Introduction to Arles

724km (450 miles) S of Paris; 35km (22 miles) SW of Avignon; 89km (55 miles) NW of Marseille

Often called the soul of Provence, this town on the Rhône attracts art lovers, archaeologists, and historians. To the delight of visitors, many of the luminous vistas of van Gogh's paintings remain. The painter left Paris for Arles in 1888, the same year he cut off part of his left ear. He painted some of his most celebrated works here, including Starry Night, The Bridge at Arles, Sunflowers, and L'Arlésienne.

The Greeks are said to have founded Arles in the 6th century B.C. Julius Caesar established a Roman colony here; Constantine the Great named it the second capital of his empire in A.D. 306, when it was known as "the little Rome of the Gauls." Arles was incorporated into France in 1481.

Though Arles doesn't possess as much charm as Aix-en-Provence, it's still rewarding to visit, with first-rate museums, excellent restaurants, and summer festivals. The city today, with a population of 55,000, isn't quite as lovely as it was when Picasso lived here, but it has enough of the antique Provence charm to keep its appeal alive.