Chapel at Alyscamps
Alyscamps is one of the more intriguing places I have visited. This is actually a necropolis or a cemetery. It was built outside the city walls because Romans don’t like to bury their dead within the city. This is possible for sanitation purposes as well. At its height, Alyscamps was the most prestigious necropolis in Europe. There were a lot of sarcophagi here that they had to be stacked on top of each other. However, crowded as it was back then, it was relatively straightforward to navigate the necropolis. The place is actually long. It features a single long street which is basically lined with sarcophagi.
Monument at Alyscamps
I am not sure if this was the original layout of Alyscamp but there was a neat street which goes all the way in the necropolis. There were a few chapels which line the street. Some of them have someone buried in them. I guess it was something their relatives built for that person. The sarcophagus lining the streets were mostly empty. I don’t know if any of them still have anyone inside and I don’t think I would want to find out. There were some sarcophagi which have lids. Some of them were cracked and you can probably look inside if you dare. As I said, this place is a fascinating look into Roman society and what happens after that.
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