THÉÂTRE ANTIQUE

A major monument of Romanesque architecture in Provence, the ancient theater of Arles was built in the first century B.C., during the reign of Emperor Augustus, who was famous for having built many monuments throughout the Empire, many of them in Roman Gaul. The theater was part of a vast urbanization project that included two other constructions: the Arch of the Rhone and the Forum. It spreads over a diameter of 102 meters, and at the time of its greatness had thirty-three rows of seats (a large part of which has disappeared) which could accommodate up to ten thousand spectators. Although the shows were free for all the people, the social classes did not mix there, since the people crowded on the heights, while the notables sat near the stage. Its outer enclosure had three rows of arcades richly decorated with monumental statues. Among these, the statue of Augustus preserved in the museum of ancient Arles, and the Venus of Arles in the Louvre museum, which the people of Arles would like to see returned to its city of origin. Fortified in the Middle Ages, as witnessed by the Roland Tower, it saw the development of parasitic houses within its walls, as well as the Jesuit College and a convent of the Sisters of Mercy. Plundered for its materials, which were sometimes used for the construction of nearby buildings, it was only rediscovered in the 17th century, but real excavations did not begin until 1828, and buildings that had been built on the site were gradually destroyed.

It is an astonishing place: the colonnade, of which only two columns still stand (more or less), and all these fragments of history left as if abandoned make it particularly charming. It is necessary to have fun to get lost in the small mazes offered by the large blocks of stone scattered, and to scrutinize the details which are engraved in the fragments: one spots here a piece of Latin inscription, there a flower, there still a Corinthian capital. Entirely restored, the site is much more functional and offers new attractions: in summer, on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, demonstrations of Roman games, very nice for the children. And always, as the large stage that occupies the center of the theater indicates, facing the remaining bleachers, hosting many festivals such as the International Meetings of Photography, the music festival of the South or that of the film Peplum. The first two take place in July, the last in August.