Arles

Roman arena, Arles

Arles, ancient (Latin) Arelate, city, Bouches-du-Rhône département, Provence–Alpes–Côte d’Azur région, southeastern France. It is situated on the Camargue plain where the Rhône River divides to form its delta, northwest of Marseille.

Already important in the days of the Ligurian tribes, Arles became a leading city of the Western Roman Empire. St. Trophime in the 1st century ce founded the bishopric, which endured until 1790. The city fell to the Visigoths in the 6th century and then to Muslim invaders in 730. In the 10th century it became the capital of the kingdom of Burgundy, known later as the kingdom of Arles, and in the 12th century emerged as an independent entity—much like the Italian republics—preeminent in commerce and navigation. In 1239 it was absorbed into Provence.

Portions of the wall around the old town are Roman, and a Roman arena dating to the 1st century bce that seated more than 20,000 spectators is still used for bullfights and plays. Excavations at a Roman theatre have retrieved many art objects, including the “Venus of Arles” now in the Louvre. The Romanesque church of Saint-Trophime was founded in the 7th century and was rebuilt several times. (The city’s Roman and Romanesque monuments were inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1981.) Arles was also home to the painter Vincent van Gogh during one of his most productive periods.

A naval base under the Romans, Arles is still a river port, mainly for oil tankers. Industries include chemical, metal, and paper manufacture, but the economy is largely based on tourism and agriculture. Pop. (1999) 50,513; (2014 est.) 52,697.