St-Trophime, Arles 
West façade of the Église St-Trophime with its famed portal.
Saints and the Redeemed on the left side of the west portal.
The Damned are led to Hell on the right side of the portal.
The Adoration of the Magi on the west portal.
South side of the church, central tower, and west exterior of cloister.
View of the cloisters and tower from the roof terrace.
Plan of capitals and other sculptures in the cloister.
Photo
Robert Valette.
East gallery of the cloister and entrance to chapter house, 12th century.
Cloister capital depicting the Israelites.
Sculpture of St. Stephen on a corner pillar in the cloisters.
Location map and aerial view of St-Trophime. For a larger interactive view, see our Arles Map.
The Église St-Trophime is a former cathedral and masterpiece of Romanesque art in the Provençal city of Arles, France.
History
St-Trophime was constructed in the 11th and 12th centuries on the site of an 8th-century church dedicated to Saint Stephen. St. Stephen was the first Christian martyr; St. Trophime was an early bishop of Arles. Frederick Barbarossa was crowned king of Arles here in 1178.
The Église St-Trophime, along with other monuments of Arles, was classified a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. The magnificent portal was restored between 1988 and 1995 with the help of public funds and a large donation from the World Monuments Fund in New York.
What to See
West Portal
The Church of Saint Trophime is characteristic of Provençal Romanesque architecture. Overlooking the spacious Place de la République, St-Trophime's very well preserved 12th-century portal is acclaimed as one of the finest achievements of the southern Romanesque style. Recent restorations have made its quality and beauty even more apparent.
The theme of the portal is the Last Judgment, with chained souls being dragged off to Hell on the right side and the righteous being delivered into the hands of the saints on the left. The tympanum depicts Christ in Majesty surrounded by the symbols of the Evangelists. Other narrative reliefs depict events surrounding the Nativity.
Full-length statues of apostles and saints stand guard on either side of the portal, with the two patron saints of Arles, St. Trophime and St. Stephen, in prominent positions next to the main door. From left to right, the figures are: St. Bartholomew; St. James the Greater; St. Trophime; St. John; St. Peter; [main door]; St. Paul; St. Andrew; St. Stephen (in narrative context, showing his stoning and ascent into heaven); St. James the Lesser; and St. Philip.
Interior
The dark interior has minimal decoration and is not as interesting as the exterior, but is worth a look for its austere symmetry and artworks (including a 4th-century sarcophagus).
Cloisters
More interesting are the Cloisters of St-Trophime that adjoin the church on the southeast. Entrance is through a separate gateway to the right of the church facade. The cloisters are not as attractive as some others in Provence, but only because they are in need of cleaning and restoration (scheduled to begin in late 2008, just after our visit). Most of the stone is black with industrial grime and most of the capitals are patched with protective tape.
The north and east galleries of the cloister are 12th-century Romanesque, while the south and west galleries are late-14th-century Gothic. Pillars alternate with columns, the capitals of which are decorated with fine sculptures of biblical scenes. The pillars bear figures of apostles and saints and between them are narrative reliefs of Christ and the saints.
| North Gallery (12c) 1. Aries 2. Punishment of lust 3. St. John 4. Holy Women, St. Trophime 5-6. Resurrection of Christ 7. St. Peter 10. foliage, human heads, griffins 11. Raising of Lazarus 12. foliage 13. Sacrifice of Abraham 14. foliage 15. Story of Balaam 16. Supper at Emmaus 17. Risen Christ 18. Pilgrims to Emmaus 19. (buttress) 20. acrobat 21. foliage 22. Abraham and angels 23. foliage, heads 24. St. Paul 25. foliage 26. Human, ram, griffin heads 27. St. James the Greater 28. Christ displays wounds 29. St. Thomas 30. (buttress) 31. eagle 32. foliage 33. Presentation of Tables of the Law to Moses 34. foliage 35. foliage, eagle, human heads 36. foliage 37. foliage, human heads 38. St. Paul 39. Ascension of Christ |
East Gallery (12c) 40. St. Stephen 41. Stoning of St. Stephen 42. St. Andrew 43. ass 44. Tarasque 45. foliage 46. (buttress) 47. foliage 48. Annunciation 49. foliage 50. eagles 51. foliage 52. Annunciation to the Shepherds 53. Judas 54. Christ at the Column 55. Executioner 56. (buttress) 57. Atlante 58. foliage 59. Herod 60. lion muzzle, human mask 61. Flight into Egypt 62. foliage 63. Magi before Herod 64. King Solomon 65. (missing statue) 66. Queen of Sheba 67. (buttress) 68. lion head 69. eagle 70. foliage 71. Adoration of the Magi 72. Constantine or Conversion of Paul 73. Triumphal Entry 74. foliage 75. Dispersion of the Apostles 76. Gamaliel 77. Kiss of Judas, Last Supper, Washing of Feet |
South Gallery (14c) 78. angel, basin 79. Baptism, Temptation of Christ 80. Angel 81. ram's head 82. lion and Tarrasque 83. Blessing of Alyscamps 84. foliage 85. Madonna and child 86. foliage 87. Charlemagne 88. mask 89. Barons sentenced 90. foliage 91. Hanging barons 92. Griffin and siren 93. Charlemagne and Turpin West Gallery (14c) 94. foliage 95. Stoning of St. Stephen 96. grotesque mask 97. Samson 98. seated humans and dragons 99. St. Martha and Tarrasque 100. floral decoration 101. Mary Magdalen Anoints Christ's Feet 102. floral decoration 103. Annunciation 104. Monster 105. Coronation of the Virgin 106. lion 107. Pentecost |
The lovely Chapter House, a long hall with a peaked stone vault; displays some Gobelin tapestries and a small lapidarium in an upper gallery. The other rooms adjacent to the cloisters are used for temporary exhibitions.
The stairs leading to the galleries and the rooms above also lead to the terrace-like roof gallery which encircles the cloisters and provides a nice view of the cloisters and tower.
Quick Facts
| Site Information | |
| Names: | St-Trophime |
| Location: | Arles, Provence, France |
| Faith: | Christianity |
| Denomination: | Catholic |
| Category: | Churches; World Heritage Sites |
| Architecture: | Romanesque |
| Features: | Romanesque Sculpture |
| Status: | active |
| Photo gallery: | St-Trophime Photo Gallery (for viewing) |
| Stock photos: | St-Trophime Stock Photos (for licensing) |
| Visitor Information | |
| Address: | Place de la République, 13200 Arles, France |
| Coordinates: | 43.67647° N, 4.628334° E (view on Google Maps) |
| Lodging: | View hotels near this location |
| Related tours: | 1. Arles, Les Baux and Saint Remy de Provence from Marseille 2. Orange, Les Baux de Provence and Arles Small Group Day Trip |
Travel Resources
- Arles Map - our detailed interactive map of Arles, plus hand-picked links to more
- Arles Hotels - check availability, maps, photos and reviews, and book at the guaranteed lowest price
- Arles Guided Tours - sightseeing tours and activities in Arles
- Arles Car Rentals - get the lowest rate by comparing multiple car companies at a glance
Article Sources
- Personal visit (June 29, 2008).
- Arles in the Middle Ages - Arles Tourism Office
- Roman and Romanesque Monuments of Arles - UNESCO World Heritage List
- Paul Stirton, Blue Guide Provence and the Cote D'Azur, 2nd ed. (London: A&C Black Publishers Limited, 2003), 75-78.
- Saint-Trophime - CyArk Documentation Project
- Cloître Saint-Trophime - French Wikipedia
More Information
- Eglise St Trophime d'Arles (photos) - Romanes.com
- St-Trophime - Images of Medieval Art and Architecture
Last updated on March 29, 2010.
