Arles is an exciting city known not only for it's history and Roman ruins, but also it is a place of festivals, culture and art. Van Gogh, Picasso and Gaugain all lived in the city for a period of time and it is said that Picasso did 2 paintings and 57 drawings while he visited there. Van Gogh came from Paris and stayed 14 months in which he produced 200 paintings. Even today Arles attracts artists and photographers from around the world. A top rate festival *"Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie" is a big attraction each summer.
Arles was an important ancient city having it's inception in the 7th century BC under the Phoenicians. Later in the 4th century AD it was a Celtic-Ligurian settlement called Arelate, "the town by the marshes." During the Gallo-Roman period *Arelate flourished. Many monuments and building were constructed including," The Fossae Marianae," a shipping canal paralleling the Rhône from Arelate to the sea. Then after centuries of devastating Barbarian invasions from the 5th-9th century, Arles again came into it's own.
Arles is the largest city in France, having a landmass of approximately 170,000 acres. The city is situated on a hill where the Rhone River bifurcates before flowing to the sea. Arles is surrounded by marshlands, Alpilles Mountains, the plains of Crau, and the Camargue.
The streets are narrow, winding and Medieval in flavor. You pass by ancient buildings and monuments that are part of a melded ancient-modern, city.
Along the Boulevard Lices is a park with benches and walkways. Here one may rest under the shade of tall verdant trees. The park also has a playground for children.
Three self-guided, city-walking tours are available in Arles. Icons and arrows of different colors show you the way: Yellow for Van Gogh, Blue for Antiquity and Green for Medieval.
The major Roman sites are The Arena, (Amphitheatre), Alyscamps Burial Grounds, Cryptoporticus (subterranean galleries), Roman Theatre, and the Roman Baths. The 16th and 17th century private mansions, the Hotel Ville and the cloister of St Trophine, one of Provence's most important Romanesque buildings, are also worth seeing.
The Roman theatre was one of the first freestanding theatres with galleries and radiating walls. It was built to hold 10-1500 spectators. Its columns became part of convent garden at a later time.
The Arena is smaller than the one at Nimes but is in very good condition. It was constructed in 70-80 AD and most of it's walls and three of the four towers remain. The walls contain 60 arches and two levels. In the 12th century it was turned into a chateau-fort and during the middle ages contained houses and shops. Restoration began in the 19th century. The amphitheatre was built to hold 20,000 people and is now used for bullfights.
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