Highlights
Palais des Papes
The papal palace was originally an archbishop’s palace. In 1316 the Archbishop of Avignon became Pope John XXII. (1244-1334) and the palace became the seat of the papal government and residence of the Pope.
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Le pont d’Avignon
The Saint Bénézet bridge, also known as the Pont d’Avignon, is definitely the most famous bridge in France because a nursery rhyme is about it (“Sur le pont d’Avignon, l’on y danse, l’on y danse… “). But it is also the oldest building across the Rhône.
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Eglise Saint Pierre
The Saint Pierre church is located in the heart of the city, on the square of the same name, which is paved with pebbles.
Details
Special streets and neighborhoods
Rue des Teinturiers
The picturesque Rue des Teinturiers is a cobbled street that starts at the fortress wall and follows the canal. There are many cafes and restaurants and you can stroll along the canal in the shade of the plane trees.
Rue de la République
The Rue de la République is the new main street in the old town, which leads to the main train station outside the city walls. There are countless restaurants and tourists to be found there.
Special places
Place du Palais
You simply cannot miss the Platz du Palais, as both the Palais des Papes and the Petit Palais are located there.
Place de l’Horloge
The Place de l’Horloge is the center of public life in Avignon. In addition to the many restaurants and cafes, there are also attractions such as street performers.
Place Pie
On the Place Pie there are halls that are open every morning and where you can buy delicious regional products, such as cheese or wine.
Special structures
Le pont d’Avignon
The Saint Bénézet bridge, also known as the Pont d’Avignon, is definitely the most famous bridge in France because a nursery rhyme is about it (“Sur le pont d’Avignon, l’on y danse, l’on y danse… “). But it is also the oldest building across the Rhône, as it was built in the 12th century. Originally the bridge was 900 m long and had 22 arches. However, it collapsed during the reign of Louis XIV and was never rebuilt. That is why only part of the bridge can be seen today, but the Bénezet chapel has been preserved on it. The bridge is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Address: Quai Joël Bameule, at the foot of the Rocher des Doms.
Website: www.palais-des-papes.com
Palais des Papes
The papal palace was originally an archbishop’s palace. In 1316 the Archbishop of Avignon became Pope John XXII. (1244-1334) and the palace became the seat of the papal government and residence of the Pope. It was then rebuilt and expanded into the New Palace in two stages: the oldest part of it was built between 1334 and 1342, while the younger part was built between 1342 and 1352. The interior was designed by numerous famous artists, unfortunately nothing of it can be seen today because the interior was completely destroyed in the 18th century.
Address: Place du Palais
www.palais-des-papes.com
Petit Palais
Address: Place du Palais
At the end of the Place du Palais is the Petit Palais, as a counterpart to its huge neighbor, the Palais des Papes. The Petit Palais was built as the new Archbishop’s Palace from 1316 after Pope John XXII chose the former Archbishop’s Palace as the seat. The façade, which is characterized by the Renaissance style, was built in the 15th century.
City wall
The city has gradually expanded since the Roman era, so that its protective structures had to be redesigned again and again. Avignon therefore had different city walls. The 4.3 km long wall, which covers a total area of 151 hectares, has been almost completely preserved. It was built at the time of the Popes to protect the city. In front of the wall there was a 4 m deep ditch supplied by the water of the Sorgue and the Durançole, which made access to the city difficult. Today the ring road is located on these trenches, which goes around the city center and thus makes it possible to discover the seven gates of that time. There is good parking along the Ringstrasse and from there you can explore the old town on foot.
Museums
Musée Calvet
The Museum Calvet is one of the 32 most important French museums. The museum is dedicated to both fine arts and applied arts, archeology and ethnology. It is located in the Hôtel Villeneuve-Martignan.
Address: 65, rue Joseph Vernet
www.fondation-calvet.org
Musée du Petit Palais
Address: Palais des Archevêque – Place du Palais
The 14th century Petit Palais now houses a museum showing the Campana collection, the approximately 300 Italian Includes images.
Musée Requien
Address: 67, rue Joseph Vernet
The Requien Museum, located in the Hôtel Raphélis de Soissans, has two permanent exhibitions: “Immerse yourself in time” and “Fauna des Vaucluses”. There it is also possible to look up more than 18,000 books and to consult around 100 scientific journals.
Musée lapidaire
Address: 27, rue de la République
The museum is housed in the chapel of the Jesuit monastery. Sculptures from the Middle Ages and Gallo-Roman times are shown there, but the Egyptian, Greek and Etruscan collections of the Calvet Museum have also been on display since the 1990s.
Musée de l’Œuvre
Address: Place du Palais
The museum in the Palais des Papes is dedicated to the history of this unique building from its construction in the 14th century, through its adaptations and additions between the 15th and 18th centuries, to its reallocation and restoration in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Louis Vouland
Museum The Louis Vouland Museum is located in the Hôtel de Villeneuve-Esclapon near the Saint-Dominique gate. Mainly arts and crafts from the 17th and 18th centuries can be seen there.
Address: 17, rue Victor-Hugo
Website: www.vouland.com
