Arlés

Arlés, one of the oldest towns in France, in the department of Bouches du Rhone, situated on the left bank of the principal branch of the Rhone, 15 miles from the sea, and 53 miles NW. of Marseilles by rail. It is famous for its Roman remains, including baths, a palace of Constantine, an aqueduct, and an amphitheatre (460 feet by 340 feet) capable of accommodating 25,000 spectators. The Champs Elysées were an early Christian burying-ground, and the museum contains many Roman and early Christian antiquities. The cathedral of St Trophimus (7th century) has a splendid doorway and ancient cloisters. Arles manufactures silk, hats, tobacco, brandy, soap, glass bottles, and railway wagons. The marshes which rendered the district unhealthy have been partially drained, and a canal has been formed which connects it with the harbour of Bouches du Rhone. Arelate or Arelas under the Romans was the seat of a prefect; afterwards, for some time, the residence of the Gothic king, Eurich; and in 879 the metropolis of the kingdom of Arelate (see BURGUNDY). It was a free city in the 12th century. In the early Christian times, several important synods were convened here (314, 354, 452, 475 A.D.). Pop. (1881) 14,431; (1891) 13,876.