This ancient city, rich in historical events, is located at the crossroads of two routes: the land route connecting Italy with Spain and the river route along the Rhône.
The name of the city comes from the Celtic Ar-Lait, which means “elevation before the swamp”. Later, during the Roman rule, it became known as Arelate. The city’s flourishing occurred during the era when Julius Caesar granted it the status of a colony, encompassing the entire territory of modern Provence. After defeating Pompey in 46 BC, Caesar stationed his famous “Lightning” legion here. The city was rebuilt and arranged so that Roman colonists felt at home. It was a miniature Rome – a wealthy city with fortified walls connected by a bridge to the other bank of the river, where residential quarters were located. The city had paved streets, a forum, a theater, an arena, baths, and aqueducts. Trade with Africa and Asia passed through Arles. Its great significance is evidenced by its mention by Caesar in “Commentarii de Bello Gallico”. With the advent of Christianity, the city became a major religious center. The first Christian cathedral was built at the city walls and later, in the 5th century, moved closer to the forum. On its site, in the 7th century, the Church of St. Trophimus was built. From 934 to 1032, Arles became the capital of a powerful kingdom, then for a time, merchant-republican governance in the Italian style prevailed here. In 1239, Arles lost its political independence and became part of the County of Provence. Soon after, it ceded the significance of the main port of Southern France to Marseille. Today, Arles is an important agricultural and industrial center of France, preserving the unique charm of a French provincial town and attracting tourists with its ancient Roman architectural monuments. The ruins of ancient Arelate have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The most famous ancient structure in Arles is the arena, built in the 1st century. Its dimensions impress even today: the major axis is 136 meters, the minor is 107, and the capacity is 24 thousand people. What we see now is a reconstructed arena. Symbolically, even in our time, festivals, races, and bullfights are held on this stage. All that remains of the ancient theater, built around 27-25 BC, is a free-standing tower of Roland, two Corinthian columns, the proscenium, the orchestra section, and the first steps of the circle. The theater has yielded excellent statues, among which is the Arlesian Venus, sent to the Louvre in Paris in 1863. In these picturesque settings, interesting events take place today: the annual July festival featuring celebrities, the Queen of Arles Festival, and more. In Arles, there is the ancient cemetery Alyscamps, which means “Elysian fields” or “Road to paradise”. It was known even in the pre-Christian period of Arelate’s history and was located outside the city walls along the Roman road Via Aurelia, which connected Arelate with Massilia (Marseille). In the 3rd century, the martyr St. Genest was buried here, after which a Christian necropolis grew around his grave with a chapel built over it. The fame of Alyscamps is immortalized in Dante’s “Divine Comedy”. In the 18th century, an open-air museum was established here. Later, Alyscamps became a favorite walking spot for townspeople and an object for artists. It is a pity that all this did not prevent the French railway company from laying tracks through it and occupying a large part of the territory for a depot. What can be seen today is merely a narrow strip of what was once the endless Elysian fields of Arles. Near the Rhône, during the reign of Emperor Constantine in the 4th century, the Baths of Constantine were built – a part of a complex consisting of several buildings. In luxurious rooms adorned with marble, mosaics, sculptures, and frescoes, Roman nobles gathered. Here, a large hall of hot baths, its apse, load-bearing walls, and underground furnaces for heating water have survived. Among medieval buildings, the town hall with a 17th-century facade is worth seeing. On its tower stands a figure of Mars, which the residents of Arles call the “bronze man”. Next to the town hall is the Church of St. Trophimus, considered the most beautiful in Provence. According to legend, Trophimus arrived in Provence from Palestine and, during the conversion of the Provençals to Christianity, remained in Arles, becoming its bishop. The church has been rebuilt several times. In the 12th century, the upper part of the facade was built, depicting Jesus and the symbols of the evangelists: the winged lion, the winged bull, the eagle, and the angel. Many exhibits related to the early history of Arles are stored in two city museums – the Museum of Christian Art and the Museum of Romanesque Art. The first features a remarkable exhibition of sarcophagi from the early Christian period. The second museum is located in the Church of St. Anne. It houses archaeological finds from the Roman period of the 1st-3rd centuries. In the palace of the Grand Prior of the Maltese Order, a beautiful example of Renaissance military architecture, is the Réattu Museum. The museum has many works by Réattu himself and features contemporary art, including works by Picasso. The museum’s exhibition Arlaten tells about the everyday life of Provence in the 19th – early 20th centuries. Arles also attracts tourists as the city where the great Vincent van Gogh lived and worked. He painted over 200 paintings in Arles, marking one of the most productive periods of his creativity. In the old hospital, where the artist was treated for madness, there is now the Van Gogh Museum. In the summer months, the city is especially lively. In June and July, photographers from all over the world gather here for the International Photography Meetings held here. Another impressive sight is the festival of folk costumes. Near Arles is the Camargue National Park – an amazing area inhabited by flamingos, wild ducks, large herds of bulls, and horses. Indeed, the nature in Arles and its surroundings is extraordinarily beautiful; it is a wonderful place for hiking, motorcycling, horseback riding, mountain climbing, and walking along the Rhône. It is impossible to describe the color of the sky, the unique scent of lavender, and the feeling of the sun that Arles gives – “the soul of Provence”.
