villeneuve passes the station every hour. Tram every ¼ between the station and Avignon.
7 m. S. from the Pont-d’Avignon is Aramon, pop. 2800, on the Rhône, at a considerable distance from its station. 3¾ m. farther is Thezièrs, pop. 650, with the church of St. Amans, 11th cent., and the ruins of a castle. ([Map, page 66].)
LYONS
NÎMES 159¾ 12¼ [REMOULINS], pop. 1400, with ruins of a castle. From Remoulins branch to Uzès, 12½ m. N.W. On this line, 3¼ m. from Remoulins and 9¼ from Uzès, is Pont-du-Gard station, on an eminence, whence walk down to the bridge. (For [description] and [directions] see pp. 64 and 104, and [map page 66].)
Uzès.
[UZÈS], pop. 5600, Inn Bechard: on an eminence surrounded by picturesque calcareous rocks. From the inn walk past the church St. Etienne, then turn to the left, and having gone down the avenue ascend the double stair leading up to the beautiful terrace, on which, to the left, stands the Cathedral, and to the right, projecting from the
balustrade, the little house with about 9 yards of frontage, in which Racine resided with his uncle, a canon of the cathedral. Below, in the deep narrow valley, is the stream Eure, which once supplied the Roman aqueduct at Nîmes. At the S.W. corner of the church rises from a square basement a circular campanile, 12th cent., in six stages, of which five are composed of eight blind round arches, each pierced by twin open arches resting on an impost column. On the top is a low tiled roof, partly hidden by an embrasure-like parapet. On the north side of the church is the bishop’s palace, now the Sous-Préfecture, and the seat of the tribunal. Looking from the top of the stairs towards the town the most prominent objects are the large dungeon-tower of the castle, with turrets on three of the corners; the Tour Carrée de l’Horloge, surmounted by an iron grating and a bell; and the Tour de Prison. The octagonal tower, crowned with an image of the Virgin, rises from the École des Frères, and the low square tower from the church of St. Etienne. At the other end of the promenade is the bronze statue by Duret of Admiral Comte de Brueys, né à Uzès le 11 Fevrier 1753. Mort à Aboukir (battle of the Nile) le 2 Aout 1798. Now walk up the street to the Marché au Blé, with a pretty bronze fountain opposite the Mairie and Post Office. Behind the Mairie is the entrance to the castle called Le Duché, which has for centuries belonged to the family of Crussol, Ducs d’Uzès. Fee for a party 1 fr. On entering, to the right is the Tour de la Chapelle, 13th cent., restored; to the left, the dungeon tower, 11th cent., ascended by 248 steps, commanding an extensive prospect; and in front the façade, 16th cent., by P. Delorme. The ground-floor of the “Tour de la Chapelle” contains the family vaults. Over the tombs is a large crucifix made in England; the figure is of bronze and the cross of copper. Above is the chapel. Of the house the best part is the stair, vaulted throughout and covered with sculptured stone panels. The best wines in the department are grown in the neighbourhood of Uzès. Besides the railway, Uzès is connected by a good diligence with Bagnols, 17 m. E. on the railway of the west side of the Rhône, 19 m. N. from the Pont d’Avignon, and 7½ m. S. from Pont-St. Esprit.
Sernhac-Lédenon.
After Remoulins the train halts at the station [Sernhac-Lédenon]. Lédenon, pop. 700, is about 2 m. W. from the station, and Sernhac, pop. 1200, about the same distance E. 7 m. from Nîmes is the St. Gervasy-Bezouce station, and 2½ m. nearer, Marguerittes, pop. 2000, with a handsome modern church, and in the cemetery the ruins of the chapel of St. Gilles, 12th cent., seen from railway.
