Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments

Arles was on my list of places to stop during my journeys from Switzerland to Portugal and this year I finally did it! I also stopped in Avignon but I didn't buy postcards because it was too early in the day and everything was closed. In Arles was also quite early but I found one shop where I bought some cards.

Arles

Arles is a good example of the adaptation of an ancient city to medieval European civilization. It has some impressive Roman monuments, of which the earliest – the arena, the Roman theatre and the cryptoporticus (subterranean galleries) – date back to the 1st century B.C. During the 4th century Arles experienced a second golden age, as attested by the baths of Constantine and the necropolis of Alyscamps.

Arles

In the 11th and 12th centuries, Arles once again became one of the most attractive cities in the Mediterranean. Within the city walls, Saint-Trophime, with its cloister, is one of Provence's major Romanesque monuments. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/164

Arles Amphitheatre

This postcard was sent from Switzerland by Isabella

The Arles Amphitheatre (French: Arènes d'Arles) is a Roman amphitheatre in the southern French town of Arles. This two-tiered Roman amphitheatre is probably the most prominent tourist attraction in the city of Arles, which thrived in Roman times. The pronounced towers jutting out from the top are medieval add-ons.

Built in 90 AD, the amphitheatre was capable of seating over 20,000 spectators, and was built to provide entertainment in the form of chariot races and bloody hand-to-hand battles. - in: wikipedia

Arles's Roman Theatre

Arles's Roman Theatre is a 1st-century Roman theatre, built during the reign of Emperor Augustus. - in: wikipedia