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Tuesday, December 3, 2024
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A Brief History of Arles
Roman theater ruins in Arles, France (cc)
Photo: ChristianBier
A Brief History of Arles
Arles was founded by the seagoing Phocéans in about 700 BC. It was originally called Theline, a name perhaps reflected in tellines, the prized local clams. The city was part of the trade route between Massalia (today’s Marseille) and inland settlements. Three hundred years later, as a Ligurian trading settlement, it became Arelate, which may have meant “the town by the marshes” in their language. By the time the Romans arrived, about 150 BC, it was a prosperous river port.
During the first century BC, Julius Caesar gave the land, taken from Massalian Greeks and local tribes, to victorious Roman Legions. It eventually became a kind of second capital of the Roman Empire, known in Roman writings of the period as “The Little Rome of Gaul.” As befitting a major Roman center, it had a number of impressive public buildings. So many of these remain part of Arlesian life that the city has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Amphithéâtre, built about 90 AD, and the Théâtre Antique are both regularly used for sports events, music and drama. The Alyscamps, a Roman and early Christian cemetery, Les Thermes de Constantin and the mysterious Cryptoportiques du Forum suggest how Roman citizens lived. An archway that is one of the few remains of the Roman Forum is built right into the façade of a local hotel. The remains of a huge Roman Circus where as many as 20,000 could watch chariot races, is currently being excavated. An obelisque from the site graces the Place de la République, in front of the town hall.
Virtually destroyed by barbarians during the Dark Ages, Arles was rebuilt by Charlemagne in the ninth century. For a while it was the capital of an independent kingdom before being absorbed into Provence in the 16th century. The beautiful Cathedral of St. Trophime, with its Gothic and Romanesque cloister, dates from this period.
Gracious town houses testify to the prosperity of Arlesian merchants during the 17th and 18th centuries.
In the 19th century, Van Gogh lived and worked in and around Arles. When, in 1888, Van Gogh cut off his ear, he was taken to the Hotel-Dieu, a 16th-century hospital with a galleried garden which he painted. Today, known as the Espace Van Gogh, the building is a cultural and educational center. The garden can be visited.
Last updated March 11, 2012
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