Eglise Saint-Trophime
ChurchHidden Treasure
Eglise Saint-Trophime, located in Arles (Bouches-du-Rhône), is a Renaissance château built in the 16th century. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- Church
- Period
- Renaissance (16th century)
- Location
- Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 43.6762, 4.6287
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00081139
A masterpiece of Provençal Romanesque architecture, Saint-Trophime stands out for its sculpted 12th-century portal - one of the finest in France - and its cloister, where stone and light create a timeless harmony.
History
In the heart of Arles, on the Place de la République where the Roman forum once stood, the church of Saint-Trophime stands as a testament to the medieval faith in Provence. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it embodies better than any other building the majesty of southern Romanesque art, where the rigour of blonde stone becomes sculpted poetry. What sets Saint-Trophime apart from all the other great Romanesque churches is the extraordinary coherence of its artistic language. The western portal, sculpted with mind-boggling meticulousness towards the end of the twelfth century, unfolds an iconographic programme of rare density: Christ in majesty enthroned among the evangelists, the theory of the apostles, the damned in chains and the chosen on their way to glory. You don't need to be a theologian to feel its dramatic power. The interior immediately imposes its silence. The single nave, slender and narrow like a vertical prayer, leads the eye towards the Gothic choir built in the 14th and 15th centuries, creating a striking dialogue between two ages of Christian faith. The finely chiselled capitals of the pilasters rival the delicacy of the exterior friezes. Adjacent to the church, the cloister is a world apart: two 12th-century Romanesque galleries and two 14th-century Gothic galleries open onto an interior garden bathed in Mediterranean light. The historiated capitals depict the lives of Provençal saints, and the geminated columns seem to retain the light, giving it back its golden glow in the late afternoon. A visit to Saint-Trophime is like walking in the footsteps of the pilgrims to Compostela - Arles was one of the four official departure towns for the Via Tolosana - feeling the fervour of the crowds who flocked here for royal coronations, and letting the stone speak to you of a sacred Provence that the centuries have not erased.
Architecture
Saint-Trophime is a masterly example of Provençal Romanesque art, a style that draws part of its formal vocabulary from the ancient heritage that is omnipresent in Provence. The western façade is the highlight of the building: the portal, framed by columns with finely sculpted capitals, features a tympanum representing Christ in majesty surrounded by the tetramorph, flanked by horizontal friezes featuring apostles, saints and scenes from the Last Judgement. The influence of Roman triumphal arches in Arles - those of Orange and other local ancient monuments - is perceptible in the overall composition, the richness of the friezes and the care given to the decorative details. The interior nave, high and narrow in the southern Romanesque tradition, is covered by a semicircular barrel vault resting on massive pillars adorned with pilasters and antique-style capitals. The very narrow aisles are vaulted with half-barrel arches. The contrast with the Gothic choir of the 14th and 15th centuries is striking: ribbed vaults, wider windows and a lighter elevation reflect the change in architectural sensibility. The cloister, accessible from the north side of the church, offers a fascinating dialogue between Romanesque and Gothic. The north and east galleries, dating from the 12th century, feature geminated columns with capitals carved with hagiographic scenes of rare quality. The south and west galleries, built in the 14th century, adopt a Gothic vocabulary with more slender arches. The materials used - white limestone from the region, blonde stone from Fontvieille - give the whole a typically warm Provençal hue that blazes in the setting sun.
Related Figures
Saint Trophime — premier évêque légendaire d'Arles (IIIe siècle), fondateur présumé de la communauté chrétienne arlésienne dont l'église perpétue le souvenirFrédéric Barberousse — futur empereur du Saint-Empire, couronné roi de Bourgogne à Arles en 1152 dans l'église en cours de constructionProsper Mérimée — inspecteur général des Monuments historiques, inclut Saint-Trophime dans la première liste de 1840, sauvant l'édifice de la ruine post-révolutionnaireHonorat de Marseille — archevêque d'Arles influent du haut Moyen Âge, figure de la christianisation de la Provence romaineLouis II d'Anjou — roi de Sicile et comte de Provence, dont le règne coïncide avec les grands travaux gothiques du chœur au début du XVe siècleVincent van Gogh — peintre qui séjourna à Arles en 1888-1889 et immortalisa la place de la République et les abords de Saint-Trophime dans plusieurs œuvres
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Eglise Saint-Trophime located?
Eglise Saint-Trophime is located in Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, France.
When was Eglise Saint-Trophime built?
Eglise Saint-Trophime dates back to a period built during the Renaissance (16th century).
Is Eglise Saint-Trophime open to visitors?
Eglise Saint-Trophime is currently closed to visitors.