Facts About Arles:
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The Ligurians were in this area from about 800 BC. Later, Celtic influences have been discovered. The city became an important Phoenician trading port, before being taken by the Romans.
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The Roman and Romanesque Monuments of Arles were listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1981.
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Vincent van Gogh painted his famous Sunflowers in Arles.
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Arles is twinned with: Pskov, Russia; Jerez de la Frontera and Cubelles, Spain; Fulda, Germany; York, Pennsylvania, United States; Vercelli, Italy; Sagné, Mauritania; Kalymnos, Greece; Wisbech, United Kingdom; Zhouzhuang, Kunshan, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China; Verviers, Belgium & George Town, Penang, Malaysia.
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An international photography festival has been held in Arles since 1970.
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World Famous Painters Vincent van Gogh and Paul Gauguin lived in Arles.
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The Population of Arles as of 2015 is 52,886.
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Arles is situated on the Camargue plain where the Rhône River divides to form its delta.
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Arles is the largest commune in France in terms of territory.
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A major French publishing house Actes Sud is also situated in Arles. It was founded in 1978 by author Hubert Nyssen.