Arles - Alyscamps

Alyscamps (from Latin "allissi campi" = Champs-Élysées or Elysian Fields) was a Roman necropole next to the "Via Aurelia" just outside the walls of the Christian martyrs have been buried here, so it not only became a center of pilgrimage, but as well was used as a burial ground untile medieval times. There are still hundreds of sarcophags all around, though the most valuable ones are in the local museum meanwhile. The church of Saint Honoratus, built on pre-roman foundations 12th and 13th century, but has lots of addons and "renovations". This was a gathering point for pilgrims walking the Via Tolosana. The "Codex Calixtus" from 1139 mentions the tomb of Saint Honoratus. The Alyscamp, we see today, is much smaller than it was before, as the building of the railroad in the 19th. century cut off the southern part (nowadays a ruined industry areal). Most of the sarcophags and the walls of the church are covered with carved graffitis.

A graffiti on one of the outer walls of the church St. Honroratus.

Unfortunately the name (top row) is lost. Somebody erased it. The graffiti was carved in by a "soldier" in "1869". Then there is "99- de Ligne", what is the "99e régiment d'infanterie de ligne", a famous regiment, created in (german) Zweibruecken (Deux-Ponts) in 1757 and at that time named "Régiment royal Deux-Ponts". In 1780 this regiment was sent to North America, to support the Americans in their fight for independence, and so took part in the Battle of Yorktown in 1781.


Here you´ll find much more:

english:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Deux-Ponts_Regiment

french:
fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/99e_r%C3%A9giment_d%27infanterie_de...

german:
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Deux-Ponts