Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments Archaeological Site

Address: Historic centre of Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, France

Website: https://www.arlestourisme.com/

Admission: Many individual monuments and museum entries in Arles have separate fees; some sites in the UNESCO ensemble are free to view externally.

Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments is a group of historic structures in Arles, southern France, that illustrate the city’s development from a major Roman provincial capital to a medieval religious centre. The ensemble includes an amphitheatre, theatre, cryptoporticus, necropolis and major Romanesque churches.

Key highlights include the 1st-century Roman amphitheatre, the Roman theatre and the cryptoporticus beneath the ancient forum, together with medieval monuments such as the Church of St. Trophime and its cloister. These sites display a continuous sequence of urban, civic and religious architecture spanning antiquity and the Middle Ages.

These monuments were constructed between the 1st and 12th centuries AD and were reused and adapted across successive periods, with the amphitheatre repurposed in the Middle Ages for housing and defence before later restoration. Archaeological and conservation work has preserved the ensemble as one of the best-documented Roman to Romanesque urban complexes in Europe.

The monuments are concentrated in the historic centre of Arles in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, located on the Rhône River plain and historically a strategic port and crossroads in southern Gaul.

• Roman core: Many monuments date from the Roman imperial period, notably the 1st century amphitheatre which was adapted in the Middle Ages and is still used for events today.
• UNESCO designation: The site was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage property in 1981 for its well-preserved sequence of Roman and Romanesque urban and religious architecture.

What to See#

• Arles Amphitheatre: Arenas (Arles Amphitheatre) - A Roman amphitheatre dating to the 1st century AD that measures approximately 136 by 109 metres and once seated around 20,000 spectators.
• Roman Theatre: Roman Theatre - Partially preserved Roman playhouse near the amphitheatre with visible stage foundations and seating sections from the Roman era.
• Cryptoporticus: Cryptoporticus - Subterranean gallery and vaulted passages beneath the Forum, dating to the Roman period and used to support the forum structures above.
• St. Trophime and Cloister: Church of St. Trophime and Cloister - A Romanesque church with a richly carved 12th-century portal and an adjoining cloister notable for medieval sculpture and capitals.
• Les Alyscamps: Les Alyscamps - A Roman and medieval necropolis with an avenue of sarcophagi that became a prominent funerary site in late antiquity and the Middle Ages.

Arles is reachable by train from Avignon (about 20-30 minutes) and by regional TER services from Marseille and Nîmes. The historic centre is compact and best explored on foot from the train station or local bus stops.

• Buy a combined ticket for the Roman monuments if available to visit the amphitheatre, the Alyscamps and the cryptoporticus economically.
• Visit early morning or late afternoon to avoid midday crowds and to catch the soft Provençal light on stone.
• Look for the lesser-known Romanesque churches in town - their carved portals and fresco fragments can be underrated.