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Avignon
Department of Vaucluse
Population: 90 800 inhabitants ( 2005 )
By visiting this city, you will be spellbound by this magic place.
Avignon is a city which seems taken out of past but it’s nevertheless very alive. It’s a centre of life charged with history and which history! By winding in the lanes of the city, you will go back in time.
Listen to the noise of pavements under your feet, raise the head and admire the stone facades of the perfectly preserved houses, and when you will reach the place of the Popes Palace, you will be amazed! The city was classified World Patrimony of the UNESCO.
History of Avignon
Since the prehistory the first-rate Doms rock (this name remains a mystery) attracted to it the people. It was doubtless an ideally place; placed to protect itself and the Rhone was a trump card for the business and the exchanges. Numerous archaeological discoveries allow without the shadow of a doubt to make of Avignon an antique cosmopolitan city, the business was an important activity on the edges of the Rhone.
The name of the city according to the historians is credibly the translation of “City of violent wind". It’s true that the first-rate "mistral" can blow here with an extremely violent way, there is only to look at the plane trees which tilt in the direction where the mistral brushes them. The most significant period of the history of this city is that where it becomes from 1309 till 1423, the "Popes City". It remains today of this glorious past of capital of the Christian world: the magnificently preserved buildings which constitute the most beautiful and the vastest Gothic set of Europe.
Avignon: Town of mysteries
Numerous mysteries and legends glide over the city … An alchemist Pope, a fabulous treasure, Knight Templar, ghosts …
Avignon will make you dreaming, Avignon will inspire you as numerous artists. It’s necessary to live at least once the extraordinary excitement which seizes the city from the launch of the famous Festival of Avignon. During one month, the artists of the whole world come in Provence, the most known as those wishing to make known itself. Avignon transformed into artists city, spectacles and animations in all the corners of street, a program of representations leaving you only the embarrassment of the choice. The child as the adult, the passionate persons as the novices, will find their happiness.
Inevitable city of Provence
Avignon is worth the bend, it is least that one can say. Situated at the edge of the Rhone, among Luberon and Camargue, the "Popes City" will offer you fabulous light of Provence, its relaxed rhythm of life and a beautiful historic center. City of culture and art, you will find there of what to cultivate you and to amuse you. Quite as it neighbour Aix in Provence, Avignon is one of the key cities of Provence with its history, its patrimony and its quality of life.
Specialities
The wine
Ideally situated the city of Avignon is surrounded by of numerous vineyards. Around of the city you will be able to sample various wine in AOC: Coasts of the Rhone, Coasts of Luberon, Coasts of Ventoux, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas or Vacqueyras.
The papaline
You will find this speciality, created in memory of the Popes, only in Vaucluse. This greed, close to the thistle - liqueur is obtained after 72 hours from manufacture. The secret is liqueur of Oregano, this liqueur is the result of a maceration made with about sixty plants of Provence, and some honey is added.
The stew avignonnaise
The preparation of the stew avignonnaise is identical to the classic stew; it’s enough to replace beef by lamb or sheep. One samples it with vegetables.
Marchés
- Books market
Place : Cours Jean Jaurès
Day : Every 1-st on Saturday of the month
Place : Place Pie
Day : All Tuesday and Thursday from 7 hr till 16. 00
Place : Street Cabassole and Garden of Carmes
Day : All Sundays from 7 hr till 13 hr
Place : Les Halles - Place Pie
Day : From Tuesday till Sunday from 7 hr till 13 hr
Monuments
When you arrive at Avignon, it’s the first things that you see, you can not miss them. They surround and protect the historic city for the XIV-th century. They stretch on 4 kilometres, and counts 39 towers and 7 main doors. It’s true that at their time they were higher and than moats disappeared now but they are magnificently preserved.
The bridge of Avignon or saint Bénézet Bridge dates XII-th century. At this time, it cross the Rhone with 22 arcs what made it during long period an importing axis because it stayed for a long time the only bridge has to cross the river. But it’s the popular song " On the Bridge of Avignon " which made it famous. The particularity of this bridge which classified is the chapel Saint Bénézet and Saint Nicolas which are in the middle of the bridge. The construction of this chapel is connected to the legend of the construction of bridge ordered young herdsman by God who will become Saint Bénézet.
The very famous Popes Palace was built after the installation of the Popes in Avignon between 1335 and 1352. It’s today classified in the World patrimony of the UNESCO, because with 15 000 m2, it’s the biggest construction Gothic of the Middle Age. The visit of the Palace will reveal you many treasures and legends, you will there be able to see among others beautiful Gothic frescoes. By discovering it, you will understand why that it welcomes more than 650 000 guests by year and rank among the 10 monuments the most visited in France.
More informations about it >>>>>
- Tous les Monuments et les MuséesAu coeur de la Provence, Avignon possède une histoire et un patrimoine extrêmement riches. Découvrez les nombreux monuments de la Cité de Papes et visitez ses nombreux musées.
Events
Useful addresses
City Hall of Avignon
Place de l'Horloge
Phone: + 33 (0)4 90 80 80 00
Tourism in Vaucluse
Tourism committee of Vaucluse
BP 147
84008 Avignon cedex 1
Phone : + 33 (0)4 90 80 47 00
info@provinceguide.com
Sation Avignon TGV
Quartier de Courtine
Phone : 36 35 - 0.34€ la minute
Airport Avignon Caumont
Phone : + 33 (0)4 90 81 51 51
Site map
Access
From Lyon or from Marseille take highway A7
From Montpellier take highway A9
From Alpes take national road 100
Distance from towns
Villeneuve les Avignon > 3 km, Aéroport Avignon > 9 km, Chateaurenard > 11 km, Chateauneuf du Pape > 17 km, Saint Rémy de Provence > 20 km, Le Thor > 21 km, Remoulins > 23 km, Tarascon > 23 km , Carpentras > 26 km, Isle sur la Sorgue > 27 km, Pont du Gard > 27 km, Orange > 32 km, Saumane de Vaucluse > 33 km, Cavaillon > 35 km, Bagnols sur Ceze > 35 km, Fontaine de Vaucluse > 36 km, Les Baux de Provence > 36 km, Arles > 36 km, Venasque > 38 km, Gordes > 38 km, Menerbes > 39 km, Lacoste > 43 km, Bonnieux > 47 km , Roussillon > 48 km, Nimes > 50 km, Lourmarin > 69 km, Apt en Provence > 53 km, Buoux > 57 km, Rustrel > 63 km, Sault > 66 km, Simiane la Rotonde > 76 km, Aéroport Marseille Provence > 84 km, Aix en Provence > 89 km, Forcalquier > 94 km, Marseille > 104 km, La Tour d'Aigues > 117 km, Manosque > 145 km, Saint Tropez > 221 km, Cannes > 233 km, Nice > 268 km, Sanary sur mer > 158 km, Cassis > 135 km
Mueums of Avignon
Visit its museums and Avignon will reveal you its art and its culture.
Festival of Avignon
Major cultural meeting, the festival livens up the town in July.