An inhabited fortress (VIe - XIXe)

The Visigoths' castle

It was undoubtedly during the 6th century that the “Arènes” were transformed into a fortress by the Visigoths. The gladiator combats were then forbidden.
The “castrum arenae” became a refuge for the population in the event of danger. It was a genuine castle, surrounded by a moat.
In the 8th century, the Saracens were in the process of ousting the Visigoths, before Charles Martel managed to stop their advance in 737.

The "Chevaliers des Arènes"

In the 12th century, under the suzerainty of the counts of Toulouse, the “castrum” became the home of the viscounty of Nîmes and its vassals, the “Chevaliers des Arènes”, and a chateau was built inside the monument. An actual village, which still numbered more than 700 inhabitants in the 18th century, developed within the amphitheatre, with notably the construction of two churches, Saint-Pierre and Saint-Martin. This small district, criss-crossed with small streets, lasted until the beginning of the 19th century.

Castles, houses and churchs in the "Arènes"

At the beginning of the 12th century, when the Languedoc region became part of France, the building stopped playing a military role. The chateau fell under the ownership of the King of France and his representatives occupied it until the 14th century, before moving to a new chateau built on the site of the “Porte d’Auguste” (the Augustus Gate).
The abandoned amphitheatre was then handed over to private owners. The additional constructions that overburdened it (houses, the viscount’s chateau, the two churches etc) remained in place until the end of the 18th century .

Clearing and restoration

1786 marked the beginning of the clearing of the Roman building, and this was the prelude to its restoration: the houses, chateau and chapels were demolished in order to restore the monument’s original appearance.
It wasn’t until the middle of the 19th century, however, that the architect Henri Revoil completed the restoration of this monument.