Bonjour,

The city of Arles has been occupied since somewhere back around 800 BC. Several different groups occupied Arles until the Romans arrived in 123 BC. The Romans made Arles an important city and it had peak Roman influence in the 4th and 5th centuries. The Romans built a major aqueduct here that ran their water mills. To this day, there are still many structures built by the Romans and some of them are still in use. One interesting note from our local guide was that all the stone in Arles buildings comes from the same large quarry.

1. This is the Roman Amphitheater. The amphitheater holds 21,000 people. Back when it was built, all the people in town could attend its events. Gladiator fights were held here in the 1st century. French Bullfighting and other events are still held here today in the amphitheater.

2. In this photo, I just want to show how the amphitheater fits in with the rest of the town, both then and now. You can see it at the end of this street.

3. This is the Roman Antique Theater. The Romans held plays here and plays are still performed here today.

4. This is the Place de la Republique. It’s a city square with an ancient obelisk and old churches and buildings.

5. I wouldn’t want anyone to think that all we saw in Arles was old Roman structures…

Voila,

Bill