France > Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur > Bouches-du-Rhône > 13200 > Arles > Place De la République
Formerly known as Notre-Dame-la-Principale, then Museum of Pagan Art, the church of Notre-Dame-la-Principale was, under the Ancien Régime, the parish church of the town centre. Already rebuilt in 1175, it was in danger of falling into ruin at the beginning of the 17th century.
On the initiative of the archbishop Monseigneur du Laurens, the church was rebuilt, slightly set back from the Place Royale, whose extension was planned to make way for the future town hall. Consecrated on Saint Anne's Day, it took on the name of the saint, with relics of the saint preserved in a vermeil bust. The church was served by the priests of the Oratory, present in Arles since 1617. During the Revolution, it was disused, and Saint-Trophime, losing its title of cathedral, became the parish of the city centre. Thanks to the pugnacity of the first curator of Arles, Pierre Véran, to save Arles' antiquities, the building was, by imperial decree of 1805, conceded to the city to install an archaeological museum, built in 1825. The former church retained this function until the construction of the Museum of Ancient Arles and Provence, opened in 1995. It is now used as a temporary exhibition hall.
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Datatourism data updated on: 2023-08-29 05:13:02.412