Arles: Old Town around Amphitheatre, Provence, France

In this episode we will visit Arles and move in the direction of the amphitheater. Then we will explore its surroundings. We start from the de la Cavalerie street.

Parking in Arles

Nearby the De la Cavalerie Street there is a fairly large parking lot, where you can leave your car (1; GPS: 43.681276, 4.632467). In case of lack of free places, please use the parking lot Du Center - more information in another article about the old town of Arles.

Gate de la Cavalerie

We enter the old town through the Gate de la Cavalerie (A; GPS: 43.681081, 4.631310). Its name comes from the name of the district (La Cavalerie), where it's located. The gate dates from the twelfth century; it was rebuilt in the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries.

Amédée Pichot street

At the intersection of de la Cavalerie and Amédée Pichot streets we can see a fountain (B; GPS: 43.680422, 4.631157) built by Pierre-Amédée Pichot in years from 1884 to 1887, and above it, on the wall of a the building we admire nice medallion made by painter Paul Balze, representing an allegory of poetry (inspired by Raphaello) (by the way, just opposite to the fountain, there is a bar where you can rest).

The amphitheater of Arles

We walk down the Voltaire street toward the amphitheater, passing the Voltaire square (C; GPS: 43.679801, 4.631181). From the distance you can already see the white, newly restored walls of the amphitheater. Let's see what interesting is located nearby amphitheater - let's stroll down the Rond-point des Arenes street, which surrounds the amphitheater. Near the amphitheater there are the ruins of the ancient Roman theater. Of course, there are also plenty of souvenir shops as well as cafes and restaurants.

Interesting buildings

We encounter some interesting buildings: the Collegiate Church of Saint Charles (D; GPS: 43.677193, 4.630224) - former Franciscan monastery, former chapel of the Grey Penitents. The hotel de Luppé with its palatial façade of a Florentine palace (E; GPS: 43.677555, 4.630080). The hotel Barreme de Manville, largely inspired by the Parisian neoclassical style of the late eighteenth century (F; GPS: 43.678241, 4.630110).

The church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Major

On the east side we find the church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Major (G; GPS: 43.675875, 4.632058). It's a little distant from the tourist center, but it offers a beautiful panorama of the city. This Romanesque-Gothic church is one of the oldest churches of Arles, because the original building was consecrated in 452. Later it was modified and even bombed in 1944. Currently it's the church of "cowboys of the Camargue" (Gardians), who gather annually on May 1st, to pay homage to St. George and to bless their horses. Unfortunately, the church is normally closed and you have to have a lot of luck to enter it.