Alyscamps

The last and final site of the UNESCO World Heritage site listing of Arles is the Alyscamps. This is basically an ancient necropolis which was built outside the city of Arles. The ancient Romans never buried their dead within the city. This meant that the places just outside the city became burial grounds. Alyscamps was one of the largest and most well known necropolises in the ancient world. The necropolis continued to be in use even in the Christian era and probably went up in prestige when some prominent people were buried there, none more prominent than Saint Trophimus or Saint Trophime, who is supposedly the first bishop of Arles.

Because of this prestige associated with being buried in Alyscamps, people from all over Europe were brought here to be buried. Such was the popularity of this necropolis that sarcophagi had to be stacked one on top of the other. Eventually, the remains of Saint Trophime were moved to the cathedral and the fame of Alyscamps went away with it. What is left now is a preserved necropolis not that much different from a park apart from the sacrophagi that is.. There is also an entrance fee here and it is also part of the heritage site ticket of Arles. By the time I got to Alyscamps it was almost closing time. I don’t think I like the idea of being here when the sun goes down. I need to work fast.

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