Tourist Attractions in Avignon

Sightseeing Overview

In Avignon, everything worth seeing is within easy walking distance and orientation is not difficult. The city is enclosed in fortified medieval walls, with the River Rhone to the north and west of the town. The Palais des Papes and Pont St Benezet are in the north, connected by the place du Palais, which itself runs into Avignon’s central square (place de l’Horloge) just a little south.

This square is home to the impressive Hotel de Ville and the Opera House, decorated with statues of former visitors Corneille and Moliere. From here, the main thoroughfare, the rue de la Republique, turns into the cours Jean Jaures as it approaches the southern city walls and the railway station. To the east are several shopping streets and a mass of interesting restaurants and cafes.

The best way for visitors to explore Avignon is to wander through its maze of medieval streets. Many take their names from inns (such as rue du Chapeau Rouge) or from trades - such as rue des Fourbisseurs (’weapon sharpeners’), rue du Vieux Sextier (’Old Sexton’) and rue des Teinturiers, named after the dying process inherent in calico printing. For traveling off the beaten path, the rue Joseph-Vernet is a good bet, lined with Avignon’s most stylish shops, old hotels and quaint courtyards and gardens. More imposing but still frequented, mainly by the locals, is the cathedral, Notre-Dame des Doms, a brief walk past the Palais des Papes. The cathedral is surrounded by Rocher des Doms, a charming public park offering magnificent views of the city and the Rhone.

Avignon also has a cluster of interesting little museums that are clearly detailed on a free map available at the Avignon Tourist Office. Most notable is the Musee Angladon, 5 rue Laboreur (tel: (04) 9082 2903), which displays the private collection of aesthete Jacques Doucet, including Modigliani’s The Pink Blouse and Van Gogh’s The Railroad Cars.

There is also an information office at Espace St Benezet, open daily 1000-1900 (Apr-Oct).

Passes

The Avignon Passion card is available free at participating museums, on tourist transport and at Avignon and Villeneuve-les-Avignon tourist offices. The pass offers cut-price admission (reductions of 20-50%) after the first full-price attraction has been visited and includes all the various sightseeing tours listed in the Tours of the City section. Participating museums and attractions include Musee Clavet, Musee Vouland, Musee du Petit Palais, Palais des Papes and Pont St Benezet. The pass is valid for two weeks of unlimited visits for the holder and their family.

Key Attractions:

Palais des Papes (Palace of the Popes)

This palace-fortress looms above Avignon. The immense courtyard in front, lined with cafes and restaurants, is also the impressive setting for the Avignon Festival, while the battlements offer wonderful views. The palace was built over 30 years, during the reign of three popes - Benedict XII, Clement VI and Innocent VI. The palace is based on the fusion of two buildings - the austere ‘Old Palace’ (1334-42), constructed on the orders of Benedict XII, and the extravagant Gothic ‘New Palace’ (1342-52), of Clement VI. It is a frowning mass of elaborate architecture, covering some 15,000 sq meters (166,660 sq feet) and reducing Avignon’s other buildings to toy-town proportions.
The exterior is chilling and unfriendly, with a crenellated façade and slit windows.

In contrast, the interiors are rich with the frescoes of Italian artist Matteo Giovannetti and Sienese artist Giovanni Luca, survivors of the fire that burned away many paintings and much finery in 1413. It is worth taking the audiocassette that is included in the admission price, to make sense of the maze of rooms within the palace. Among the most beautiful is the Pope’s Bedchamber. The walls are awhirl with frescoes of birds and grapevines, while the floor is covered with reproductions of the 14th-century tiles discovered beneath the nearby study of Benedict XII, in 1963.

Religious themes dominate the frescoes in the Chapelle St Martial and Pope’s Antechamber, while hunting scenes decorate the Stag Room. The Grand Tinel is where the pope’s banquets were held, with the pope seated on a raised platform. Gold plates and ivory cutlery were used to devour mountains of food - detailed inventories record the consumption of 118 cows, 1,023 sheep, 60 pigs, 1,195 geese, 7,428 chickens … a total of 95,000 dishes; and all at one sitting.

A guided tour (in French only) through the ‘Secret Palace’, with a chance to see Saint Michel Chapel and rooms that are normally closed to the public, with a convivial supper is available daily from 1700 from November to May. It is best for visitors to make a trip to the Palais des Papes in the afternoon, when it is cooler and there are fewer tourists.

Place du Palais

Admission: €9.50; €11 (combined Palais des Papes and Pont St Benezet ticket); €24.50 (Secret Palace tour, inclusive of meal); €31.50 (Secret Palace tour, Palais des Papes and Pont St Benezet combined ticket); concessions available.

Musee du Petit Palais (Little Palace Museum)

Located on the northern end of place du Palais, the Little Palace Museum was built for Cardinal Beranger Fredol between 1318 and 1320. Following extensive alterations, Pope Benoît made it his episcopal headquarters. Today, its 19 rooms house an impressive collection of frescoes, sculptures and Italian religious paintings from the 13th to 16th centuries, including works by Botticelli, Carpaccio and Giovanni di Paolo. The Angel of the Annunciation, by Sano Di Pietro (1406-1481), is one of the most beautiful paintings - the golden-haired angel has all the beauty of a pre-Raphaelite woman.

Pont St Benezet (St Benezet Bridge)

‘Sur le pont d’Avignon on y danse, on y danse …’ - the melody of the 19th-century song still draws visitors to the famed bridge that is formally known as the Pont St Benezet, after the shepherd whose heavenly vision and determination led to the bridge being built. Spanning the two channels of the River Rhone and the island in between (Ile de la Barthelasse), the bridge was built between 1177 and January 1185. Originally made of wood, it had to be continuously rebuilt, as it was the only crossing, providing a link between the Mediterranean and Lyon, an important trade hub in the Middle Ages. The river finally won the day, washing away the bridge in the mid-1600s. Today, only four of its original 22 arches and the tiny Chapelle St Nicholas remain. This delicate Romanesque chapel, dedicated to St Nicholas, patron saint of barge men, should not be missed. A small museum, situated beneath the ticket office, offers images of the bridge in former centuries.

Further Distractions:

Rocher des Doms

Ramps from the Palais des Papes lead up past the Cathedrale Notre-Dame des Doms to the Rocher des Doms, the site of Avignon’s earliest settlement. The rocky area was landscaped into a pleasant plateau with an artificial rock garden in the 18th century. Nineteenth-century additions include a lake and the statues of prominent Provençal figures, such as writer Felix Gras and artists Paul Sain and Paul Vaysan. Terraces were laid out in the 20th century, offering views onto the River Rhone, Pont St Benezet, Villeneuve-les-Avignon and the Alpilles.

Rocher des Doms, above place du Palais
Transport: Bus to place de l’Horloge.
Opening hours: Daily, sunrise to sunset.
Admission: Free.

Musee Louis Vouland (Louis Vouland Museum)

Successful businessman and art collector Louis Vouland (1883-1973) bequeathed his 19th-century mansion to the state. His home was opened as a museum in 1982, offering a quirky collection of 17th and 18th-century decorative arts. Highlights include faience (earthenware) from Vincennes and Sevres, and tapestries woven in Flanders, Aubusson and Gobelins. However, a dainty travel tea set in Sevres faience, which belonged to the Comtesse du Barry, mistress of Louis XV, steals the show.

Musee d’Art Contemporain (Contemporary Art Museum)

The Collection Lambert en Avignon, housed in the Musee d’Art Contemporain, is a unique ensemble of more than 350 contemporary artworks, which have been loaned by Yvon Lambert to the city of Avignon for 20 years. The collection is a unique testimony of the great art movements of our time: minimal art, conceptual art, land art from the 1960s to 1970s; painting from the 1980s; photography and video from the 1990s. The collection contains a most coherent ensemble of works by leading artists, including Cy Twombly, Sol LeWitt, Donald Judd, Niele Toroni, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Anselm Kiefer, Christian Boltansky, Nan Goldin or Douglas Gordon. Two to three temporary exhibitions are presented each year in conjunction with displays of artworks from the Collection Lambert.

Musee Calvet (Calvet Museum)

Housed in a splendid 18th-century mansion, the Musee Calvet displays a varied collection of paintings and sculptures from the 15th to the 20th century, ranging from the archaeological to Beaux Arts, from decorative to ethnic art.

Shopping in Avignon

The main shopping street is rue de la Republique, which is home to Monoprix department store, FNAC and others. Chic boutiques line rue Joseph-Vernet, which runs east off rue de la Republique, opposite the main tourist office. Rue St Agricol is lined with various little boutiques, including designer outlets Christian Lacroix Boutique, 10 rue St Agricol, and Donna, 35 rue St Agricol. The pedestrianized area (rue des Fourbisseurs, rue des Marchands, rue du Vieux Sextier and rue de la Bonneterie) allows for a leisurely, traffic-free shopping experience.

Avignon is an ideal town for buying presents. Provençal specialties include olive oil,
lavender, brightly printed fabrics, sugared fruits, chocolate and fig or melon jam. Lovers of the mustard yellow and olive green of Provençal pottery will be spoilt for choice at Terre et Art, 29 rue des Fourbisseurs, or Terre et Provence, 26 rue de la Republique.

A good selection of regional wines can be found at La Cave du Bouffart, 14 rue des Fourbisseurs, and Le Coin Gourmand, Les Halles d’Avignon, place Pie. The latter also boasts a range of gastronomic specialties. For a souvenir in silver or gold, shoppers should head for Vincent Joaillier, 12 place du Change, a jewelry design shop founded in 1897.

In addition to the Tuesday to Sunday morning covered market at Les Halles, south of place Pie, there are colorful outdoor markets at the Rempart St Michel (a food market on Saturday and Sunday) and place des Carmes (a flower market on Saturday and flea market on Sunday).

Department stores are open Monday to Saturday 0900-1900, while smaller shops close 1200-1400 and Monday morning. Sales tax varies between 5.5% (food) to 19.6% (luxury goods). Visitors from outside the European Union can claim a tax refund upon departure for each purchase over €175. Global Refund can provide further information.

Getting Around in Avignon

Public Transport

Transports en Commun de la Region d’Avignon - TCRA provides public transport throughout ‘Grand Avignon’ (the Avignon Region), including services to Les Angles, Villeneuve-les-Avignon and Le Pontet. The major bus stops in central Avignon are in front of the main post office (poste), place Pie and rue de la Republique. The system runs 0700-1940 Monday to Saturday (less frequently on Saturday). The restricted Sunday service (labelled with a number followed by a ‘D’ for dimanche) operates 0800-1800. Line 30 runs on weekdays, weekends and bank holidays. During the Avignon Festival, there is a special late-running service and reduced price tickets for public transport throughout the festival (the Bustivale pass) offering 30% reduction on standard prices.

Tickets can pre-purchased or bought on the bus and must be stamped upon boarding. Information and bus tickets are available at the TCRA Point d’Accueil, avenue de Lattre de Tassigny , located between the central rail station and the tourist office. Tickets are also available for purchase at tabacs, newsagents and shops displaying the TCRA logo. One ticket costs €1, two tickets €1.75 and a carnet of 10 tickets costs €7.80. Weekly and monthly passes are also available at €7.80 and €27.30 respectively (concessions are available).

Taxis

The taxi service is centrally run by Taxi Radio Avignonnais . The major taxi ranks are located in front of the central and new TGV rail stations, while others are at Raspail (rue de la Republique), St Lazare (near the university) and place Pie. Taxi journeys around central Avignon are tallied by the kilometre at €1.20 (0700-1900) and €1.80 (1900-0700 and bank holidays), with a pick-up fee of €1.90. Luggage (per item) costs €0.61, an animal €0.71 and a fourth passenger €1.19. Tips are welcome but not expected.

Limousines

Lieutaud Voyages , situated in front of the SNCF Avignon Central Station, charge €392 for one to five passengers and €416 for six to 15 passengers, for one day of hire, including an English-speaking chauffeur. Gaillard offers a similar service.

Driving in the City

Avignon’s Old Town is compact enough to be covered on foot and parts of it are pedestrianised. However, for visitors who choose to drive, conditions are good, roads rarely traffic-clogged and there is a special pleasure to be gained in driving through the portes (gates) of the ancient city walls.

The main supervised and 24-hour car parks are located at the stations, at 7 avenue Monclar, and underneath the Palais des Papes square. Free, supervised car parks are located at the Ile Piot (1,500 spaces), with free shuttle buses running to the city centre, and Parking des Italiens, avenue des Italiens (550 spaces). In peak season, an additional car park opens at the foot of the Pont St-Benezet. It is best to choose these supervised spaces, as car theft is all too frequent. Alternatively, there are good car parks west of the city centre.

Car Hire

The minimum age for car hire varies from 21 to 25 years. Drivers must possess a national driving licence, which they must have held for at least one year. Third party insurance is mandatory for driving in France and this should be covered in the hire price. Additional insurance is optional.

Providers include ADA, 23 boulevard St Ruf , RentaCar, 130 avenue Pierre Semard , Sixt, 3 avenue St Ruf , and Veo, 51 avenue Pierre Semard . All are centrally located. Daily rates for hire of a small car start at around €45 for one day.

Bicycle & Scooter Hire

Provence Bike, 52 boulevard St Roch , hires out motorbikes at €51-150, scooters at €36-52 and bicycles at €8-18 per day, from the bus station on boulevard St Roch, during high season (April to October). A similar service is provided by Aymar, 80 rue Guillaume Puy .

Languages in Avignon

Avignonnais speak French in the sing-song tones of the Midi. Many of the older generation speak Provençal, the Romance language of southern France, closely related to Latin. Even those who do not, pepper their speech with Provençalisms.

In spite of the French government’s refusal to support regional languages, associations are springing up in Avignon and around to educate Avignonnais in their linguistic heritage. Avignon-born singer Guy Bonnet sings in Provençal, and popular media personality Jean-Pierre Belmon ensures that the local radio station France Vaucluse Avignon and regional television station Provençale France 3 Mediterrane produce regular programmes in Provençal.

The publication Lou Flouregian has a small readership but a greater history - born of the Felibrige movement founded by Frederic Mistral and Avignon-born Theodore Aubanel, who fought to save the Provençal heritage (see Literary Notes section). Events featuring the Provençal language and culture will take pride of place in the year 2000 celebrations.

Avignon and its Popes

In 1309 the city was chosen by Pope Clement V as his residence when the city and the surrounding Comtat Venaissin were ruled by the kings of Sicily from the house of Anjou, and from 9 March 1309 till 13 January 1377 was the seat of the Papacy instead of Eternal Rome. French King Philip the Fair, who had inherited from his father all the rights of Alphonse de Poitiers, the last Count of Toulouse, made them over to Charles II, King of Naples and Count of Provence (1290). On the strength of this donation Queen Joanna I of Sicily, as countess of Provence, sold the city to Clement VI for 80,000 florins (9 June, 1348) and, though it was later the seat of more than one antipope, Avignon belonged to the Papacy until 1791, when, during the disorder of the French Revolution, it was reincorporated with France.

Seven popes resided there:

Pope Clement V
Pope John XXII
Pope Benedict XII
Pope Clement VI
Pope Innocent VI
Pope Urban V
Pope Gregory XI

This period from 1309-1377 - the Avignon Papacy - was also called the Babylonian Captivity of - exile, in reference to the Israelites’ enslavement in biblical times. The analogy fitted Avignon in another sense-the venality of the papal court caused the city to become infamously corrupt, much as Babylon had been accused of being. The poet Petrarch condemned the city’s corruption, contributing to the papacy’s return to Rome out of sheer embarrassment as much as anything else.

The walls built by the popes in the years immediately succeeding the acquisition of Avignon as papal territory are well preserved. They were not, however, particularly strong fortifications; the Popes relied instead on the immensely strong fortifications of their palace, the “Palais des Papes”. This lofty Gothic building, with walls 17-18 feet thick, was built 1335-1364 on a natural spur of rock, rendering it all but impregnable to attack. After being expropriated following the French Revolution, it was used as barracks for many years but is now a museum.

Avignon, which at the beginning of the fourteenth century was a town of no great importance, underwent a wonderful development during the residence there of seven popes and two anti-popes, Clement V to Benedict XIII. To the north and south of the rock of the Doms, partly on the site of the Bishop’s Palace, which had been enlarged by John XXII, rose the Palace of the Popes, in the form of an imposing fortress made up of towers, linked one to another, and named as follows: De la Campane, de Trouillas, de la Glaciere, de Saint-Jean, des Saints-Anges (Benedict XII), de la Gache, de la Garde-Robe (Clement VI), de Saint-Laurent (Innocent VI).
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History of Avignon

Early history

The site of Avignon was settled very early on; the rocky outcrop (le Rocher les Doms) at the north end of the town, overlooking the Rhone, may have been the site of a Celtic oppidum or hill fort. Avignon, written as Avennio in the ancient texts and inscriptions, takes its name from the Avennius clan. Founded by the Cavari tribe, of Celtic origin, it became the centre of an important Phocaean colony from Massilia (present Marseilles). Under the Romans, it was one of the most flourishing cities of Gallia Narbonensis, the first Transalpine province of the Roman Empire, but very little from this period remains (a few fragments of the forum near Rue Moliere).

During the inroads of the barbarians, it was badly damaged in the 5th century and belonged in turn to the Goths, the Burgundians, the Ostrogoths, and the Frankish-Merovingian kings of Austrasia. In 736 it fell into the hands of the Saracens, and was destroyed in 737 by the Franks under Charles Martel, after it had sided with the Arabs against him. Boso having been proclaimed Burgundian King of Provence, or of Arelat (after its capital Arles), by the Synod of Mantaille, at the death of Louis the Stammerer (879), Avignon ceased to belong to the Frankish kings.

In 1033, when Conrad II fell heir to the Kingdom of Arelat, Avignon passed to the empire. The German rulers, however, being at a distance, Avignon took advantage of their absence to set up as a republic with a consular form of government, between 1135 and 1146. In addition to the Emperor, the Counts of Forcalquier, of Toulouse and of Provence exercised a purely nominal sway over the city; on two occasions, in 1125, and in 1251, the latter two divided their rights in regard to it, while the Count of Forcalquier resigned any right he possessed to the local Bishops and Consuls in 1135.

At the end of the 12th century, its commune declared itself an independent republic, but independence was crushed in 1226 during the crusade against the Albigenses (the dualist Cathar heresy centered in neighbouring Albi) after the citizens refused to open the gates of Avignon to King Louis VIII of France and the papal Legate, but capitulated after a three months’ siege (10 June - 13 September, 1226) and were forced to pull down the ramparts and fill up the moat of their city.

On 7 May 1251 Avignon is made a common possession of counts Charles of Anjou and Alphonse de Poitiers, brothers of French King Louis VIII. On 25 August 1271, at the death of Alphonse de Poitiers, Avignon and the surrounding countship Comtat-Venaissin (which was governed by rectors since 1274) are united with the French crown.