Arles Roman Theatre, Arles, France

Arles Roman Theatre was built in the time of Augustus and. It had a capacity of seating for 8,000 on 33 tiers of steps. In the early Middle Ages the theater was used as a quarry, and with the material it provided the town wall was erected. Of the rear wall of the stage only a few stumps of pillars and two more or less complete columns remain. Since the theater is now used again during the summer it is protected on the outside by screens and the interior is somewhat spoiled by the necessary technical apparatus.

Most of the relics brought to light during excavation can be seen in the Arles Museum of Antiquity - the most important of these is the 'Venus of Arles', a representation of the goddess Diana, which was discovered near a fountain in 1651 and is now in the Louvre in Paris.

The Roman Theater has been listed as World Heritage Sites since 1981. Arles Roman Theater is now a monument to visit and a place of concerts and events.

References:

arles-guide.com

User Reviews

Uli K (2 years ago)
Not that much left but a 9min movie explains and you can imagine the rest. Entrance from NW side. Best get ticket Liberté, then use one of the half hour tours, if you speak some French. Look if you can catch an actual concert or other event here.

Shannon Mielmonster Carlson (2 years ago)
Roman history is fascinating, and visiting the theatre and arena in Arles made it all real. You should check out the Alyscamps in Arles, too.

Eric BERNARD (2 years ago)
Impressive. If you don't fancy bullfighting, they have great horses show as well.

Andy (3 years ago)
In common with the many Roman remains in the area the Theatre has suffered damage since the fall of the Empire all those years ago. A very informative video on site explains it’s original function and how it must have looked when intact. Still an impressive ancient site and well worth a visit. In common with the nearby Amphitheatre it has been adapted to host public events.

Breanna MacLeod (3 years ago)
We visited just to tour the site and enjoyed it more than the arena. So did our girls, who loved exploring it.

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The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village. Settlement here began sometime between 500 and 200 BC. At the centre of the settlement is a stone tower or broch, which once probably reached a height of around 10 metres. Its interior is divided into sections by upright slabs. The tower features two skins of drystone walls, with stone-floored galleries in between. These are accessed by steps. Stone ledges suggest that there was once an upper storey with a timber floor. The roof would have been thatched, surrounded by a wall walk linked by stairs to the ground floor. The broch features two hearths and a subterranean stone cistern with steps leading down into it. It is thought to have some religious significance, relating to an Iron Age cult of the underground.

The remains of the central tower are up to 3.6 metres high, and the stone walls are up to 4.1 metres thick. The tower was likely inhabited by the principal family or clan of the area but also served as a last resort for the village in case of an attack.

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In the 9th century, a Norse woman was buried at the site in a stone-lined grave with two bronze brooches and a sickle and knife made from iron. Other finds suggest that Norse men were buried here too.

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