Musée de l'Arles Antiques (Museum of Ancient Arles)

Musée de l'Arles Antiques (Museum of Ancient Arles) Review

Though it's a hike from the center, this state-of-the-art museum is a good place to set the tone and context for your exploration of Arles. The bold, modern triangular structure (designed by Henri Ciriani) lies on the site of an enormous Roman cirque (chariot-racing stadium). The permanent collection includes jewelry, mosaics, town plans, and fourth-century carved sarcophagi from Les Alyscamps. You can learn all about Arles in its heyday, from the development of its monuments to details of daily life in Roman times. The quantity of art treasures gives an idea of the extent of Arles's importance. Seven superb floor mosaics can be viewed from an elevated platform, and you exit via a hall packed tight with magnificently detailed paleo-Christian sarcophagi. As you leave you will see the belt of St-Césaire, the last bishop of Arles, who died in AD 542 as the countryside was overwhelmed by the Franks and the Roman era met its end. Ask for the English-language guidebook.