Arles, France
Arles is a town in Provence, southern France, picturesquely situated on the Rhône River, which near the town branches off to form the Camargue Delta.
Historically, Arles is a fairly old town. The foundations of the first settlement on the site of today's Arles were laid in the 6th century BC and it was given the name Telline. The settlement was conquered by the Celtic tribe of Saluvi in 535 BC, who renamed it Arelate. The city reached its peak in the 4th and 5th centuries, when Roman emperors were often stationed there during military campaigns.
In 855 Arles was crowned capital of the Frankish kingdom of Arles, which included Burgundy and part of Provence. In the 12th century Arles rose to political and economic importance after the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa was crowned in Arles in 1178.
In 1378, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV annexed the remnants of the Kingdom of Arles to the French Dauphinate and the kingdom ceased to exist even on paper.
The city of Arles is most closely associated with Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), who came here in 1888 and fell in love with this beautiful place with its prevailing warm colours. Here he painted some of his most famous works, including "Sunflowers", "Chair", "The Postman Roulin", "The Harlesienne:Madame Ginault". Again here in Arles, Gogh in a fit of depression cut off part of his ear. In view of his oddities, the artist encounters the incomprehension of the local people and is forced to leave Arles unhappy and humiliated. Perhaps this is why not a single work of his survives in the city where Van Gogh painted his finest pictures. But future generations have done their best, in tribute to the great artist, to show and create the atmosphere in the city that inspired Vincent van Gogh. In Arles, there is a Van Gogh trail with panels of his most famous paintings in the places where he painted them. The Vincent van Gogh Foundation owns paintings by artists who learned and were inspired by him. The former hospital where Van Gogh was admitted for treatment now has a library, and the garden outside is laid out like a painting of his. This place has been named the Van Gogh Exhibition Space.
The Roman arena, built in the 1st century, has impressive dimensions-136 m by 107 m. The two floors, each made of 60 arches, could accommodate 25 thousand spectators. Arles still sees bullfights during Easter and the Golden Cockade festival in July. The sight is extraordinary: Harlesians in national costumes appear in the arena, the women wearing beautiful lace hats and embroidered scarves and the men in shepherd's garb. Here the bullfighting style is camarguez-the bull is not killed, but spends only 15 minutes in the arena, where it is chased by the so-called raseteurs. They try to grab the rosette and the tassels attached to the bull's head. The bull rushes after the raseteurs, who elude him and hide behind the fence. Points are awarded for the raseteurs' skill and bravery, and the crowd cheers the bull as he leaves the arena.
Nearby is the Roman amphitheatre-arles' other historic landmark. Concerts and performances are held here, and the seating capacity is about 20,000 (as it was when it was built). The two large columns of the stage are also used as a backdrop during the Arles Festival in July.
The Aliskamp necropolis also dates from Roman times and is a cemetery outside the city where many tombs and sarcophagi are preserved.
Excavations in Arles have unearthed the so-called 'Venus of Arles', whose statue is preserved in the Louvre-Paris.
The French National School of Photography is also located in Arles. An annual photography festival is held in the town, beginning in 1970.
In addition to the outdoor museums, Arles has indoor museums that are no less impressive. The Museum of Ancient Arles is situated on the banks of the river. Rhône- a modern building with plenty of space where the history of the city from Roman times is told in documents and many objects. The Museum of Arles is dedicated to the Provençal folklore, crafts and costumes of this region. The Musée Reatu, a magnificent building with interesting architecture, houses 57 drawings by Picasso, which he gave to the town.
Among the pearls of Arles stands out the church of Saint Trophimus, which formerly existed as a cathedral, and is an important representative of Roman architecture. What rivets the eye on this church is the image of the Last Judgement on the main entrance, which is also a typical representative of Roman sculptural art, together with the columns of the nearby monastery.
Arles also has a historical museum where good collections of Roman sarcophagi are kept. Given the influence the city had on Van Gogh, it is surprising that not a single work of his is on display in Arles.
The city of Arles can be said to be a magnificent historical museum, evoking the grandeur of the people who lived before us.