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 (11 months 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 (17 months 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 (18 months ago)
Impressive. If you don't fancy bullfighting, they have great horses show as well.

Andy (2 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 (2 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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