Place du Forum

At the heart of the city, this square has always symbolized meetings and exchanges. From ancient times, it was an annex to the main forum (late 1st century BC), an economic and political hub for the Roman administration, and in the Middle Ages became an essential marketplace for commercial transactions. Today, it's known as one of the city's most "social" places. Arlesians and tourists rub shoulders here under the patronage of numerous celebrities, including Vincent Van Gogh and Frédéric Mistral.

In the Place du Forum, Vincent Van Gogh, the solitary painter, began or ended his journey among the night's regulars. One September evening (1888), he set up his easel...

Cities are beautiful at night. Arles seduced Vincent Van-Gogh in the same way he had been seduced by the fury of color in the spring countryside ("this yellow sea") and the deep daytime sky.
He stayed at Place Lamartine, but moved around the city during his short stay. Evening life was spent in cafés and cabarets, where he met the few acquaintances he left behind.

DATAtourisme France