Barefoot BloggeR

Inspiring Life & Travel in France

Barefoot BloggeR

Inspiring Life & Travel in France

Search
Close this search box.

Uzès Day Trip To The Camargue: “Must See” Stops

You cannot take a Uzès day trip to Arles, Saintes-Maries, and the Camargue and not be thrilled. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy the short preview as much as I enjoyed the day trip out of Uzès.

But first, a field of sunflowers to start the day.

Uzes Day Trip
Sunflowers in France

Uzès Day Trip to Arles. It’s More than Van Gogh.

Today, most people go to Arles to trace the footsteps of Van Gogh. That idea intrigues me, but not for this trip. There were other places I wanted to see that were nearby. So I spent the morning in Arles visiting a couple of its most critical Roman artifacts: the Arena and the Amphitheatre.

Frankly, I am surprised at myself, but history is taking on a whole new meaning. It’s actually fun to put together names and events now that I can put them into context.

Uzes Day Trip
Arles Arena

 Arles’s history traces back to a primitive tribe living between the river (Rhone) and the marshes. From early on, Arles was overshadowed by Marseilles, the nearby settlement by the sea. Interestingly, the city’s fate and wealth turned positive when the people of Arles aided Julius Caesar in defeating Pompey in Marseilles. Among other contributions to Caesar’s cause, the shipbuilders of Arles constructed twelve fighting vessels for Caesar’s troops, reading them to sail in less than 80 days.

Caesar bestowed the title “Colonia Julia Paterna Arelatensis Sextanorum” upon Arles. He then stationed his Vi legion in Arles, which helped create a Roman city of great renown. The Arles Arena reminds us of how prosperous Arles became during Roman times. Built on a smaller scale than the Arena in Nimes, it appears to be a “mini” arena. Even so, it accommodates up to 25,000 spectators. Like in Nimes, the Arena still has an active life, hosting popular bullfights and local festivals.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Romulus Augustus, the last Roman emperor, died in 476, and Arles soon fell into barbarians’ hands. The city collapsed in 480 with the arrival of the Visigoths. The Theatre in Arles, by some accounts, was built somewhere between 15BC and 30BC. Because of the religious significance of the original statues and monuments, they have been plundered repeatedly.

 

Arles reasserted itself through the years, eventually becoming the kingdom’s capital, including Provence and Bourgogne. Although the Roman architecture and magnificent structures in Arles have been ransacked and materials removed for other purposes, those that remain rank among Provence’s finest and most important.

Uzes Day Trip

 

Next Uzes Day Trip: Saintes-Maries-De-La-Mer

Holidays in France: Saintes-Maries-De-La-Mer

 

 

 

 

Day trip from Uzes to the Cevennes

Stay Updated

Get the latest scoop delivered straight to your email!

Recent Posts

Popular Destinations

French Footsteps

A series of posts dedicated to helping Americans seeking to expat in France

Destination: Abroad

Destination: Abroad When I mention that I call France my home, people always have questions.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More Adventures