The main allure in Aigues-Mortes is the city itself. A sense of medievalism still permeates virtually every building, every rampart, and every cobbled street, and the town is still enclosed by ramparts that were constructed between 1272 and 1300. The Tour de Constance (tel. 04-66-53-61-55), which looks out on the marshes, is a model castle of the Middle Ages. At the top, which you can reach by elevator, a panoramic view unfolds. Admission is 6.50€ ($8.45) for adults, 4.50€ ($5.85) for ages 18 to 25, and free for children under 18. The monument is open May to August daily 10am to 6pm, September to April daily 10am to 1pm and 2 to 5pm.
The city's religious centerpiece is the Eglise Notre-Dame des Sablons, rue Jean-Jaurès (no phone). Constructed of wood in 1183, it was rebuilt in stone in 1246 in the ogival style. Its modern stained-glass windows were installed in 1980 as replacements for the badly damaged originals. The church is open May to September daily from 8:30am to 6pm, October to April 9am to 5pm.
The Legacy of Roman Blood & Gore -- Bullfighting is alive and well in the Camargue. Bullfighters usually come in from Spain, but these high-energy odes to testosterone aren't completely espagnol. Sometimes the bull is killed and sometimes it will mangle a local youth during a bullring celebration. Most gardiens (French cowboys) are too shrewd to participate in a head-on confrontation with a bull, though one or two are likely to be on horseback in or near the ring during the contest.
Although some minor bullfights occur in July and August in small arenas in the Camargue, the best ones are staged in Arles at the Amphitheater (Les Arènes). Tickets range in price from 15€ to 90€ ($20-$117). In modern times, the most avid aficionado of the bullfights in Arles was Picasso, who, in gratitude for the blood and gore, donated 70 of his drawings to the city of Arles. The corridas staged here Easter through September have been called "as bloody as anything presented to the Romans."
