Arles : les fouilles du Rhône — Un fleuve pour mémoire.

Exhibition

Ceramic, sculpture

Arles : les fouilles du Rhône
Un fleuve pour mémoire.

Past: March 9 → June 25, 2012

In partnership with the Musée Départemental Arles Antique, the Louvre presents the most spectacular pieces recovered from the Rhône riverbed over nearly twenty-five years of underwater excavations conducted by the French state agency for subaquatic and deep sea archaeological research (DRASSM), under the direction of Luc Long. These discoveries reveal the rich past of the Roman colony of Arelate (ancient Arles), from the imposing architecture of the “duplex” city established on both sides of the Rhône to its intense trade relations, also encompassing a wide variety of everyday objects, moving vestiges of the lives of its inhabitants. Many of these objects are exceedingly rare finds, including a number of bronze pieces, which are being presented only after years of study and restoration work: capitals and columns, fragments of statues and reliefs, amphorae, lamps, weapons, Roman metalwork treasures in silver and gold, etc. This exceptional grouping is joined by works from the Musée Calvet in Avignon and the Louvre together with pieces from museums of Vienna and in Turin, thus offering a fresh perspective on the discoveries at Arles, placing the objects brought up from the Rhône riverbed in context.

Architectural fragments, everyday objects and tools, as well as magnificent examples of Roman statuary and metalwork in silver and gold take visitors on a fascinating journey back in time to experience the ancient splendor of this first city on the Rhône. Films accompanying the exhibition help visitors understand the extremely difficult conditions under which these excavations have taken place, in this turbulent and dangerous river, documenting moments of discovery as well as the meticulous examination of objects brought to light. As a complement to these screenings, techniques used in the examination and restoration of bronze objects are presented in several informative displays prepared by archaeologists from the Rhône excavation team at DRASSM in collaboration with engineers from the Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France (C2RMF).

  • Les reliques de Saint Césaire d’Arles. Exhibition November 16, 2011 → February 16, 2012

    Dans le cadre du partenariat entre le musée Arles Antique et le Louvre, le département des Objets d’art expose les reliques de saint Césaire, évêque d’Arles au VIe siècle. Autour du sarcophage de marbre sont réunis l’ensemble des reliques (tunique, palliums, sandales, ceinture et boucle d’ivoire…), documents épigraphiques et manuscrits.

  • Lecture Monday, March 26, 2012 at 12:30 PM

    Presentation of the exhibition by its curator Jean-Luc Martinez.

  • Actualité de la recherche archéologique — Pour une vision renouvelée des ports antiques d’Arles. Lecture Monday, May 21, 2012 at 12:30 PM

    For a Renewed vision of the ancient harbours of Arles. Report of archeological underwater research in the Rhône and the region of Camargues by Luc Long, DRASSM (French state agency for subaquatic and deep sea archaeological research), Marseille.

  • Table-ronde — Débat — Rendre à César... : les éléments du débat Lecture Wednesday, June 20, 2012 2:30 PM → 6 PM
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Palais royal, musée du Louvre

75001 Paris

www.louvre.fr

Palais Royal – Musée du Louvre

Opening hours

Every day except Tuesday, 9 AM – 6 PM
Late night on Wednesday, Friday until 9:30 PM
Lundi, jeudi, samedi, dimanche : fermeture des salles à partir de 17h30

Admission fee

Full rate €17.00

D’octobre à mars : le premier dimanche de chaque mois, l’accès aux collections permanentes est gratuit pour tous.