Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments

Brief synthesis Located on the banks of the River Rhône, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, the city of Arles developed in continuity with its urban structures—monuments, street grid, and public spaces—inherited from Antiquity and the Romanesque period. It thus provides a remarkable example of how an ancient city adapted to medieval European civilization. First and foremost, it preserves an outstanding ensemble of Roman monuments, the oldest of which—the amphitheatre (arena), the Roman theatre, and the cryptoporticus (subterranean galleries of the forum)—date back to the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD. Together, they form an exceptional group of monuments representative of the urban facilities introduced into Gaul by the Romans. During Late Antiquity (4th–6th centuries), Arles rose to the status of a political and religious capital. The city then experienced a second golden age, as attested by the baths of Constantine and the sarcophagi of the Alyscamps necropolis, where the Church of Saint-Honorat was built in the 12th century in Provençal Romanesque style. In the 11th and 12th centuries, Arles once again became an important city within the Mediterranean world. The amphitheatre was turned into a fortress, while the baths of Constantine were converted into a count’s palace. The Church of Saint-Trophime and its cloister exemplify the enduring influence of Antiquity on the development of Provençal art. Its portal was inaugurated for the coronation of the German emperor Frederick Barbarossa, crowned King of Arles in 1178. The architects and sculptors who built the cathedral and cloister belonged to a major artistic centre of artists contributing to the spread of Romanesque art in the antique style across Provence and Languedoc. Criterion (ii): The Cathedral of Saint-Trophime, together with its cloister, ranks among the major monuments of Provençal Romanesque art. Its influence was considerable in the 12th and 13th centuries across the Mediterranean world. Criterion (iv): Arles, with its Roman and Romanesque monuments, stands as a particularly significant example of how an ancient city was adapted to medieval European civilization. Integrity The boundaries of the property correspond to those of the historic centre of Arles. The layout and organization of certain districts or blocks of houses were shaped by the reuse of major monuments after Antiquity. These adaptations account for the remarkable preservation of the city’s Roman monuments. The historic centre has preserved the integrity of its medieval urban form within the limits of its defensive walls. At its core, the successive phases of the cathedral quarter, particularly the Early Christian and Romanesque, remain clearly legible within the urban fabric. Authenticity The city has maintained its authenticity through the predominance of its ancient and medieval monuments within the urban structure and through their remarkable preservation. The eight major monuments are in varying states of conservation, yet their authenticity is indisputable. Restorations undertaken in the 19th and 20th centuries on the theatre and amphitheatre, aimed at restoring part of their functionality, did not compromise the authenticity of the original sections. Protection and management requirements The eight major buildings of the property, among the roughly one hundred historic monuments listed or classified in the city of Arles, are protected under the Heritage Code. The vast majority of these buildings are located within the boundaries of the property. Covering an area of 65 hectares, the property is largely encompassed by a remarkable heritage site with a preservation and enhancement plan, and also includes a site classified under the Environmental Code. The buffer zone specifically takes into account the need to protect views to and from the property’s attributes, including the major Roman and Romanesque buildings, the urban silhouette of the historic centre, as well as distant vistas, whose historical significance is documented by early iconography. It also includes areas with high archaeological potential and builds upon the remarkable heritage site, the site classified under the Environmental Code, and the local urban planning framework. Protection of the buffer zone through heritage and landscape protection tools helps sustain the Outstanding Universal Value of the property. The city of Arles implements a comprehensive policy through a multi-year intervention programme, which forms the operational part of the management plan. Its objective is to carry out a social and economic project within a framework of sustainable development, while preserving the Outstanding Universal Value of the property.