Arc de triomphe
MonumentHidden Treasure
Arc de triomphe, located in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône), is a historic monument. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Location
- Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 43.7766, 4.8312
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00081438
An ancient jewel standing at the gateway to Glanum, the triumphal arch at Saint-Rémy-de-Provence is one of the best-preserved Roman arches in France, adorned with stunningly delicate plant friezes.
History
On the edge of the Alpilles mountains, on the ancient road that once led to the town of Glanum, stands an exceptional testimony to Roman grandeur in Provence: the triumphal arch of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. An isolated but perfectly legible monument, it belongs to that rare group of single-bay arches whose decorative sculpture rivals the finest examples of Western Romanesque architecture. A contemporary of the Orange Arch and the Mausoleum of the Julii, just a few metres opposite, it forms an archaeological duo with no equivalent outside Italy. What makes this monument truly unique is the almost unreal quality of its sculpted reliefs. The vegetal friezes that adorn the entablature - garlands of acanthus leaves, bunches of grapes, cleverly interlaced ears of wheat - bear witness to a workshop of Provençal sculptors who had succeeded in appropriating the aesthetic canons of Augustan Rome while infusing them with a vitality that was distinctly southern. The figurative panels depicting Gaulish captives in chains, treated with striking realism, add an obvious triumphal and political dimension to the whole. A visit to the arch is a natural part of a wider archaeological tour: the nearby Glanum excavation site puts the monument in its original urban context. The arch marked the northern entrance to the town, signalling to travellers from the north the power and prosperity of a Romanised city at the heart of Narbonne Gaul. The Provençal light, golden in the late afternoon, sublimates the local limestone and reveals each sculpted detail with photographic precision. The natural setting heightens the emotion: in the background, the limestone peaks of the Alpilles mountains cut through a Mediterranean horizon that has remained unchanged since ancient times. Around the monument, olive trees and cypresses form a landscape that looks like something out of a Pompeian fresco. For the attentive visitor, the triumphal arch of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence is not just an archaeological vestige - it's an experience of total disorientation in time.
Architecture
The Saint-Rémy-de-Provence triumphal arch belongs to the category of single-passage arches (fornix), whose Roman archetype is the Arch of Titus in Rome. Built from local limestone quarried in the Alpilles region, it has a rectangular plan with a central semi-circular bay, framed by fluted pilasters with Corinthian capitals. The whole structure rests on a slightly raised plinth and was crowned, according to archaeological reconstructions, by an attic bearing a dedication inscription that has now disappeared and, perhaps, a sculpted group or quadriga. The arch's major architectural interest lies in the richness and exceptional quality of its sculptural programme. The spandrels of the arch feature winged Victories with finely chiselled drapery, while the sides feature bas-relief panels depicting captives with bound wrists - Gauls identifiable by their braids and torque - and trophies of arms. The entablature is adorned with a continuous frieze of remarkable virtuosity: garlands of acanthus leaves, grapes, ears of wheat and fruit intertwine in a sinuous rhythm that reveals the technical mastery of Provençal sculptors of the Augustan period. The arch's dimensions - a total height of around twelve metres and a façade width of just over six metres - make it a monument of average size by Roman standards, but with particularly well-balanced proportions. The slightly golden Alpilles limestone lends the whole a warmth of colour that is characteristic of ancient Provencal architecture. Despite the damage caused by the centuries - partial disappearance of the attic, superficial erosion of the reliefs - the arch remains one of the clearest and most complete Roman monuments in Gaul.
Related Figures
Auguste — empereur sous le règne duquel l'arc fut vraisemblablement érigé, dans le cadre du programme d'urbanisation et de romanisation de la GauleProsper Mérimée — inspecteur des Monuments Historiques qui supervisa le premier classement de l'arc en 1840Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc — érudit provençal du XVIIe siècle, pionnier de l'étude archéologique du site de GlanumJules César — dont les campagnes gauloises sont possiblement commémorées par les reliefs de captifs figurant sur l'arcHenri Rolland — archéologue qui dirigea les grandes fouilles de Glanum au XXe siècle, restituant le contexte urbain de l'arc
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Arc de triomphe located?
Arc de triomphe is located in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Bouches-du-Rhône department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, France.
Is Arc de triomphe open to visitors?
Arc de triomphe is currently closed to visitors.