Arles - Main Sights

Main Sights

See also: Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments

Arles has important remains of Roman times, which have been listed as World Heritage Sites since 1981. They include:

• The Roman theatre
• The arena or amphitheatre
• The Alyscamps (Roman necropolis)
• The Thermes of Constantine
• The cryptoporticus
• Arles Obelisk
• Barbegal aqueduct and mill

The Church of St. Trophime (Saint Trophimus), formerly a cathedral, is a major work of Romanesque architecture, and the representation of the Last Judgment on its portal is considered one of the finest examples of Romanesque sculpture, as are the columns in the adjacent cloister.

The town also has an outstanding museum of ancient history, the Musée de l'Arles et de la Provence antiques, with one of the best collections of Roman sarcophagi to be found anywhere outside Rome itself. Another museum is the Museon Arlaten.

The courtyard of the Old Arles hospital, now named "Espace Van Gogh," is a center for Vincent van Gogh's works, several of which are masterpieces. The garden, framed on all four sides by buildings of the complex, is approached through arcades on the first floor. A circulation gallery is located on the first and second floors.