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The Roman arena in Arles, Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Azur-Riviera (Nickname: Christophe) |
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The Rhône river forks into two branches just upstream of Arles, forming the Camargue delta. Because the Camargue is administratively part of Arles, the commune as a whole is the largest commune in Metropolitan France in terms of territory, although its population is only slightly more than 50,000.
Arles has important remains of Roman times, which have been listed as World Heritage Sites since 1981. They include:
* The Roman theater
* The arena or amphitheater
* The Alyscamps (Roman necropolis)
* The Thermae of Constantine
* The cryptoporticus (currently closed to the public)
The Church of St. Trophime (Saint Trophimus), formerly a cathedral, is a major work of Romanesque architecture, and the representation of the Last Judgment on its portal is considered one of the finest examples of Romanesque sculpture, as are the columns in the adjacent cloister.
The town also has an outstanding museum of ancient history, the Musée de l'Arles et de la Provence antiques, with one of the best collections of Roman sarcophagi to be found anywhere outside Rome itself. Another museum is the Museon Arlaten. However, perhaps surprisingly given the town's importance to van Gogh, none of his works are on display in Arles.
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