Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
22
Ticket Office
C2
Roman Sights
Les Arènes
(Amphithéâtre; adult/child incl Théâtre Antique €6.50/free; 9am-7pm)
Slaves, crimin-
als and wild animals (including giraffes) met their dramatic demise before a jubilant
20,000-strong crowd during Roman gladiatorial displays at Les Arènes, built around the
late 1st or early 2nd century AD. During the early medieval Arab invasions the arch-laced
circular structure, which is 136m long, 107m wide and 21m tall, was topped with four de-
fensive towers to become a fortress. Indeed, by the 1820s, when the amphitheatre was re-
turned to its original use, there were 212 houses and two churches that had to be razed on
the site.
Buy tickets for special events, theatre and concerts at the
Bureau de Location
(Bureau
de Location;
ROMAN SITES
08 91 70 03 70;
www.arenes-arles.com
;
9.30am-noon & 2-6pm Mon-
Fri, 10am-1pm Sat)
.
A BULLISH AFFAIR
The local Camargue variation of the bull fight, the
course Camarguaise
, sees amateur
razeteurs
(from the word
'shave'), wearing skin-tight white shirts and trousers, get as close as they dare to the
taureau
(bull) to try to snatch
rosettes and ribbons tied to the bull's horns, using a
crochet
(a razor-sharp comb) held between their fingers. Their
leaps over the arena's barrier as the bull charges make spectators' hearts lurch.
Bulls are bred on a
manade
(bull farm) by
manadiers
, who are helped in their daily chores by
gardians
(Camar-
gue cattle-herding cowboys). These mounted herdsmen parade through Arles during the Fête des Gardians (
Click
Many
manades
also breed the creamy white
cheval de Camargue
(Camargue horse) and some welcome visit-
ors; ask at tourist offices in
Arles
(
www.tourisme.ville-arles.fr
)
and Stes-Maries de la Mer (
Click here
)
.
A calendar of
courses Camarguaises
is online at the
Fédération Française de la Course Camarguaise
(French Federation of Camargue Bullfights; 04 66 26 05 35;
www.ffcc.inf
o)
, with many occurring at the
arena in Stes-Maries de la Mer.
Recortadores
(a type of bull-baiting with lots of bull-jumping) also happens dur-
ing the bullfighting season (Easter to September).
