In the South of France, Provence and the Côte d'Azur are topping the thermometer in the high 40s or well over 100° degrees Fahrenheit! Beaches along the Mediterranean are even more crowded than usual as locals and tourists try to escape the heat of August. I might suggest May or September as better months to visit this region due to the hordes and hot weather.

Last year in July, my son and I joined our French family to swim in the sea and explore the history of ancient Gaul and the conquest by the Roman Empire. You have to head south for the best examples of temples, amphitheaters, aqueducts, roads, arches, monuments, mosaics, and fabulous remnants of ancient daily life. No matter the weather, the sights do not disappoint.

Here, the Romans began their annexation around 125 BCE, decades before Julius Caesar brought the rest of Gaul under his control. In this region, archeologists and historians pieced together a story that illustrates a blend of two cultures. Think ancient Rome with a French twist. This new lifestyle left a permanent imprint that is still a part of both cultures.

One could make an argument that the epicenter of Roman Gaul can be found in the city of Nîmes. It was one of the largest cities in the empire. Like Rome, it was built on seven hills. Built during the reign of the Emperor Augustus in the 1st century CE, Nîmes' amphitheater, although heavily restored, is well preserved. Unlike Rome’s Colosseum, where cars and buses roar past it, traffic is restricted around the Arena, providing a more tranquil and reflective experience. You work your way through a maze of stone stairways and corridors to find the unusually shaped elliptical amphitheater. It is a perfect oval measuring 133 meters long and 101 meters wide. You can imagine the canvas canopy that provided spectators protection from the sun, the cries of the crowd that could number 24,000, separated by social status, and the gladiators and animals doing battle below.

In the 6th century, Nîmes' amphitheater was turned into a fortress under the Visigoths. The town's inhabitants could come for shelter when under attack. By the 12th century, the Arena transformed into a chateau for the Viscount of Nîmes and a small residential neighborhood grew inside its walls. In the 18th century, around 150 houses remained inside the amphitheater. In 1786, they were demolished to revert the site back to its original Roman grandeur.

From the amphitheater, you can meander along the quaint streets to the Maison Carrée, an almost perfectly preserved Hellenistic-style temple. The temple has occupied the center of Nîmes for more than 2,000 years. Constructed at the southern end of the forum of the Colonia Aususta Nemausus, it faced the curia, the place of deliberation of the municipal assembly.

The Maison Carrée is a jewel of Roman architecture in France. Its recent restoration has given back the structure its ancient magnificence. I might even say that it is the best-preserved temple of Roman antiquity. The limestone on the south side shines so brightly in the afternoon sun that some locals complain that it looks too new.

The temple was built with the participation of local inhabitants who wanted to show their support for the new Roman regime and their attachment to Emperor Augustus. Unfortunately, the inside of the building has been converted to a movie theatre where visitors can pay to see an average 22-minute film of Nîmes’ earliest history. However, it does show the development of the alliance between the Gauls and the Romans.

The Maison Carrée adapted to change throughout the centuries. It has been a royal residence at the end of the Middle Ages, a property of Augustinian monks who installed a church inside, and a museum since the mid-19th century.