Chapter XXIX. Of the other temple of Nismes

THE following designs, of the other temple of Njfiues, which the people of the city say was the temple of Vest a; which in my opinion cannot be, as well because to Vest a the temples were made round, in resemblance of the element of the earth, of which they said she was the goddess; also because this temple had passages it, closed by continued walls, in which g p patiagi y > were the doors on the sides of the cella, and the door of the cella was in the front, so that it could not receive light from any part: neither can any reason be given why temples to Vista should be made obscure; I rather therefore believe that it was dedicated to some of their infernal gods.

In the inward part of this temple there are tabernacles, in which statues must have been. The inward front, opposite to the door, is divided into three parts. The floor, or pavement, of the middle part, is level with the remainder of the temple. The two other parts have their floor raised to the height of the pedestals; and to it one ascends by two pair of stairs, which begin in the passages, which, as I have said, are round this temple, The pedestals are a little higher than the third part of the length of the columns. The bases of the columns are composed of the Attick, and of the Ionick, and have a most beautiful sacoma. The capitals are are also composed, and very neatly wrought. The architrave, the frize, and the cornice are without intaglia’s, and the ornaments placed in the tabernacles that are round the cella are also plain.

Behind the columns that are opposite to the entrance, and which make, in our way of speaking, the great chapel, there are square pilasters, which also have composed capitals, but different from those of the columns; and they differ also the one from the other, because the capitals of the pilasters that are immediately near the columns, have intaglia’s different from the other two; but all of them have so beautiful and graceful a form, and are of so beautiful an invention, that I don’t remember to have ever seen capitals of that sort better and more judiciously made.

These pilasters support the architraves of the chapels on the sides, to which one ascends, as I have said, by the stairs in the passages, and therefore are by this means wider than the columns are thick; which is worthy observation.

The columns that are round the cella support some arches made of squared stones; and from one of these arches to the other the stones are placed, which form the greater vault of the temple.

All this edifice is made of squared stones, and covered with flat stones, placed in such a manner that the one goes over the other; that so the rain might not penetrate,

I have made use of the greatest diligence in these two temples, because they seemed to me edifices worthy of great consideration; and by which it may be known that it was in a manner peculiar to that age, that in every place the good way of building was understood. I have made five plates of this temple. 87. In the first the plan designed.

In the second is half of the front opposite to the door in the inward part. In the third is the elevation of part of the flank. In the fourth and fifth are the ornaments of the tabernacles, of the columns, and of the soffits, which are all marked with letters.

cornice over the columns. H, are the ornaments of the tabernacles, columns. M, R, and O, are the compartments of the go F, ba of the columns and pilasters,

The sacoma or profile drawn near the dado of the pedestal is of the architrave of the frize, and of the small cornice, which are over the pilasters, and is that which is marked C in the design of the flank.