The Roman amphitheatre

The Arles amphitheatre was built around AD 90 and is still the centre of the town rather than a ruin outside it. Two tiers of arcades run round a ring a hundred and thirty metres across, three square medieval towers stand on top of it from when the arena was fortified into a village, and the streets around it curve because they were laid against the wall.

The outer ring is the best of it and it costs nothing. Walk it and the arches repeat away from you in a long curve, deep enough that a figure standing in one is separated from the stone by shadow. The best stretch is the north-west side, which takes evening light head-on. From inside, the terraces give a view over the tiled roofs to the Rhône, and the arena floor puts the whole tier structure behind a subject.

Early morning is the hour to be inside: it opens around nine, the tour groups come at eleven, and the low sun still reaches the upper arcade. The stone is pale and bounces a lot of light, so overcast is kinder than a hard blue sky at midday.

The interior is ticketed and closes to visitors on bullfight and event days — the arena is a working venue, not only a monument, so check the calendar before fixing a date. The outer ring stays public and free whatever is on inside.