It is the expression of the privileged ties between the emperor and Nîmes: this religious building dedicated to imperial worship played an important role in the public life of the colonies. The imperial cult pays tribute to the emperors and their family members. On its pediment is inscribed a first dedication to Caius, the patron saint of the colony and heir presumptive of Augustus, associated with his brother Lucius died in the year 2 of our era. Two years later, the death of Caius led the Nîmes to enter a second line to honor the two princes who died prematurely: «To Caius Caesar, son of Augustus, consul and to Lucius Caesar, son of Augustus, consul designate, Princes of youth». Roman religious architecture has preserved the characteristics of Etruscan temples while integrating elements of Greek architecture. The Maison carrée illustrates these two influences very well. Over the centuries, the temple underwent transformations to adapt to changes of use and finally became, at the end of the Middle Ages, the main body of a particular dwelling. From 1670, the royal power expressed its desire to reintegrate the temple into the public sphere. It then became the property of the Augustinian monks, who were allowed to install their church inside, provided they gave it the external appearance of a temple. Although the initial vocation of the monument (temple, basilica or capitol) is still controversial, it is the interpretation given in the previous century by the Italian architect Andrea Palladio in his work entitled: «The Four Books of Architecture» that prevails. Thus, the monument finds a sacred vocation while asserting itself as a model of ancient architecture. The demolition of the ramparts on the eve of the Revolution exposes the profile of the Maison Carrée on the new boulevard, in view of all passers-by. However, it was not until 1820 that the engineer Grangent could finally undertake the first archaeological excavations and the complete restoration of the monument. The clearance of the podium made it possible to glimpse the situation of the monument as it was, framed by porticos, at the end of the forum. The Square House has become an emblematic monument of the urban landscape. The construction of Norman Foster’s Art Square at the end of the 20th century, on the site of the former theatre, created a forecourt that links antiquity and modernity. In 2006, a complete restoration program of the facades was launched. The work, supported by the State’s recovery plan in 2009 and 2010, has given clarity to the exceptional architecture of this monument. The city of Nîmes has filed an application for the Maison carrée to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.