Arles - St Trophime's Doorway

The recently restored facade of St Trophime in Arles facing the square has a magnificent doorway with some most impressive figures - a masterpiece of Provençal sculpture. It was placed in front of the existing Carolingian building in the 12th century and shows a certain similarity to the doorway of the Church of St-Gilles. On the pillars are figures of saints and Apostle: on the extreme inside of the front on the left is St Trophime being crowned with a mitre by two angels and on the right the Stoning of St Stephen. Above the door in the tympanum can be seen the Last Judgment with glory, surrounded by the symbols of the Evangelists and with the Twelve Apostles at his feet. This frieze is continued on the left and the right in the portrayal of the Last Judgment, with the "chosen" on the left and the "damned" on the right; below on the capitals on the left is the Annunciation and on the right the Birth of Jesus. Both side doorways are considerably smaller than the main doorway and were added in the 17th century. They give access to the rather dim interior. All three aisles are very narrow and high and show the transition from Romanesque to Gothic, the transept being 11th century and the center aisle 12th century. In the first bays on the right and the left hang large Gobelin tapestries. The choir and the choir ambulatory are 15th century High Gothic.