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Origin and history

The primatial Basilica of Saint-Trophime of Arles, built from 1100 on ancient remains, embodies the apogee of Provencal Romanesque art. Its nave of five vaulted bays in a broken cradle, flanked by narrow bottoms, dates from the middle of the 12th century, while the choir and the walk-in, Gothic style, were added in the 15th century. The square bell tower, rebuilt in the 13th century and modified in the 17th century, dominates a cross of transept surmounted by a dome. The historical portal (1180–1190), a sculptural jewel inspired by antiquity, represents the tetramorph and biblical scenes, echoing the abbey of Saint-Gilles.

Following the church, the cloister Saint-Trophime (XIIth–XIVth centuries) is distinguished by its Romanesque galleries (north and east), decorated with sculptures of the second half of the 12th century, and its Gothic galleries (south and west), completed under the episcopate of Jean de Rochechouart (1390–1398). Ranked a historic monument in 1840, the ensemble also includes paleo-Christian sarcophagi (IVth–Vth centuries) and tapestries of Aubusson (17th century) illustrating the life of the Virgin. Saint-Trophime, the seat of the Archdiocese until 1789, was erected as a minor basilica in 1882 by Leo XIII, after having been a temple of the Supreme Being during the Revolution.

The nave, 40 meters long, reveals marks of taskrons and vaults resting on doubles with ressalts, characteristic of the 12th century. Under its first spans, excavations uncovered ancient or alto-medieval remains, perhaps a Carolingian warehouse or crypt destroyed in the 15th century to give way to the Gothic choir. The latter, commanded by Cardinal Pierre de Foix (1454–1464), includes a walk-through and eight radiant chapels, while later modifications, such as the Chapel of the Kings (1620), reflect the evolution of liturgical usages.

The furniture, partly dispersed during the Revolution, was reconstructed in the 19th century under Henri-Antoine Révoil, with works from deleted churches. Among the major pieces are a Child Virgin by Leonardo Mirano (1619), paleo-Christian sarcophagus (including that of Paulus Geminius, 5th century), and a 16th-century tomb. The stained glass windows, restored after 1944, depict local saints (Trophime, Stephen) and Marian scenes, while the cloister, classified in 1846, even inspired a postage stamp in 1935.

Saint-Trophime also embodies the religious history of Arles: the early cathedral of Gauls, it housed the tombs of archbishops since Raimond de Montredon (1160). His institutional decline, as a result of the Concordat of 1801, did not cause him to lose his honorary titles. Prosper Mérimée classified it as one of the first historical monuments in 1840, and UNESCO registered it as a World Heritage Site in 1981, highlighting its role in Mediterranean Romanesque art and its dialogue with the ancient remains of the city.

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