Arles
by Céleste
On Wednesday, we went to Arles, a city about an hour and 15 minutes away. A French friend had offered to drive and go with us, showing the wonderful hospitality of the French. I read an article once that they only show that hospitality when they know you and consider you a friend, but isn’t that what everyone does?
I was excited to see the city because according to my Provence guide, it has the most Roman architecture outside of Rome itself. It was a major player back in the day, and we had a list of things that we wanted to see. It’s also near the large wetland/national park, the Camargue, which we hope to explore once it gets warm. It was bad news when we arrived however; it was snowing! We had all bundled up, however, and we were ready for the day.
The Arena
Our first stop was the arena, which was used for gladiator battles, man vs. man, man v.s beast, and hopefully man vs. food (probably not). At the arena, the ticket seller offered a museum pass, for 4 museums in Arles, for 9 euros. We were happy about that, because many of the museums are expensive, and they add up fast.
We read a bit of the history, then walked around the whole arena, on several levels. Our friend explained that bullfights and other events still take place in the arène to this day. They’re even televised, with well-known bullfighters and performers. Don’t worry, it’s illegal in France to kill the bull (I asked). It was quite an impressive structure, though many parts of it were clearly rebuilt. Apparently after it’s use, it was partially dismantled as a sort of quarry for the city, and up until the 18th century, people actually built little houses and shelters between the arches, so it became sort of a little city of its own. Now it’s a UNESCO world heritage site, naturally.
And some views of the city from the top.
Le Cathédrale Saint-Trophime
Next, we made our way to the church of St.-Trophime. It was another cathedral, like all the other ones, so I don’t think Vincent and Émilie were much impressed. I liked it though, because there were some brutal carvings on the outside, and it got us out of the cold. It also had some tapestries, which I can’t get enough of.
What is going on in those sculptures?! I don’t know, but I love it.
This was my favorite though, I think this guy is going to eat that baby. Also, I should mention, there was a lot of love for Pope John Paul II at this church, and many others we’ve seen in France.
Le théâtre
After the church, we went to lunch at le Comptoir d’Italie. Our French friend just asked someone on the street if they knew a good place to eat, and that’s what they recommended! Why didn’t I think of that?
After lunch (I was really full with delicious ravioli!), we went to the Roman theatre. This is where the plays and shows were (and still are) put on, for entertainment. It was difficult to imagine theatre happening here, because most of the place is in ruins, but it was fun to stand in the middle with my cousin Émilie and recite Romeo and Juliet from memory (approximately one line, probably not even correct).
Around the stage, there were ruins of pillars and walls, as well as of steps. We walked around, taking in the architecture and design.
It was a bit sad to see everything lying in ruin. I would love to see something performed here, or to see a bullfight at the arena, to bring these places back to life. I’ve talked about it before with the Pope’s Palace in Avignon, but it’s difficult to picture these things as lively, hip-and-happenin’ places. I try to put myself in the mindset that the people who used these things were real, and enjoyed the same things I enjoy, but it’s hard not to think of these things as stuffy, dead relics. So maybe seeing them in use would change my perception?
The Thermal Baths
Next, we were off to the Thermes de Constantin, the thermal baths used in Roman times. By this time, Émilie had had enough of the cold, and opted to use her pass for an indoor museum rather than an outdoor thermal bath. So Vincent, our French friend, and I all went to the baths together. We walked around, and I pictured how warm and nice it would have been to use the baths, especially on a cold day like this! Much of the flooring was gone, showing where the fires would have been stoked underneath, so that the heat from the fires could pass under the stone of the floor to heat the baths from beneath. Vincent and I walked through the former firepits, and through where the baths would have been.
At the time, it was believed that they should alternate hot and cold, so they provided different heat-levels in the baths. The cold bath was called the frigidarium!
I wish those baths were still open, it would have been a nice, warm end to the day!
Arles Museum of Antiquities
Lastly, we headed to a visit to pull it all together, the Musée Departmental Arles Antiques. This was the antiquities museum, housing all the artifacts found in and around the city. Some of the artifacts were even found by fishermen, fishing in the Rhone river! The museum also gave context to many of the places we had seen that day, with time periods and how the Romans in Arles had used the area and its monuments. It contained tombs and tombstones, tools made from metal and bone, mosaics, and sculptures.
It also contained a shipwreck, which had been found and salvaged by scuba divers in the Rhone river. The boat was called the Arles Rhone 3, and was used to transport goods down the river.
All in all, it was a really nice trip, and I enjoyed seeing the Roman artifacts and historical places. Our friend drove us home, and we all had an enjoyable night with some bottles of wine.
