Arles museum & monuments

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Our museum & monument day. Initially it said it was going to rain for a couple of days. However it was a nice day reaching 22degrees.

An historic town with many UNESCO Heritage sites.

First out to the 'Musee Departemental Arles Antique':
The girl at the info centre said you need about 3 hours. You do if you want to read eveything as well (in french - or you can use the audio guides).
Sabine (our host) spoke of the museum with great pride & so she should. It is very well done & mostly of artefacts from the Arles region. Many items discovered on the Rhone.
Especially important is the barge of Julius Caesar time 1st Century AD. Many ceramics, glass, jewellery, tools, plumbing, sculptures & sarcophagus.
Arlrs was a Greek trading post then became a Roman Colony.
The museum is presented in it's timeline eras so my photos are in order of these times.

Next the Arles Arena:
There is now alot of seating of metal construction over the original stone seating areas. The Arena is used these days, for bullfighting in particular. (not in agreeance of that!) However the french tradtion is still quite strongly supported & as I said before they are intolerant of losing their culture.
The inside of the arena shows the magnificance, majestry & superior design for getting the ultimate use & number of people in & out. Very clever. We climbed the stairs (precariously for me) to the top and it was worth it.
With the fall of the Empire in the 5th century, the amphitheatre became a shelter for the population and was transformed into a fortress with four towers. The structure encircled more than 200 houses, becoming a real town, with its public square built in the centre of the arena and two chapels. By 1830 the houses were expropriated & it was once again an Arena that year - a race of the bulls to celebrate the taking of Algiers.

Next up was the Saint Trophime Cloisters:
We were not sure whether to see these or choose another monument. We had made the right choice. Begun in 12th century AD & then added to in the 14th century when the Gothic parts of the church were added. Just a small courtyard with Cloisters lining the Registry, Dormitary & two outer walls.

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