About

The Alyscamps is a large Roman necropolis a short distance outside the walls of the old town of Arles, France. It was one of the most famous necropolises of the ancient world.

This is one of the most famous necropolises of the western world. Its fame began when Genesius, a Roman civil servant, refused to write down an edict calling for persecution of Christians. For this, he was beheaded in 250; later he was made a saint when it was said that miracles began to happen on this site.

In the Middle Ages, there were 19 churches and chapels on the site. After the Renaissance, the graveyard was desecrated: Tombs were removed and stones were taken to construct other buildings. 

History
In Antiquity, the cemeteries always external with the enclosure of the cities and were often established along the major roads. At the beginning of the Empire, tombs with incineration, sarcophagi and mausoleums were shelled with the accesses of Via Aurelia, constituting a vast necropolis.

The alley of Alyscamps which remains today was arranged by the Minimes monks at the XVIIIe century. In 1888, Van Gogh and Gauguin came to paint in these romantic “Elysées Fields” of Arles.

Price:
Admission 3.50€ ($4.55) adults, 2.60€ ($3.40) children 12-18, free for children 11 and under