Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the French town of Aubusson). Amble around the Gothic apse. Two-thirds of the way
around,findtherelicchapelbehindtheornatewroughtirongate,withitsfinegoldenboxes
that hold long-venerated bones of obscure saints. The next chapel houses the skull of St.
Anthony of the Desert, with good English explanations. Several chapels down, look for
the early-Christian sarcophagus from Roman Arles (dated about
A.D
. 300) under the black
columns. The heads were lopped off during the French Revolution.
This church is a stop on the ancient pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in
northwest Spain. For 800 years pilgrims on their way to Santiago have paused here...and
they still do today. Notice the modern-day pilgrimages advertised on the far right near the
church's entry.
Cloisters:
Leaving the church, turn left, then left again through a courtyard to enter
the adjacent cloisters. The cloisters are worth a look only if you have a pass (big cleaning
underway, enter at the far end of the courtyard). The many small columns were scavenged
from the ancient Roman theater. Enjoy the sculpted capitals, the rounded 12th-century
Romanesque arches, andthe pointed 14th-century Gothic ones. The pretty vaulted hall ex-
hibits 17th-century tapestries showing scenes from the First Crusade to the Holy Land. On
the second floor, you'll walk along an angled rooftop designed to catch rainwater—notice
the slanted gutter that channeled the water into a cistern and the heavy roof slabs covering
the tapestry hall below.
• Return to the square and walk into the Hôtel de Ville to find the entrance to...
This dark, drippy underworld of Roman arches was constructed to support the upper half
of Forum Square. Two thousand years ago, most of this gallery of arches was at or above
street level; modern Arles has buried about 20 feet of its history over the millennia. Pick
up the minimalist English flier and read it before you descend into the dark.
Cost and Hours:
€3.50, daily May-Sept 9:00-12:00 & 14:00-19:00, March-April
and Oct 9:00-12:00 & 14:00-18:00, Nov-Feb 10:00-12:00 & 14:00-17:00.
• Walk up Rue de la Calade to reach the...
