Church of St. Trophime, Arles Church

Address: Place de la République, 13200 Arles, France

Église Saint-Trophime is a Romanesque church in the historic centre of Arles, built mainly in the 12th century. It is renowned for its sculpted portal and monastic cloister and forms part of Arles’s Romanesque architectural ensemble.

The western portal features a large Romanesque tympanum and richly carved archivolts and capitals displaying biblical scenes and figures, dating from the mid-12th century. Adjacent to the church is the cloister, whose columned galleries and carved capitals date from the 12th to the 15th centuries and are frequently cited as one of the site’s highlights.

Construction concentrated in the 12th century, with successive additions and modifications through the later Middle Ages that introduced Gothic elements to the choir and vaulting. The church and cloister have been preserved and restored over time and were included in the UNESCO World Heritage listing for Arles’s Roman and Romanesque monuments.

Located in Arles’s historic centre, the church sits a short walk from the Roman amphitheatre and other Roman-era remains, in the Bouches-du-Rhône region of southern France.

• UNESCO listing: The church and its cloister are part of the UNESCO World Heritage ensemble “Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments.”
• Best time to visit: The Romanesque portal’s sculpted Last Judgment and carved capitals are best examined in detail at close range when the site is less crowded, typically early morning outside peak tourist season.

What to See#

• Portal (mid-12th century): Mid-12th-century Romanesque sculpted portal with a large tympanum and archivolts depicting biblical scenes, considered one of the finest Romanesque portals in Provence.
• Cloister (12th-15th centuries): Cloister built and altered between the 12th and 15th centuries featuring columned galleries and carved capitals; now open to visitors and considered a highlight of the complex.
• Nave and choir: Nave and choir showing Romanesque volume with later Gothic modifications to the choir and vaulting dating from medieval renovations.

St. Trophime sits in Arles’ old town, a short walk from the Roman Amphitheatre (5-8 minutes). From Arles SNCF station, it’s about a 15-20 minute walk through the centre; local buses 1 and 2 stop nearby. Parking is limited in the pedestrianised centre-use the Parc des Ateliers or one of the municipal car parks and walk.

• Visit the cloister first to avoid the midday crowds that stream directly to the portal.
• Stand to the left of the west portal and study the lintel: the wear marks on the stone show where centuries of hands have brushed the figures.
• Combine the visit with a walk through Arles' Roman quarter-Roman theatre and arenas are a five- to ten-minute walk.