Roman Structures in Arles

Wednesday 30 May 2012

Today we headed to the city of Arles to see Arènes d'Arles as well as le Theatre Antique.  Les Arenes was under some construction for cleaning.  It seems to be in a constant state of restoration and modification.

Arenes d'Arles inter

 The interior was adapted for modern use.  I am torn about this.  On the one hand I love seeing old buildings refurbished and taken care of.  On the other hand, I wanted to see a Roman arena.  Getting down into the heart of the arena, in the walkway areas, I got what I wanted.  I could imagine people walking through those halls.

Le Theatre was disappointing only because I have already seen the one at Orange, which was so wonderful. Again, this structure in Arles was re-purposed with modern equipment.  But unlike at Orange, the modern intrusion was so jarring and disruptive to my Roman experience.  Made me think a lot about the balance between preserving the past and continuing to adapt old structures to meet modern needs.

Me at the Theatre

After about an hour in the city, we boarded the bus and headed to our next destination - Saintes Maries de la Mer, a great beach community by the Camargue!

For more photographs from our time in Arles click here.