The Palais des Papes, or Papal Palace, is one of the most famous French landmarks and the site of one of the stranger episodes in the history of both France and Christendom. Medieval France and Italy both contained Papal States and popes weren't as stationary then – they traveled around Europe and resided in certain cities for a time.

The Arles Amphitheater, built in the first century CE, was where gladiator fights and chariot races were held, providing a regular dose of bloody sports to some 20,000 spectators. In later years, after the Romans had gone, buildings sprouted within the arena, turning it into a veritable village, replete with housing and churches.