Alyscamps

The Alyscamps (Latin Allissi campi, dt Elyseische fields) is an ancient necropolis near the southeastern edge of the old town of Arles in southern France. Between the more or less preserved remains of the churches of St. Cesaire -le- Vieux and St Honorat lined up today on both sides of a 500 meter long plane tree avenue antique stone sarcophagi together.

The applied already in antiquity burial ground on the Roman road Via Aurelia won from the 5th century, when the veneration of the Holy Genesius widespread, important. Genesius (St. Genès ) was a chancery clerk in Arles, who was beheaded 303 AD under the Roman Emperor Maximian in the year because he had refused to ratify death sentences against Christians. Genesius was buried in the cemetery and in the subsequent period, the bishops of Arles.

With the onset of pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela the importance of Alyscamps took in the 12th century on. Here on the Alyscamps begins via Tolosana, the southernmost of the four main routes of the Camino de Santiago in France, the Aimeric Picaud in his Codex calisetinus ( 5th book: Le Guide du Pelerin de Saint -Jacques -de- Compostella ) Via Aegidia (Route of Saint -Gilles du Gard ) calls. Here the pilgrims gathered for their way to Santiago de Compostela. Aimeric Picaud recommends in its incurred in 1139 writing the veneration of dead saints in the crypt of St. Honorat

The Church of St. Honorat, built on pre-Roman remains of walls, comes in its main parts dating from the 12th and early 13th centuries. With numerous interruptions has been worked over and over again at the church until the 19th century, without that she could ever be fully completed. Choir, transepts with chapels from the 15th to the 18th century and the crossing with the bell tower have been preserved. From five planned Longhouse Jochen was only the easternmost yoke, which was closed in the 17th century by a makeshift wall to the west, realized. Together with the Saint Trophimus to Arles, the Church of St. Honorat is one of the great works of the second Romanesque period (12th century) in the Rhône- Provence.

Before the church of St. Honorat lie the remains of an early Christian cemetery, which can be dated to the 4th and 5th centuries.

In the Middle Ages, the Church of St. Cesaire -le- Vieux monastery church of the monastery of St. Cesaire. Presumably she was the successor church the grave church of Sainte -Marie where the nuns were buried.

Particularly valuable, late Roman sarcophagi of the necropolis Alyscamps today form part of the attractions at the Musée de l' Arles antique, Arles. The simple designed sarcophagi, partly decorated with symbols, remained on site.

The necropolis Alyscamps was originally much larger than the still existing remains. With the construction of a railway line in the 19th century, the southern part of the street of tombs were destroyed.

Gallery

The plane tree avenue with sarcophagi

The necropolis Les Alyscamps with the Church of St. Honorat

Stone sarcophagus

Christian tombs in the church of St. Honorat

Wall of the nave of the church of St. Honorat

Side chapel of the church of St. Honorat

Vault detail in the church of St. Honorat