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© rene boulay
© Pascal S
Les Alyscamps, Arles
An ancient cemetery & Medieval church with tombs from the Roman & medieval eras
Graves, mausoleums and sarcophagi at this site date back to the beginning of the Roman empire, but it wasn't until the early Christian period that there was a large flurry of activity here.
This came about partly due to the burial of Saint Genest and the first bishops of Arles, and the cemetery later became a compulsory stage of the Santiago de Compostels pilgrimage route.
In Roman times cremation was to most popular practise, with remains placed in a mausoleum, designated family area or under a stone bearing an epitaph.
Today the site is a calm and peaceful place to visit, not far from the centre of Arles. It was made into a pathway by the Minimes monks in the 18th century and remains a popular place to visit.
Worth knowing
Dante immortalised the Alyscamps in his poem "hell" and in 1888 Vincent van Gogh painted his "Champs Elysées" of Arles here.
Visitor comments
- "Alyschamps is a peaceful place to visit. Although not as large as it once was it is amazing to think of how long this place has been in existence and what a place of pilgrimage it once was. Amazingly this is the starting point of one of the French ways to the Camino de Santiago which shows how famous Arles was in medieval times" - Trip Advisor
- “Something like out of a old Fantasy Movie or novel” - Trip Advisor
- "Very interesting place that features a set up of one of Van Gogh's paintings still quite identical as in his lifetime. The church at the end of the pathway is huge and architecturally incredible. Definitely worth seeing" - Trip Advisor
