Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Arles

The former abbey church of Saint-Trophime, erected 1100-1150. The church is dedicated to St. Trophimus, the first bishop of Arles (3rd century). This church was the centre of a diocese up to the French Revolution. End of July 1178 Frederick I Barbarossa, was crowned here "King of Burgundy". His wife Beatrix was crowned a month later in the Cathedral St. Maurice - in Vienne. I have uploaded already many photos from here over the years already, so I just add a few. Many works of art that are now parts of the exhibition are not originally from this church. - The Entombment ("Mise au tombeau"), sculpted in the 16th century came from the from the church of the Dominicans in Arles. Two angels frame the group. In the centre the corpse of Christ stretched out on a shroud is surrounded by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus ; behind them the Virgin Mary, Marie Salomé and Marie wife of Cléophas, on the right Saint Mary Magdalene carries a perfume vase and on the left Saint John holds the crown of thorns.

The former abbey church of Saint-Trophime, erected 1100-1150. The church is dedicated to St. Trophimus, the first bishop of Arles (3rd century). This church was the centre of a diocese up to the French Revolution. End of July 1178 Frederick I Barbarossa, was crowned here "King of Burgundy". His wife Beatrix was crowned a month later in the Cathedral St. Maurice - in Vienne. I have uploaded already many photos from here over the years already, so I just add a few. Many works of art that are now parts of the exhibition are not originally from this church. - Many works of art that are now parts of the exhibition are not originally from this church. - The sides of the third sarcophagus are poorly visible. Here are the magi in Bethlehem. The magi wear Phrygian caps like all ancient representations (see Ravenna).

The former abbey church of Saint-Trophime, erected 1100-1150. The church is dedicated to St. Trophimus, the first bishop of Arles (3rd century). This church was the centre of a diocese up to the French Revolution. End of July 1178 Frederick I Barbarossa, was crowned here "King of Burgundy". His wife Beatrix was crowned a month later in the Cathedral St. Maurice - in Vienne. I have uploaded already many photos from here over the years already, so I just add a few. Many works of art that are now parts of the exhibition are not originally from this church. - This sarcophagus, also made of Carrara marble, is dated to the 4th century. It represents the crossing of the Red Sea by the Hebrews.

The former abbey church of Saint-Trophime, erected 1100-1150. The church is dedicated to St. Trophimus, the first bishop of Arles (3rd century). This church was the centre of a diocese up to the French Revolution. End of July 1178 Frederick I Barbarossa, was crowned here "King of Burgundy". His wife Beatrix was crowned a month later in the Cathedral St. Maurice - in Vienne. I have uploaded already many photos from here over the years already, so I just add a few. - Many works of art that are now parts of the exhibition are not originally from this church. In the "Chapelle du Saint-Sépulcre" is the early Christian "Sacrophagus of Geminius", which was brought to the church in 1804. It is made of Carrara marble. In the center is depicted the bearded Christ with a cross over his head, on the right Saint Peter and on the left Saint Paul.

The fascinating portal of the former abbey church of Saint-Trophime, erected 1100-1150. The church is dedicated to St. Trophimus, the first bishop of Arles (3rd century). Here are some of the finest examples of romanesque carvings existing in southern France. This church was the centre of a diocese up to the french revolution. End of July 1178 Frederick I Barbarossa, was crowned here "King of Burgundy". His wife Beatrix was crowned a month later in the Cathedral St. Maurice - in Vienne. This was the point, where I started the Via Tolosana in 2010. I have uploaded already many photos from here over the years already, so I just add a few.

The cloister of Saint-Trophime forms a rectangle 28m x 25m. The eastern and northern sides were built in romanesque style 1160 - 1180. Shortly after that all constructions came to halt, due to an economic decline of Arles. New orders like the Trinitarians and the Knights Templar had settled in Arles - and caused competition. It took more than a century to restart the building process, so the southern and western sides were built erected during the 14th and 15th century in gothic style. Balaam's Talking Donkey Numbers 22, 21-31 "Balaam got up in the morning, saddled his donkey and went with the Moabite officials. But God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him. Balaam was riding on his donkey, and his two servants were with him. When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road. Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides. When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat the donkey again. Then the angel of the LORD moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. 27 When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff. Then the LORD opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?” Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.” The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?” “No,” he said. Then the LORD opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown."

The cloister of Saint-Trophime forms a rectangle 28m x 25m. The eastern and northern sides were built in romanesque style 1160 - 1180. Shortly after that all constructions came to halt, due to an economic decline of Arles. New orders like the Trinitarians and the Knights Templar had settled in Arles - and caused competition. It took more than a century to restart the building process, so the southern and western sides were built erected during the 14th and 15th century in gothic style. Palm Sunday Christ on the "colt, which no one has ever ridden". The left hand holds the reins, the right hand is in a blessing gesture. The two spectators have obviously climbed a small tree to find a better point of view - and to reach more palm leaves. Note the foal to the left. Mark 11:8-10 "Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

The cloister of Saint-Trophime forms a rectangle 28m x 25m. The eastern and northern sides were built in romanesque style 1160 - 1180. Shortly after that all constructions came to halt, due to an economic decline of Arles. New orders like the Trinitarians and the Knights Templar had settled in Arles - and caused competition. It took more than a century to restart the building process, so the southern and western sides were built erected during the 14th and 15th century in gothic style. Joseph While Mary and Jesus receive the Magi (on the left), Joseph sits just around the corner. Joseph is waiting and obviously very bored. Maybe he is even depressed. I know, that postnatal depression (PPD) is mostly affects women, but can affect men as well. Joseph´s head is resting on his hand. This squatting/depressed Joseph in exactly this position is a romanesque icon. I do not know, what exactly is the meaning of that. It can often be see at the Nativity ot the Adoration of the Magi.

The cloister of Saint-Trophime forms a rectangle 28m x 25m. The eastern and northern sides were built in romanesque style 1160 - 1180. Shortly after that all constructions came to halt, due to an economic decline of Arles. New orders like the Trinitarians and the Knights Templar had settled in Arles - and caused competition. It took more than a century to restart the building process, so the southern and western sides were built erected during the 14th and 15th century in gothic style. The "Adoration of the Magi" The first of the Magi (wearing a crown) is on his knees, presenting his gift to Jesus. Behind him stand his two collegues waiting in line for their turn. Mary on the right seems to focus on the onlooker.

The cloister of Saint-Trophime forms a rectangle 28m x 25m. The eastern and northern sides were built in romanesque style 1160 - 1180. Shortly after that all constructions came to halt, due to an economic decline of Arles. New orders like the Trinitarians and the Knights Templar had settled in Arles - and caused competition. It took more than a century to restart the building process, so the southern and western sides were built erected during the 14th and 15th century in gothic style. Here a capital, depicting the "Massacre of the Innocents". Three large soldiers, wearing chain mails, obeying Herod´s order. Matthew 2:16 "When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi."

The cloister of Saint-Trophime - and the bell tower over the crossing of the church. The cloister forms a rectangle 28m x 25m. The two sides of the cloister seen from here differ. The right side is one of the two sides built in romanesque style (1160 / 1180). these are the nothern and eastern sides. Due to economic decline of Arles all constructions came to halt for a long period, so western and southern sides were erected during the 14th and 15th century in gothic style. I am standing on the flat roof of the cloister, that is accessible via a staircase. One reason for this construction was the lack of drinking water in medieval times. Via these roofs all rainwater was funneled into a into a cistern.

There are music festivals all over France during the summer. For a week "Les Suds à Arles" will flood Arles with music every year. In the late afternoon "Bo Houss", a HipHop-group from Mayotte, a French territory in the Indian Ocean near Madagascar, performs the song "Helicopter-Helicopter" - and the audience on the Place Voltaire starts to dance.. Listen to Bo Houss: www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYFVu7CvZzs

Over the last years I had met a smoking lady in Arles a couple of times, but this year, she had left the place. Her friend, a very elegant matador, was just next door.

Arles´ old hospital "Hôtel-Dieu-Saint-Espirit" was erected in the 16th and 17th century. It got enlarged during the 19th century and by now it is known under the name "Espace Van Gogh". Vincent van Gogh moved to Southern France in February 1888. He lived in Arles for 18 months, maybe this was his most productive time, as he created 187 paintings during this time. Van Gogh was at least twice in this hospital. On 23 December 1888 after a strange incident with Paul Gauguin, van Gogh cut off his earlobe - and was rushed to this hospital. He stayed for about two weeks, but returned to the hospital in February 1889, suffering from hallucinations. He left Arles a couple of months later and entered an asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. Vincent painted the "Courtyard of the Hospital". www.wikipaintings.org/en/vincent-van-gogh/the-courtyard-o...

The more and the longer I have travelled - the more I loved launderettes. Launderettes are meeting and melting points. Here the weary traveller will meet locals. There is an hour to spend at least, waiting for the washing machine. Talk is cheap. For the tourist all the locals have interesting stories to listen to and for the locals this stranger in the launderette is interesting. What is he doing in here? Where do you stay? What do you work? How is your life? Where will you be tomorrow? Launderettes - are definitely underestimated!

In 2010 I had started to walk the Via Tolosana here, in front of Saint-Trophime. The (maybe) oldest known tourist guidebook "Codex Calixtinus", written by Aimeric Picaud, an account of his journey to Santiago de Compostella around 1140, describes two point to be visited in Arles: Alyscamps, the necropolis around Saint Honoratus, and Saint-Trophime. At that time the facade of Saint-Trophime was not existing, as it was added to the building 1170-1180 after a long renovation of the church. The architects of the facade, that is a kind of narthex, may have known the (still standing) triumphal arch of the Roman settlement of Glanum (today Saint Rémy-de-Provence, 25kms northeast). Everything was brandnew, when end of July 1178 Frederick I Barbarossa walked through this portal and was crowned here "King of Burgundy". During the French Revolution this church served the revolutionists as a "Temple of Reason", but even the delicate carvings of the facade were not damaged, other as in nearby Saint-Gilles. One of the many details, that I overlooked before, is this "Dream of the Magi".

Since 2007 smoking is prohibited in all French schools, airports, stations, museums etc. Since 2008 smoking is prohibited in all French bars, pubs, restaurants, nightclubs etc. as well. This lady just found a little niche to smoke a cigarette. The red/white sticker on the gutter pipe is the marker of the GR (sentier de grande randonnée), that crosses the centre of Arles.

Alyscamps (from Latin "allissi campi" = Champs-Élysées or Elysian Fields) was a Roman necropole next to the "Via Aurelia" just outside the walls of the Christian martyrs have been buried here, so it not only became a center of pilgrimage, but as well was used as a burial ground untile medieval times. There are still hundreds of sarcophags all around, though the most valuable ones are in the local museum meanwhile. The church of Saint Honoratus, built on pre-roman foundations 12th and 13th century, but has lots of addons and "renovations". This was a gathering point for pilgrims walking the Via Tolosana. The "Codex Calixtus" from 1139 mentions the tomb of Saint Honoratus. The Alyscamp, we see today, is much smaller than it was before, as the building of the railroad in the 19th. century cut off the southern part (nowadays a ruined industry areal). Most of the sarcophags and the walls of the church are covered with carved graffitis. A graffiti on one of the many old sarcophags outside the church St. Honroratus. I cannot read the two initials (or maybe symbols) in the middle. Below them the year 1937 - and on top a ship, with two masts, two chimneys, a long row of bull´s eyes and a large flag.