Van Gogh and Gauguin visited an ancient Roman necropolis, "Les Alyscamps", which had been built by the Romans outside city walls. Over time the grounds were overtaken by factories and the railroad, leaving the "Allee des Tombeaux", (the avenue of tombs), a lane of shady poplar trees that led to a Romanesque chapel. This lane was known throughout France as a "lovers' lane" (the women of Arles celebrated for their beauty). The couples depicted in the painting are taking a romantic stroll in the evening and it was this aspect of the scene that especially attracted the artists' attention.