A Celtic city colonized by the Greeks, Arles became Roman after Julius Caesar distributed the land among his veteran legionnaires in 46 B.C. This was the first Golden Age of the city dubbed « Little Rome in Gaul », which became a major religious center during the Early Christian period.  After suffering destruction during the invasions of the early Middle Ages, the city was rebuilt during the 12th century.  The splendor of its medieval monuments is proof of the wealth and dynamism of the city at this time.

During the 17th and 18th centuries many aristocratic town houses were built.  They form today the core of the charming historical center, where the large number of listed monuments bears witness to 2000 years of history.  In 1981 the Roman and Romanesque buildings of Arles were listed as UNESCOworld heritage monuments. Arles is a member of the French network of Ville d’art et d’Histoire, and also of the European network AVEC, (Alliance des villes européennes de la  culture - European cultural cities alliance).