Les Baux to Arles in Provence in 1964 - post 24

Fields


Valley below Les Baux


Ruins on the hill


Iron cross in front of church


Entrance

The Alyscamps is a large Roman necropolis, a short distance outside the walls of Arles, France.

Bob walking between the tombs

It was one of the most famous necropolises of the ancient world. Roman cities traditionally forbade burials within the city limits. It was therefore common for the roads immediately outside a city to be lined with tombs and mausoleums. In the case of Arles, there were five necropolises, situated on each of the main roads leading to this city. The Alyscamps was the most famous of the five and was Arles' main burial ground for nearly 1,500 years. It was the final segment of the Aurelian Way, a road that connected Rome to Arles and which lead up to the city gates. Alyscamps was used as a burial ground for well-off citizens, whose memorials ranged from simple sarcophagi to elaborate monuments.


Me being resurrected from a tomb

At one time, Alyscamps would have been much larger. Originally it was the largest collection in western Europe of marble sarcophagi outside Rome. The best sarcophagi have been removed to various churches and museums of Arles. The small amount now visible is what is left after looting during the Renaissance, and the 19th century installations of railway lines and a water canal.

The Alyscamps was the subject of several Van Gogh paintings. We visited in 1964. In 1981, the Alyscamps was classified a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as part of the Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments group.

Bob walking along ahead of me

We got to Arles at the end of the day, parked and walked into the Roman Theater. Arles Roman Theatre, known as the Théâtre antique d'Arles, is an Ancient Roman theatre in the Provence town of Arles which would have been used for a variety of theatrical shows. When we were there, they were using the site for a photo shoot.

This theater was probably constructed in the late first century BC to early first century AD, during the reign of the Emperor Augustus (27 BC–14 AD). Quarried for its materials in the Middle Ages, Arles Roman Theatre was only really rediscovered in the nineteenth century. By this time, only a fraction of its steps remained together with the orchestra and two solitary columns.

Now one of Arles’ UNESCO World Heritage sites, Arles Roman Theatre is the venue of an annual festival.

Fence in Arles



Theatre from where we parked (our car on left)


Entrance


Models in the theatre


Columns that remain


Bob walking ahead of me


This picture is of the amphitheatre, which was built around AD 90. It ranks among the great amphitheatres and could hold 20,000 spectators. Gladiator fights and animal hunts took place here until the end of the 5th century.

We really had a rather good day altho the tours of the Pope's Palace etc. were exclusively in French and so not much of a success (Bob does not speak French). Otherwise we had a good stay.

We turn our car in with about 800 km or 500 miles on it.

August 7, Friday​

Bob on steps of RR station



Street Market



Looking up steps


Men with hoses washing down the parking lot