Rouquette d'Arles

Jean-Maurice Rouquette (1931-2019) used to introduce himself on the phone with these words: “It’s Rouquette, Rouquette from Arles.” For all those who knew him, the identification of the man with the city was total. The life of the man and that of the city intertwine on every page in the service of a heritage to be protected, to be made known, to be brought to life. Sixty years of intuition, science, application and tenacity, to accompany the industrial Arles of the 1950’s to the doors of a new radiance. Under the inspiration of the Academy of Arles, which he presided over for fifty years, the friends of Jean-Maurice Rouquette give us their vision of a man who teaches us how to love a city.

The Academy of Arles, founded in 1666, was the first provincial company to receive letters patent from Louis XIV. It was then very influential in intellectual circles. After a long eclipse, it was renewed in another form in 1941 and again in the 1960s. Jean-Maurice Rouquette became its president in 1965, rebuilding it on its original foundations and making it a major tool for the dissemination of culture in the Arles region. The Academy is composed of thirty full members, honorary members and corresponding members. Internal communications, public conferences and colloquiums are published in the annual Mémoires de l’Académie d’Arles or Travaux.