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The Arles Amphitheatre (French: ') is a Roman amphitheatre in the southern
With the fall of the Western Empire in the 5th century, the amphitheatre became a shelter for the population and was transformed into a
aerial view
, only three towers exist.
In thi
catalogue
, the only towers are named ''tour nord'' (north), ''tour ouest'' (west) and ''tour est'' (east). 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, one in the centre of the building, and another one at the base of the west tower. This new residential role continued until the late 18th century, and in 1825 through the initiative of the writer Prosper Mérimée, the change to national historical monument began. In 1826, expropriation began of the houses built within the building, which ended by 1830 when the first event was organized in the arena – a race of the bulls to celebrate the taking of Algiers.
File:Vincent Willem van Gogh 028.jpg,
File:Arène de Arles.jpg,
File:Arles - 2017-05-24 - Roman Amphitheatre - 3804.jpg,
File:Arles - Théâtre Antique.JPG,
Arènes d'Arles
– official site, information about current events at the amphitheatre
Romanheritage.com is a site with photos about Arles amphitheatre
{{coord, 43, 40, 40, N, 4, 37, 52, E, region:FR_type:landmark_source:frwiki, display=title Roman Arles Roman sites in Provence Arles World Heritage Sites in France Bullrings in France Buildings and structures in Bouches-du-Rhône Tourist attractions in Bouches-du-Rhône 90 Buildings and structures completed in the 1st century Buildings and structures in Arles
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
town of Arles. Two-tiered, it is probably the most prominent tourist attraction in the city which thrived in Ancient Rome. The towers jutting out from the top are medieval add-ons.
Built in 90 AD, the amphitheatre held over 20,000 spectators of chariot races and bloody hand-to-hand battles. Lately, it draws smaller crowds for bullfighting
Bullfighting is a physical contest that involves a bullfighter attempting to subdue, immobilize, or kill a bull, usually according to a set of rules, guidelines, or cultural expectations.
There are several variations, including some forms wh ...
during the Feria d'Arles as well as plays and concerts in summer.
In 1981, Arles Amphitheatre was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, together with other Roman and medieval buildings of the city, as part of the Arles, Roman and Romanesque Monuments group.
Building
The building measures 136 m (446 ft) in length and 109 m (358 ft) wide, and features 120arch
An arch is a vertical curved structure that spans an elevated space and may or may not support the weight above it, or in case of a horizontal arch like an arch dam, the hydrostatic pressure against it.
Arches may be synonymous with vaul ...
es. It has an oval arena surrounded by terraces, arcades on two levels (60 in all), bleachers, a system of galleries, drainage system in many corridors of access and staircases for a quick exit from the crowd. It was obviously inspired by the Colosseum in Rome (in 72-80), being built slightly later (in 90). The amphitheatre was not expected to receive 25,000 spectators, the architect was therefore forced to reduce the size and replace the dual system of galleries outside the Colosseum by a single annular gallery. This difference is explained by the conformation of the land. This "temple" of the games housed gladiator
A gladiator ( la, gladiator, "swordsman", from , "sword") was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gla ...
s and hunting
Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...
scenes for more than four centuries.
After Rome
With the fall of the Western Empire in the 5th century, the amphitheatre became a shelter for the population and was transformed into a fortress
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
with four towers (the southern tower is not restored).As evident in thiaerial view
, only three towers exist.
In thi
catalogue
, the only towers are named ''tour nord'' (north), ''tour ouest'' (west) and ''tour est'' (east). 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, one in the centre of the building, and another one at the base of the west tower. This new residential role continued until the late 18th century, and in 1825 through the initiative of the writer Prosper Mérimée, the change to national historical monument began. In 1826, expropriation began of the houses built within the building, which ended by 1830 when the first event was organized in the arena – a race of the bulls to celebrate the taking of Algiers.
Gallery
See also
* List of Roman amphitheatres * '' Les Arènes'', an 1888 painting by Vincent van Gogh depicting the crowd attending a bullfight in the colosseum *Architecture of Provence The architecture of Provence includes a rich collection of monuments from the Roman era, Cistercian monasteries from the Romanesque period, medieval castles and fortifications, as well as numerous hilltop villages and fine churches. Provence was a ...
* ''Ronin'', a 1998 film directed by John Frankenheimer featuring an action sequence inside the Amphitheater
References
External links
Arènes d'Arles
– official site, information about current events at the amphitheatre
Romanheritage.com is a site with photos about Arles amphitheatre
{{coord, 43, 40, 40, N, 4, 37, 52, E, region:FR_type:landmark_source:frwiki, display=title Roman Arles Roman sites in Provence Arles World Heritage Sites in France Bullrings in France Buildings and structures in Bouches-du-Rhône Tourist attractions in Bouches-du-Rhône 90 Buildings and structures completed in the 1st century Buildings and structures in Arles