Arles
www.ville-arles.fr
Arles, 2000 years of
History
Celtic city colonized by the Greeks, Arles became Roman
after Julius Caesar distributed the land among his veteran
legionnaires in 46 B.C.
This was the first Golden Age of the city named
« Little Rome in Gaule ». It then became a major
religious center during the Early Christian period.
After suffering destruction during the invasions of the
early Middle Ages, the city was rebuilt during the 12th
century.
The splendor of its medieval monuments is proof of the
wealth and dynamism of the city at this time.
During the 17th and 18th centuries many aristocratic town
houses were built. They form today the core of the
charming historical center, where the large number of
listed monuments bears witness to 2000 years of
history.
In 1981 the Roman and Romanesque buildings of Arles were
listed as UNESCO world heritage monuments.
