Explore the Alyscamps

From here, we’ll take Rue Vauban and continue along the Avenue des Alyscamps, all the way to our next point of interest. That’s our shortcut to the Alyscamps, an ancient cemetery and one of Arles’ most important sights. Admission is subject to a fee, or included in the city advantage pass. You can chill by the Summer garden while I tell you all about it, or save this for when you visit. The Alyscamps is an ancient necropolis. The name most likely derives from the Latin “Elysii Campi”, meaning “The Elysian Fields”. Before becoming one of the world’s most famous avenues, the Champs Élysées, according to Greek mythology, were, above all, the resting place of heroes. In ancient times, the world of the dead was kept separate from the world of the living. Tombs were thus located outside cities, like here on the Via Aurelia, the ancient Roman road that linked Arles to Spain and Italy. During the High Roman Empire, cremation was the most common burial practice. The ashes were then placed in urns kept in mausoleums or buried. It was with the arrival of Christianity, around the 3rd century, that bodies began to be buried in coffins or sarcophagi. But this particular necropolis became really famous because it houses the remains of martyr Genest, a mime and comedian who got beheaded in 303 for converting to Christianity onstage. Over time, the Alyscamps became increasingly well-known, and many people wished to be buried here, among them the bishops of Arles. People would even send their loved ones on small boats down the Rhône to Arles, with the burial fee tucked in their mouths – not the safest option, considering it drew brigands who stripped the bodies. Be that as it may, the necropolis became an important Christian site. Numerous chapels and churches were built around it, attracting pilgrims from far and wide. It’s a mystical, spiritual place that has inspired many artists. You can see it in paintings by Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin, or read about it in Dante’s Divine Comedy. Recently, french actor Daniel Auteuil set a poem dedicated to them to music, and the Italian luxury house Gucci even used the site as the backdrop for its fashion show. It goes without saying that it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a must-see.