Arelate Foundation 46 av. J.-C. (≈ 100 av. J.-C.)
Roman colony created to thank Arles.
26 av. J.-C.
Erection of *clipeus virtutis*
Erection of *clipeus virtutis* 26 av. J.-C. (≈ 100 av. J.-C.)
Marble copy discovered in 1951.
30-20 av. J.-C.
Construction of the forum
Construction of the forum 30-20 av. J.-C. (≈ 25 av. J.-C.)
The first major urban achievement of Arelate.
461
Description by Sidiine Apollinaire
Description by Sidiine Apollinaire 461 (≈ 461)
Testimonial on columns and statues.
1889
First classification Historic Monument
First classification Historic Monument 1889 (≈ 1889)
Protection of the remains of the forum.
1937-1938
Classification of cryptoportics
Classification of cryptoportics 1937-1938 (≈ 1938)
Extensions of legal protection.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The rest of the forum : by order of 12 July 1886 - The lower floor of the forum called cryptoportique : The part of the north gallery located under the Hotel du Nord-Pinus, rue du Palais (cad. A 296p, 297 to 301): classification by decree of 28 September 1937 - The parts of the former forum under the ownership of the Industrial and Commercial Bank, impasse of the Forum: classification by order of 2 June 1938 - The parts of the former forum located under the property of Mr. Trouche, impasse of the rue Barrême : classification by order of 2 June 1938 - The parts of the former forum located under the two buildings located 26 rue de l'Hôtel-de-Ville and Favorin impasse: classification by order of 8 August 1938
Key figures
Jules César - Founder of the colony
Arelate created in 46 B.C.
Octave (Auguste) - Tribute by *clipeus virtutis*
Copy erected on the forum.
Sidoine Apollinaire - Ancient author
Describes the forum in 461.
Origin and history
The Arles Forum, built around 30-20 BC, marks the first major urban achievement of the Roman settlement of Arelate, founded in 46 BC to reward its support of Julius Caesar. Designed according to the principles of Roman urban planning, it revolves around the Cardo maximus (north-south axis) and the decumanus (east-west axis), forming a 3 000 m2 paved esplanade framed with porticos and arcade galleries. Ancient authors such as Sidon Apollinaire (461) describe it as a space "congested with columns and statues".
The originality of the forum lies in its cryptoportiques, underground galleries made of horse iron (89 m x 59 m) intended to compensate the slope of the hill of the High. These structures, divided into three parallel galleries, were carefully executed and could have served as an attic in the late days. In 1951, a dump site revealed marble architectural elements, including a copy of the virtutis clipeus (26 B.C.), a tribute to Octave erected on the forum.
To the west, the forum was adjacent to an exhedron below, dedicated to imperial worship, whose remains remain in the courtyard of the Arlaten Museum. The present space of the Forum square does not correspond to the ancient location: the remains (two columns and a table) are integrated into the facade of the Hotel Nord-Pinus. The site, protected from 1889, includes successive rankings (1937-1938) for its cryptoportics and foundations.
Cryptoportics, accessible by two narrow northern gates (1.47 m), have been speculated on their use (promenor, storage), but their primary function remains structural. Their south gallery, dug in the rock, was underground, while the north gallery opened on a square lined with shops. These developments reflect the ingenious adaptation of the Romans to the Arlesian terrain.
The forum illustrates the importance of Arles as a strategic Roman colony, combining architectural innovation (cryptoportic) and political symbolism (imperial cult). Its remains, scattered under modern constructions, underline the superposition of the epochs in the Arlesian urban fabric, from antiquity to the Middle Ages (XII century).
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