On the south and uphill side of the church, the cloisters are reached up a big stone staircase in the Archbishop’s Palace. With their carvings, they are considered to be among the most beautiful cloisters in France. There is a charge to enter, but they do repay visiting.
The south and west side of the cloisters were built in the C12th and are Romanesque with rounded arches. The rest is C14th Gothic with taller, more pointed arches. The arches are supported by double columns which have wonderful carved capitals. Each is different and many have a sense of humour. Many of the columns also have carved figures, either from the Bible or of Saints.
The Chapter House is off the east wall of the cloisters. On the walls are three C17th Gobelin tapestries showing scenes of the Delivery of Jerusalem by Godefroy de Bouillon in the C11th.
I visited Arles on Day 6 of Burgundy, the River Rhone and Provence, a river cruise with Riviera Travel.
My full account with all the pictures can be found “here.”:http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/otherholidays/rhone/index.html
