In the south of France is the small town of Avignon, known far beyond the borders of the country not only for its rich history and the grandiose Papal Palace (XIV). Avignon is the birthplace of Mireille Mathieu and Petrarch, the capital of a large region in the south of France - the Vaucluse department, famous for lavender fields and perfume factories, which are known throughout the world.
Blooming gardens, gray thick city walls, as if from a computer game about the Crusades, the singing of outlandish birds in the very center of the city - many associate this with this city.
Avignon Attractions What to watch in 1 day?
This is a small town Avignon. Experienced tourists claim that the main attractions of Avignon can be explored in one day. All interesting and memorable places are located close to each other, so you will not get lost. Avignon is the city in which the history of Europe took place. 69 years Avignon was the residence of the popes. This period in the history of the city is called the "Avignon captivity of the popes."
City walls
Photos and descriptions of Avignon sights are often placed in their brochures by many travel agencies. Surprisingly well-preserved city walls were originally erected by decree of Louis VIII. However, the walls that tourists can see today were built in the middle of 1300 on the site of the former, which the church leadership did not like.
Cathedral
The Catholic Church and Avignon are closely interconnected. In this city, some popes had residences. The Cathedral is one of the main attractions of Avignon (France). The photo posted in the article may not convey its monumentality. But seeing it with your own eyes, you can appreciate the grandeur of the ancient structure.
The temple is made in the Romanesque style. Its main feature is a gilded statue of the Virgin Mary, which is known far beyond the borders of the country. It appeared on the tower of the bell tower in 1859, and the cathedral was erected in the XII century. Baroque galleries, complementing the interior of the temple, appeared in the XVII century.
A significant part of the medieval decoration is well preserved. This is the tombstone of Pope John XXII, which is a masterpiece of Gothic stone carving, and the mural "Allegory of Death" in the narthex and above the entrance. Of great interest are the unusual stained-glass windows under the dome of the Resurrection Chapel and wax figures depicting the worship of the Magi to the infant Christ (XIX century).
Papal palace
At Lin Boulevard on Palace Square, you can see another outstanding landmark of Avignon, a photo of which is posted in this material. This is one of the largest medieval buildings in Europe - the Pontiffs Palace (Papal Palace). It began to be built in 1252 on a cliff with a stunning view of the Rhone.
Its area exceeds 15 thousand square meters, the height of the towers is 50 meters. The temple is a striking example of medieval Gothic and the most visited tourism destination in the country. The massive and somewhat gloomy-looking palace was erected as a defensive fortress: there are even provided trenches for irrigation of the besiegers with boiling oil. This palace has never been under siege, but inside it boiled a stormy, full of strife and struggle for the papal throne.
The palace was plundered during the French Revolution. Its unique and priceless murals were painted over with paint. To our great regret, little has survived from the interior, once luxurious decoration of the palace. In the tower of Angels, only vaults were found, in which papal treasures were previously located.
In the hall of Jesus partially preserved frescoes in the chapels of St. John and st. Martial can be seen medieval painting. Interestingly, the painters were to use only the most expensive paint - ultramarine, which was made from lapis lazuli stone. Only at the beginning of the last century the restoration of the palace was completed, and it appeared before our contemporaries in all its splendor.
Today it is open to visitors and a popular theater festival is held within its walls.
Avignon synagogue
For centuries, the Jewish community has played an important role in the life of the city of Avignon in France. Undoubtedly, its attraction can be called a synagogue, which has been operating since the XIII century. True, the building that tourists see today, was built on the site of the old in the XIX century.
Modern Art Museum
For fans of cultural attractions, Avignon can offer a visit to several museums. At the Museum of Modern Art you can see at least 250 exhibitions. The most popular of them is the Lambert collection, it is unique. It includes works of conceptual and minimalist art, the work of artists 60 - 70 years of the last century, photos and videos of the 90s.
Other exhibits are also popular: the works of Saul Levitt and Sea Twombly, Yvon and Donald Judd. The museum also has a shop where city guests can purchase original souvenirs.
Lapidaire Museum
Another attraction of Avignon that is worth seeing if you find yourself in the city. The exhibits of this museum are abstract Gallo-Roman sculptures that are full of anthropomorphism and naturalism. The facade of the building, which today houses the museum, and before that was the church, is made in the Baroque style.
Inspecting a museum’s exposition can take several hours, as the exhibits are from several civilizations and all the exhibits are different from each other. It is interesting to observe how different cultures left their mark in history thanks to works of art.
Calve Museum
This museum is located in a villa that was built in 1810. The treasures of this attraction of Avignon are sculptures and paintings of talented masters of the XV - XX centuries. Visitors can also see archaeological artifacts, objects of ethnic and decorative art. Of particular interest are products made of iron.
"The sun and the cosmos"
If you are interested in astronomy, be sure to visit the city astronomical park. A walk along it will turn into a journey in space and time between planets, stars and asteroids. Seminars are regularly held here that are interesting for adult visitors, and interactive games captivate young researchers. The planetarium of the museum "Sun and Space" and "Alley of allegorical figures" are especially popular.
Bridge to Nowhere - Saint-Beneze
The next attraction of France in the city of Avignon is well known far beyond the city and even the country. A beautiful medieval bridge 900 meters long, located on the Rhone, was built in 1171-1181. It has 22 arches in the form of an ellipse with a vertical axis. This is the only bridge in the world that does not lead anywhere - in the middle of the river it breaks off. But it was not always so. Initially, it connected two shores and consisted of 22 arches. But the great river of France, the Rhone, has a swift and changeable disposition. Floods constantly destroyed the bridge, all attempts to restore it did not have the desired result. A chapel was built on the stretch, which rests on only four arches, and the bridge turned into a museum.
Trompe L'Oeil Drawings
In conclusion, I would like to talk about another special attraction of Avignon. Trompley is a special technical artistic technique characterized by optical illusion due to the optical illusion of three-dimensional space. In Avignon, or rather, in the building of the Consul General at various times, many religious leaders lived.
In the windows of the building today you can see images of many of them, made using Trompe L'Oeil. In addition, there are paintings depicting animals and plants.
These "tricks" have become a real symbol of the city, being extremely popular with tourists. The paintings are painted in oil using beautifully selected colors and shades. The building itself, reminiscent of a fortress, is very interesting. According to local residents, it is best to inspect the artistic "trompe l'oeil" from April to July, since at that time there is practically no rain in the city and nothing will stop you from admiring these works.