Hello everyone 

I hope that you are doing great despite the difficult situation right now.

This time I want to bring you to the city of Arles in the South of France. You might heard that Romans nearly colonized the whole European continent. I first don’t like the history but I realise that it’s necessary to understand about the people’s lives thousands years ago. 

Through this article, you will find out at least 6 reasons for visiting the city of Arles for your next holiday. I also have uploaded a short video telling about the city in my YouTube channel just in case you wanna watch it. Well, let’s get started.

First is this Arena which is the town’s most famous landmark. So about 2,000 years ago, the Amphithéâtre was used for gladiatorial combat events between man and beast. I believe that kind of combat reminds you of a certain film which tells about how the live in the Roman era looks. 

Unfortunately it was closed when I stopped by in this city so I couldn’t visit to the arena and get into the small museum located in the complex that exhibits the gladiators and their deadly sport. Otherwise I could have shown you more so maybe next time is your turn.

Around the Arena you can find some shops selling the souvenirs, restaurants and cafes to spoil your international taste with local menu. You see that there are few visitors during the first lockdown period. 

Do you know that Vincent Van Gogh resided to Arles in 1888?. Many paintings had Arles as a subject by Van Gogh. Both Vincent Van Gogh and Pablo Picasso painted the Arena in their paintings.  

This Arena is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Second is that not far from the Arèna, the remains of an ancient Roman theatre or Theatre Antique can be found close to the Arena or Amphithéâtre. This Théâtre Antique was built in the 1st century, it could accommodate more than 10,000 spectators. 

The theatre is 102m in diameter and has a seating section accessed by 33 steps. It’s indeed very sad to know that most of the building was demoslished over the years and the material was used for other purposes. As you can see that there are only TWO of the original 27 Corinthian columns still remain.

UNESCO recognizes it as a World Heritage Site and today this théâtre antique is used for various festivals and concerts. 

As I went to the city centre, I saw less tourists than usual despite summer holiday. This year is indeed difficult year for everyone. However, life must go on!

Third, other historical site is the Place de la République. This historic central square is located in the heart of Arles, Place de la Republique is identifiable by an Obelisque or a monument and fountain that marks the centre of the square. And this square is another popular place where the Arlesians and tourists hang out in summer, sadly not at this time due to pandemic covid-19. We still have a hope for the next year that the tourism industry in this city will revive following the disappearing of Covid-19.

Forth, The town hall or Hotel de Ville is the attractive building with the clock tower that is located on Place de la Republique. After many studies and a laborious construction, this Town Hall was completely erected in 1976. It marks the triumph of classical architecture inspired especially by Jules Hardouin-Mansart,  the architect who was appointed by King Louis 14. It became the symbol of power and witness of a century of magnificence. This building is particularly admirable by the richness of its decoration, carved in large part by the Arles Jean Davis, and the vault in cradles of his vestibule, technical daring for its time. Today, local merchants sell art, food, clothes and other items in the square.  

Fifth, Just next to it, there is a Cathedral – St. Trophime. After Roman times, the Christianity in the medieval age developed massively. The construction of this cathedral began in the year of 1100 and had a number of restorations since then. The Arlenian’s Christian community was the first in Gaul at that time. 

The cathedral of Arles received a rank of primatial of Gaul which meant a lot for the archbishopric until the French Revolution was in place. Today it is a simply parish church. There are many sculptures above the main entrance and inside the church that you can see. Sadly to discover these sculptures are broken. I am not sure whether this was due to the religion conflicts in the medieval age. So I’d appreciate it if you would share your knowledge of this in the comment section.

Sixth, Luma Arles is a cultural centre dedicated to providing artists with opportunities to experiment in the production and presentation of new work in close collaboration with other artists, curators, scientists, innovators and audiences. Since its inception in 2013, Luma has commissioned and presented the work of more than 100 artists, thinkers, and innovators at sites throughout Arles. It has also overseen the transformation of the Parc des Ateliers, a 17-acre or 7 hectare of former industrial site. 

The centre piece of Luma Arles is the Arts Resource Centre, this project is still on going right now and it is scheduled to open in Spring 2021. You know that every summer, the international festival of Photography the Rencontres d’Arles and the World Music festival Les Suds are invited to join the programme of exhibitions and events presented at Luma’s Parc des Ateliers.

Alright now you see the reasons for visiting the City of Arles. So thanks a lot for reading and watching my video. Don’t forget to click like, also subscribe my channel and follow my blog. Comments, Feedback are highly appreciated.

Here is the link that leads you to my YouTube channel https://youtu.be/lhfVuCShfn0

Take care and See you soon!