Museum of Ancient Arles Arles, France

This excellent modern museum has a huge collection of Roman sarcophagi, 4th-century Christian sarcophagi, and other artifacts up to the 6th century.

Marble bust of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, dating from the 1st century BC or 2nd century AD. Found in the Roman theater of Arles in 1823. Inv. 92 00 405. Musee de l'Arles Antique, Arles, France. Image credit: David Joyal

Overview

The sleek, modern Musée de l'Arles Antique (Museum of Ancient Arles), is outside the city center of Arles but well worth the walk for those interested in ancient history. For those with cars, it is exceptionally handy; located right by the freeway and with its own spacious car park.

History

The Musée de l'Arles Antique opened in 1995, replacing and combining the collections of the former Museum of Christian Art and Museum of Pagan Art. The museum's unusual, ultra-modern triangular structure was designed by Henri Ciriani on the site of Arles' enormous Roman circus.

Description

The museum evokes Arles at the peak of its importance. It encompasses models of ancient monuments, objects from daily life in Roman times, and a variety of religious art ranging from the prehistoric period to the 6th century AD.

Among the displays are one of the world's most famous collections of 4th-century Roman Christian sarcophagi as well as sculptures, mosaics, jewelry and inscriptions. Eleven detailed models show ancient monuments of the region as they existed in the past.

Many of the Christian sarcophagi are from the necropolis of the Alyscamps and the early Christian burial place of St. Genest in the modern suburb of Trinquetaille. Mostly dating from the 4th century AD, the sarcophagi are richly decorated with some of the earliest surviving Christian sculpture, depicting a combination of scenes from the Old and New Testaments.

One of the finest sarcophagi in the Museum of Ancient Arles is that known as the Sarcophagus of the Spouses (Sarcophage des epoux) or Trinity Sarcophagus (Sarcophagus de La Trinite), dating from the early 4th century. It was found in 1974 at Trinquetaille, still sealed, with the remains of a woman around age 50 and a man around 60 with war wounds. The elaborately carved Early Christian sarcophagus depicts the following scenes, all associated with salvation: