Nécropole des Alyscamps
MonumentHidden Treasure
Nécropole des Alyscamps, located in Arles (Bouches-du-Rhône), is a medieval landmark built in the Middle Ages. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Period
- Medieval (11th-15th century)
- Location
- Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 43.6713, 4.6371
- Mérimée Reference
- PA00081179
On the outskirts of Arles, the Alyscamps is one of the largest early Christian cemeteries in the West: an avenue of ancient sarcophagi lined with poplar trees, immortalised by Van Gogh and Gauguin.
History
Les Alyscamps - a Provençal deformation of the Latin expression Elysii Campi, "Elysian Fields" - is one of the best-preserved ancient necropolises in Europe. Established outside the walls of the Roman city of Arles, this exceptional burial site stretches for almost a kilometre along an ancient Roman road leading to the city. Its long avenue of limestone sarcophagi, framed by majestic poplars, offers a melancholy and grandiose walk that suspends time. What makes Les Alyscamps truly unique is its historical density: thousands of sarcophagi have been found here over the centuries, testifying to uninterrupted funerary activity from Late Antiquity through to the Middle Ages. The site combines Roman heritage - stelae, engraved epitaphs, architectural fragments - with the Christian imprint embodied by the chapel of Saint-Honorat, a 12th-century Romanesque jewel that still watches over the dead. The tour unfolds at a slow, almost ceremonial pace. You walk past the sarcophagi lined up like a petrified guard of honour, read the half-erased steles, and enter the octagonal chapel with its sober but moving décor. The light of the Midi, grazing down at the end of the day, magnifies the textures of the limestone and creates striking contrasts between light and shadow - the very scene Van Gogh was trying to capture in October 1888. The natural setting adds to the atmosphere: the Italian poplars filter golden light in autumn, while the silence - surprisingly close to Arles city centre - invites contemplation. It's a place that will appeal to archaeology buffs, Romanesque art enthusiasts and anyone looking for a unique way to engage with the centuries that have gone by.
Architecture
The organisation of Les Alyscamps is based on an ancient road axis, the original Roman road that still structures the site's central alley today. On either side of this linear path, the shell limestone sarcophagi - known as "Fontvieille stone" - are arranged in superimposed rows, some decorated with figurative reliefs (chrisms, strigiles, hunting scenes) characteristic of 4th-5th century funerary sculpture. Their moulded or semi-cylindrical lids are reminiscent of late Roman models used throughout the Mediterranean world. At the heart of the site stands the chapel of Saint-Honorat, built in the 11th-12th centuries in the Provençal Romanesque style. Its central, octagonal plan, crowned by a squat bell tower with Lombard arcatures, is one of the most unusual examples of medieval funerary architecture in the region. The interior, sober and poorly lit, still houses a number of sarcophagi in situ and reused antique lapidary elements. The architectural landscape of Les Alyscamps is characterised by the visible layering of the different eras: the Roman foundations of the sarcophagi are matched by the medieval limestone rubble elevations, all set against a backdrop of Italian poplars that give the site its distinctive silhouette. The whole forms a landscape-monument where nature and stone merge in a rare aesthetic unity.
Related Figures
Saint Trophime — premier évêque légendaire d'Arles, dont le culte contribua à sacraliser le site dès les premiers siècles du christianismeSaint Genès — martyr arlésien du IVe siècle, dont la sépulture aux Alyscamps attira les premiers pèlerins chrétiensProsper Mérimée — inspecteur des Monuments Historiques, porta le site sur la première liste de classement en 1840Vincent Van Gogh — peignit plusieurs toiles des Alyscamps en octobre 1888, notamment « Les Alyscamps » (Kröller-Müller Museum)Paul Gauguin — réalisa sa propre série des Alyscamps lors de son séjour arlésien avec Van Gogh à l'automne 1888Dante Alighieri — évoque les Alyscamps dans la Divine Comédie (Enfer, IX, 112-113) comme image du champ de sépulturesArioste — cite les Alyscamps dans le Roland Furieux parmi les hauts lieux de la geste chevaleresque française
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Nécropole des Alyscamps located?
Nécropole des Alyscamps is located in Arles, Bouches-du-Rhône department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, France.
When was Nécropole des Alyscamps built?
Nécropole des Alyscamps dates back to a period built in the Middle Ages (11th-15th century).
Is Nécropole des Alyscamps open to visitors?
Nécropole des Alyscamps is currently closed to visitors.