Arles - Saint-Trophime

The cloister of Saint-Trophime - and the bell tower over the crossing of the church. The cloister forms a rectangle 28m x 25m. The two sides of the cloister seen from here differ. The right side is one of the two sides built in romanesque style (1160 / 1180). these are the nothern and eastern sides. Due to economic decline of Arles all constructions came to halt for a long period, so western and southern sides were erected during the 14th and 15th century in gothic style.

I am standing on the flat roof of the cloister, that is accessible via a staircase. One reason for this construction was the lack of drinking water in medieval times. Via these roofs all rainwater was funneled into a into a cistern.