Overview: Situated on the River Rhone, Avignon is famed for being the
Vatican of the 14th century; six successive Popes resided here from
1309 making it one of Europe's largest and most important cities of
the time. The papacy retreated back to Rome in 1378, but this was
just the beginning of a battle between the Italian capital and
Avignon for control of the Church's riches and power. Altogether
Avignon was the seat for nine Popes, until the last, Pope Benedict
XIII, fled into self-exile in 1409. Without the Pope, the city went
into a decline that has been exacerbated ever since by floods,
fire, the plague and the Le Mistral, the harsh wind that whistles
down the Rhone valley in winter. Avignon supposedly was named by
the Celts who gave the area the name 'Avenio' or 'the town of
violent winds'. Despite all this, Avignon has one of the
best-preserved centres in France. Piercing the skyline are the
beautiful spires of the Palais des Papes, and along the cobbled
streets are countless richly decorated buildings, ancient churches,
and spectacular monuments and museums. Imposing medieval walls,
built in 1403 by Pope Benedict, enclose the old town. The yearly
Avignon Festival draws performers and art enthusiasts from all over
France every July. Despite the huge influx of tourists, which
double the town's population of 100,000, this is a wonderful
festival and a must-see for anyone in the area.
Attractions
Châteauneuf-du-Pape: Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a medieval village on the side of a
hill, dominated by the ruins of an ancient château towering
above. The château was the pope's summer retreat from the
Palais and although all that remains are the foundations and two
outer walls, it is still an imposing sight and a wonderful
viewpoint. The village below is a maze of well-restored medieval
buildings and narrow streets that weave around the hillside. Today
life in the village often involves working in the surrounding
vineyards or selling the famous wine to the many tourists who
visit. The village is 11 miles (18km) northeast of Avignon.
Orange: Ten miles (16km) north of Avignon, Orange was the former seat of
the counts of Orange, a title created in the 8th century and passed
to the Dutch crown in the 16th century. The family's most famous
member was Prince William, who ascended the English throne in 1689.
Today the town is best known for its spectacular Roman theatre and
triumphal arch, both of which remain remarkably intact. The rest of
Orange isn't strikingly picturesque, however there are pleasant
tree-lined streets and squares with some nice cafes and
restaurants.
Palaisdes Papes : Towering over Avignon the imposing Palais des Papes (Palace of
the Popes) is the symbol of the city's medieval power. The palace
consists of the ascetic Old Palace, commissioned by Benedict XII,
and the extravagant Gothic New Palace of Clement VI. It was built
primarily as a fortress with massive outer walls, battlements and
sluices for pouring hot oil onto attackers. Inside the palace, so
little remains of the original interior that visitors could be
mislead into believing that all the popes and their entourage were
as virtuous as the last official occupant, Benedict XIII. In
reality the interior was once elaborately decorated, displayed the
decadence of the feuding cardinals and their mistresses. The fire
of 1413 destroyed most of the decoration and furnishings, but
evidence of the once magnificent interior remains including some
frescoes, including one painted by Italian artist Matteo
Giovannetti in the Great Audience Room. Visitors can take a
fascinating tour of the palace taking in the Pope's Bedchamber, the
Chapelle St-Martial and the Stag Room. Nearby, dwarfed by the
palace, is the 12th-century Cathédrale Notre-Dame des
Doms.
Address: Place du Palais, 6 Rue Pente Rapide;
Telephone: (04) 9027 5000;
E-mail: rmg@palais-des-papes.com;
Website: www.palais-des-papes.com;
Opening time: High Season: Daily 9am to 7pm (15 March to 1 July), 9am to 8pm (July to September), 9.30am to 5.45pm (1 November to 14 March) 9am to 7pm (October);
Admission: High season: €9.50 (adults); Low season: €7.50
PetitPalais : Just below the Palais des Papes, the Petit Palais contains a
wonderful collection of 13th- to 15th-century paintings and
sculpture. Most are the work of Italian masters from that era and,
as you progress through the 19 rooms, you can observe how they
wrestled with and finally conquered the representation of
perspective - a revolution from medieval art, where the size of
figures depended on their importance rather than position. The
highlights of the collection are Botticelli's sublime Virgin and
Child and TheAngel of the Annunciation by Sano
Di Pietro.
Address: Place du Palais;
Telephone: (04) 9086 4458;
E-mail: musee.petitpalais@wanadoo.fr;
Website: www.petitpalais.paris.fr;
Opening time: Daily 9am to 7pm (April to October); 9.30am to 5.45pm (November to March);
Admission: €7 (adults); €5.50 (children, students and seniors)
Pontd'Avignon : Behind the Petit Palais is the much photographed Pont d'Avignon,
known best from the famous children's song of the same name. The
bridge was originally built in the 12th century to shorten the
journey for the busy traders ferrying their goods between the
Mediterranean and Lyon. The torrents of the Rhône regularly
damaged and brought down sections of the bridge and builders
finally gave up repairing it in 1660, four centuries after it was
built. Today only four of the original 22 arches remain. On the
first of the bridge's bulwarks is the tiny Chapelle St-Nicholas,
and this delicate Romanesque chapel, dedicated to St Nicholas,
patron saint of bargemen, is well worth a visit.
Telephone: (0)4 9027 5116;
E-mail: monument@palais-des-papes.com;
Opening time: 9am to 7pm (April, May and October); 9am to 9pm (June to July); 9am to 8pm (August to September); 9.30am to 5.45pm (November to March);
Admission: €3.15 (combined ticket with Palais des Papes)
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