Arles Arenas

Next up are Arles’ magnificent arenas, the city’s most visited monument. Let’s travel back to 80 AD, just after the completion of the Colosseum in Rome. Here in Arles, the Romans built their own giant amphitheater, right on the Hauture hill. So, before you, stands the majestic Flavian amphitheater of Arelate. Sure, it’s not quite as big as the one in Rome, but still! No wonder they nicknamed Arles “Little Rome of Gaul”. This place could seat up to 21,000 people! Think about that for a second. Crazy, right? And it was super well-organized too. It had these special passageways called vomitoria that helped people get in and out quickly, even during the most crowded events. But they didn’t stop there! Right under the wooden stage, hidden in the sand, there was a whole trapdoor system to change the scenery in a flash! It was the ultimate entertainment venue! The arena itself is oval-shaped, about 136m long, and surrounded by tiers of seating and arches over two levels. The rich in the front, the townsfolk in the middle and the slaves at the far back. The last spectacles are believed to have taken place around 550 AD. During the Middle Ages, with danger lurking everywhere, the amphitheater got a major makeover. They built a mini fortified city inside, with 200 houses and 2 chapels! This period also saw the addition of the two square defensive towers you can still see today. Fast forward to 1830, and the amphitheater returns to its original function as an entertainment venue. That’s when bullfighting became a thing, and the amphitheater came to be known as the Arenas. In 1840, Prosper Mérimée classified the site as a historical monument, and in 1981, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today, the Arles Arenas host bullfights, shows, concerts and the traditional Camargue races. You know, that sport where people try to grab stuff off the bulls’ horns? Yep, that’s right. In the summer, you can even see gladiator combat re-enactments! It’ll totally put you in the mood and make you feel like you’ve traveled back in time!