Saint-Trophime Cloister

A medieval cloister in central Arles

Saint-Trophime Cloister lies beyond the Archbishop’s Palace courtyard on Place de la République, beside the former cathedral. Its Romanesque and Gothic galleries surround an inner courtyard, while the adjoining rooms host exhibitions. The City of Arles includes these spaces in its temporary municipal venue-hire scheme. Cultural, association or corporate projects must be submitted to the municipal services for review of their purpose and suitability for the monument.

The monument and adjoining rooms

The municipal schedule distinguishes the cloister itself from its three separately listed rooms. A 2025 exhibition agreement documents a 153-square-metre room on the ground floor and a 157-square-metre room on the first floor. These areas describe the spaces used for that exhibition; they are not guest capacities. Attendance, setup, furniture and circulation routes must be agreed for each event.

Two Romanesque galleries from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries sit alongside two Gothic galleries completed in the fourteenth century. Columns, carved capitals, vaults and roof terraces give the site a distinctive architectural character. The cloister forms part of the Roman and Romanesque Monuments of Arles inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1981. The intended use of each room and conservation requirements belong in the event planning process.

Prices depend on the event scheme

A private reception closed to the public requires an individually approved decision and price. For events open to the public, the schedule effective from 1 January 2024 gives reference valuations per 24-hour period: €3,500 for the cloister from April to October, €2,100 from November to March and €450 for each of the three rooms, with no seasonal variation stated for those rooms. These figures support fee calculations under the public-event scheme and do not constitute private-hire quotations.

The public calculation also takes account of the organiser’s status and, where relevant, lost visitor revenue and event ticket sales. Lost admission revenue for the cloister is valued at €120 per closure hour in high season and €60 in low season. Spaces are provided in their existing condition, with utilities included in the basic valuation. Equipment loans and additional services may cost extra. A temporary occupancy agreement formalises the arrangement.

Exhibitions and heritage visits

The cloister’s rooms were among the exhibition spaces actually made available for the 2025 cultural season. This continues the site’s established use for art, heritage displays and cultural events. A cloister visit may accompany a programme, arranged separately according to availability. Advertised visitor admission for 2026–2027 is €6 at full price and €5 at the reduced rate, with free admission for visitors under 18.

Planning access and times

The entrance is reached by a staircase from the Archbishop’s Palace courtyard. The site is therefore difficult to access for people with reduced mobility; routes to the booked rooms must be checked with the team. Les Lices public car park is nearby. The tourist listing states that pets are not admitted. Public hours vary by season; setup, guest arrival and departure times are governed by the agreement. To discuss a project, contact the Heritage and Culture Directorate on +33 4 90 49 38 32 or the heritage service at patrimoine@ville-arles.fr.

Photograph credit

Photograph of the courtyard, galleries and bell tower at Saint-Trophime Cloister in Arles, taken on 1 April 2022 — Rolf Kranz / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Converted to WebP.