Avignon: overview
Glowering within a ring of serrated city walls, Avignon preserves something of the air of the independent city state it was from its time as capital of Christendom in the Middle Ages to after the French Revolution. However, a thriving student population and the theatre festivals in July keep things lively.
Strategically situated at the confluence of the Rhône, Sorgue and Durance rivers, Avignon was established by the early Gauls as a tribal capital, and it was known to the Greek traders of Marseille. During the Roman period, however, it became overshadowed by Orange and Arles. Avignon’s moment of glory came when French-born Pope Clement V fled to France in 1309 to escape the papal power struggles in Rome, eventually settling in Avignon. It was the start of 70 years of the “second Babylonian captivity of the Church”, which saw the city ruling Christendom under nine successive popes. Even after the popes returned to Rome, Avignon continued to be governed by papal legates and, although it had lost its glory, remained an important trading centre with strong links to Italy, seen in some of the fine mansions built by Italian families. |
Punctuated by 39 towers and seven gates, Avignon’s 4.3km (2½-mile) ramparts still enclose its inner core: a cornucopia of historic mansions, shady cloisters, churches and palaces. French writer Rabelais called Avignon “la ville sonnante” because of the number of steeples that adorned its skyline. Less poetic are the views of the modern suburbs which fan outwards. This is where the majority of the city’s 90,000 inhabitants live, although pretty much everything you want to see lies within the city walls.
Places to visit in Avignon
Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes)
Tel: 04 90 27 50 00
As the local saying goes, all roads lead to the Palais des Papes, the monumental symbol of papal Provence.
This fortress is a city within a city, with a labyrinth of vaulted halls, echoing assembly rooms, small chapels and narrow staircases, illustrating the palace’s multiple functions as residence, place of worship, fortress and administrative centre.
The palace is divided into two sections: the “old” palace (Vieux Palais), built between 1334 and 1342, and the “new” palace (Palais Neuf), completed in 1348. The old palace has a monastic simplicity and austerity. The new palace, on the other hand, is brightly decorated with elaborate frescos and flamboyant ceilings.
Pont d'Avignon
Immortalised in the popular children’s song “Sur le pont d’Avignon”, the Pont St-Bénézet is one of the region’s most famous landmarks. Hearing a voice from heaven, a young shepherd boy, Bénézet, left his mountains in the Ardèche and travelled to Avignon to build a bridge. At first the inhabitants mocked him, but when they saw him lift a massive rock and throw it into the river they were convinced that divine power was at work and helped to build the bridge between 1177 and 1185.
The bridge was destroyed in 1226 during the Crusades but reconstructed in 1234. During the Avignon papacy, it provided a vital link between the town and the cardinals who lived across the river in less polluted Villeneuve. Unfortunately the Rhône’s frequent floods took their toll and the bridge collapsed during the 17th century, leaving only four of its original 22 arches and the Tour Philippe le Bel on the far bank.
Festival d'Avignon
For three weeks each July, Avignon becomes the capital of French theatre – as it has ever since 1947, when Jean Vilar of the Théâtre National Populaire first put on a production in the grandiose outdoor setting of the Cour d’Honneur in the Palais des Papes.
The Festival is still renowned for its adventurous theatre productions, often by leading international directors and with big-name actors, as well as some first-rate contemporary dance.
However, what really makes the streets of Avignon buzz is the more spontaneous “Off” – the offshoot and self-financed fringe festival created in 1963 by André Benedetto, which has long since outgrown its parent. During the Off, posters are plastered on every available lamp-post and railing; the streets are full of actors, comedians and street acts handing out flyers to advertise their shows.
Place de l'Horloge
This lively brasserie-filled square sits on the site of the original Roman forum, and it is still the epicentre of town life today. On it stand the Hôtel de Ville, with the 14th-century clock tower that gives the square its name, and the ornate Théâtre Municipal. Behind the square looms the Palais des Papes.
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