Eglise St.-Trophime, named after the first bishop of Arles, is sited on Place de la République, a lively square featuring a fountain, centered on a porphyry obelisk, whose water burbles through the mouth of Hercules, identifiable from his lion-skin hood. St.-Trophime was built in the 12th century on the site of an 8th century church, another instance of the Catholic Church’s economy with hallowed ground. The Romanesque church, otherwise gracefully simple in feature, boasts a portal echoing the shape of a triumphal arch with extraordinarily detailed sculpture. The arc above the doors shows Christ accompanied by symbols of the four Gospel authors: Matthew (winged man), Mark (winged lion), Luke (ox), and John (eagle). The twelve figures below represent the apostles.
The interior of the church is relatively simple. Although the church is not enormous, it may seem deceptively small due to the height of the vaulting. The most interesting feature is a 4th century early Christian sarcophagus (stone coffin), currently used as an altar.
To see the cloisters, exit the church, turn left, and walk about 20 meters. Go through the large gates and head back and to the right. Despite the feeling that you are trespassing, you will eventually find a sign pointing you to the cloisters. The four passages of the cloister open onto a square of sunny grass, ornamented with a few pink-flowering shrubs and a tree. It’s easy to imagine clerics strolling these corridors deep in contemplation. The cloisters are built partly in Romanesque style and partly in Gothic style, distinguishable by the more pronounced point at the top of the Gothic arches. If you wish you can take the stairs up to the second floor, but there’s nothing more to see up there but the cloisters from above and a better view of the church’s bell tower.
The church can be visited for free, but a visit to the cloisters will set you back €3.