Saint-Trophime Primatial Catholic Church Review

The church of Santo Fem (Eglise Saint Trophirme) was built on the basis of the chapel in the late 11th century. Part of the church is Romanesque and part Gothic, which is just a description of the transition of the times. Its western facade with ancient Roman heritage is one of the representative works of Roman architecture in Provence, and the cloister on the south side of the church witness the process of integrating Arles, an ancient city that was infiltrated in ancient Roman civilization, into Western European medieval culture. It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1981 along with the city's Colosseum, Ancient Theatre and other ancient Roman relics. It was named after Bishop St-Trophime and served as an archdiocese from the 4th century to 1790. The existing sites are mostly formed from the late 11th to early 12th centuries, and some statues and wall paintings are exquisite. Through the courtyard, you will see beautiful corridors, which are finely carved on stone walls and marble columns. The main entrance of the church is painted quaint crimson with iron lines. The 12th-century sculpture of the gateway to the church is a detailed sculpt of the Bible and the New Testament, where Jesus Christ sits in the middle, symbolizing evangelists on both sides, on the left: the angel of St. Matthew and the lion of St. Mark; on the right is the eagle of St. John and the bull of St. Luke. Twelve believers sit below. On the left side of the entrance is a group of Christians walking into heaven, on the right is a group of sinners thrown into hell. There are also many biblical scenes carved at the entrance: angels, christ baptism, oriental doctor visits, etc. Under the front, separated by columns, are statues of saints.