Church of St. Trophime, Arles

Church of St. Trophime, Arles tickets: which one to buy

The Church of Saint Trophime stands on the Place de la Republique in the centre of Arles, in Provence, facing the town hall and the Roman obelisk, and entry to the church is free. The cloister beside it is ticketed and is one of the most beautiful in France; the Arles monuments pass, which covers the Roman amphitheatre, the ancient theatre, the Alyscamps necropolis, the cloister and several other sites, is good value.

The church and cloister are part of the UNESCO listing of the Roman and Romanesque monuments of Arles, and they stand on the pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela. Walking tours of Arles combine them with the Roman sites and places associated with Van Gogh. Arles is easily reached by train from Avignon, Marseille and Nimes. The church is active, with services on Sundays. The monuments pass is valid for several months and covers the cloister, Roman sites and museums.

Visiting Church of St. Trophime, Arles: what to see

The church, dedicated to Trophimus, the first bishop of Arles, was built in the twelfth century on the site of an earlier cathedral, and it was a cathedral until the French Revolution. Its west portal, carved around 1180 to 1190, is a masterpiece of Provencal Romanesque sculpture, inspired by Roman triumphal arches: Christ in majesty sits in the tympanum surrounded by the symbols of the evangelists, with the apostles below and a frieze of the Last Judgement, the saved on one side and the damned, chained, on the other. Inside, the nave is tall and narrow, with Romanesque arches and a Gothic choir added later.

The church holds Aubusson tapestries and early Christian sarcophagi. The cloister has two Romanesque galleries, with carved capitals showing scenes from the Bible, and two Gothic galleries added in the fourteenth century, with a view of the church's bell tower. The capitals of the Romanesque cloister galleries show scenes such as the Resurrection, the Journey to Emmaus and the stoning of Saint Stephen, carved with great detail. In the church, a large painting of the Adoration of the Magi by Louis Finson hangs in a side chapel. The upper walkway of the cloister gives views of the roofs and bell tower.

Church of St. Trophime, Arles opening hours and the best time to go

The church is open daily, and the cloister is open daily with shorter hours in winter. Arles is busy in summer, when the Rencontres d'Arles photography festival takes place from July to September, and during the Feria, the bullfighting festival at Easter and in September. Spring and autumn are ideal times to visit, with pleasant temperatures.

Mornings are quiet, and the light on the portal is best in the late afternoon. The market on Saturday mornings along the Boulevard des Lices is one of the largest in Provence. Allow about forty minutes for the church and cloister, and then continue to the amphitheatre, about five minutes' walk away. The Fondation Vincent van Gogh, a short walk away, shows original works by the painter in rotating exhibitions.