Lost-in-France.com

Category: Travel

Tags: arles, provence

Arles, in the heart of Provence, has plenty of attractions yet retains a friendly small-town atmosphere and is a convenient gateway to the nearby towns of St-Remy-de-Provence, Les Baux-de-Provence and Aix-en-Provence. Ancient Greeks established the first significant settlement here 2,600 years ago because of the ideal climate, fertile soils and natural harbour. The town was later built up by the Romans under Julius Caesar, who in 49 B.C. rewarded Arles for its loyalty by making it the capital of southern Gaul; it maintained its status for the next thousand years.

Much of the town center was built during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and its stone buildings have been beautifully maintained, functioning today as apartments and modern shops.

Most of the medieval wall surrounding the town is intact, protecting the enclosed space from undue modernization, so the historic center looks as it did centuries ago. Theoretically one could cover the entire pedestrian zone in 30 minutes; however, Arles is fun to explore and could keep you happily entertained for days.

Start at the most prominent landmark, the Roman amphitheater called the Ar_nes d'Arles, one of seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites in town. With a capacity of 25,000 people, it is a smaller version of Rome's Colosseum, completed about 10 years earlier. The arena, once used by gladiators, is used today for concerts, bullfights and other festivities. During the Middle Ages, the arena was converted into a fortified village of 200 apartments, which have been removed. It opens for public visits at 9 a.m. (10 a.m. in the winter).

Next to the arena is a modern reconstruction of an outdoor theater created here 2,000 years ago for Emperor Augustus. Only a few broken columns are original, but the design is based on ancient Roman plans. Main Square: From the arena, walk two blocks down the Rue de la Calade to the center of the Old Town, the Place de la Republique, which contains the city hall, ancient church and obelisk centerpiece with fountain, flanked by shopping lanes.

Enter the vaulted lobby of the old City Hall, built in 1675 according to plans by architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart, who left his mark throughout Paris. Next door, the former cathedral, Eglise San Trophime, is another UNESCO World Heritage site with a fantastic series of Byzantine sculptures. The interior is also Byzantine, older than the Gothic. While there, find the Cloister of San Trophime, the equivalent of an open-air museum, including architecture and sculpture spanning a 300-year period, with Gothic pointed arches on one side and older, Romanesque barrel vaulting on the other. An open center court is surrounded by columns with detailed stone carvings, and corner columns recognized for realistic Gothic statues representing various saints. It's a calm and peaceful place.

The Museon Arlaten, established a century ago by the famed local poet Mistral, might also catch your eye. The folk art and craft collection includes clothing, furnishings, artifacts, wood carvings and more, spread through 30 rooms. Small Santons figurines, unique to the south of France, depict people in colorful traditional outfits. If you're looking for a Van Gogh museum, forget it: There are no paintings by him in Arles, but the former hospital where he stayed has been converted into a culture center called Espace Van Gogh, featuring other art exhibits. The two houses he lived in from 1888 to 1889 were destroyed by American bombing in WWII.

Museum of ancient Arles: A 15-minute walk through Place Antonelle and along the Rue du Porcelet (soon to become Rue de la Roquette) leads you to the promising Musee de l'Arles Antique, displaying treasures from Arles' Roman period, including rows of richly decorated marble sarcophagi, or tombs, of the Romans and early Christians.

Elevated platforms enable you to look down on the large collection of mosaic floors from Roman homes with brilliant depictions of sea creatures, the zodiac, Nereids, the four seasons and people.

An impressive 3-D model of Arles in ancient Roman times shows how sophisticated the buildings were. A large model shows how little the arena has changed over the millennia. Also on display are original glass works, tools, gold jewelry, small statues and a nice lineup of emperors' busts. The displays remind us that Arles was one of the largest economic centers in the Roman Empire, with a busy commercial harbor and an extensive urban core. Many Roman generals retired here and are buried in the Alyscamps cemetery, along with hundreds of their soldiers, in the south part of town.

Main square: Return to the center along the wide Boulevard Georges Clemenceau, Arles' busiest street. Stop at the Tourist Information Office a few blocks along on the south side for maps and brochures. Helpful agents can tell you about area attractions. Cross the busy boulevard back into the historic center via Rue Jean-Jaur_s, leading into the Place de la Republique. This time, walk through the square and along the pedestrian lane Rue de l'H(tm)tel de Ville. A second left brings you into the Place du Forum, probably the most popular plaza for eating and drinking. Named after the ancient Roman Forum, which extended toward City Hall a few blocks away, Place du Forum has one of the only four-star hotels in Arles, the Grand H(tm)tel Nord Pinus. Arles' other four-star property is the Jules Cesar, near the Tourist Information Office.

At least a dozen other small, comfortable hotels are in the historic center, including the cozy H(tm)tel Calendal, with the charms of a private house and the Roman Amphitheater as a neighbour.

Cryptoporticos: The Roman Forum was the center of social life in ancient Arles, and part of it has survived. Barrel-vaulted arcades, which served as storerooms and foundations for the main forum, are beautifully preserved in the underground Cryptoporticos Museum of Arles. Walking through these dark, musty basements is an eerie experience, with water dripping from the stone roof and fragments of statues and buildings lying on the floor. Mysterious side chambers lead to spooky dead ends in what had been a busy shopping mall 2,000 years ago. Place Voltaire is a charming spot to watch the day begin, with a quiet stroll through a tree-shaded square. Several nice two-star hotels situated around the plaza, such as the Gaughin and Mirador, offer reasonable rates. Walk a few hundred yards west to the ancient Roman Baths of Constantine, which you can appreciate for free from the outside before breakfast.

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