Tourist information on Avignon, France

Avignon is historically one of the most important cities in France and continues to be a major cultural centre, world-renowned for its main summer arts event, the Festival d'Avignon. It is the capital of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region and is situated on the left (southern) bank of the River Rhône, just a few kilometres from its confluence with the River Durance. Avignon is one of the few French cities to have retained its defensive walls, which circumscribe the historic city centre, and is known as the Cité des papes (City of Popes) because the papacy resided there from 1309 to 1423. Steeped in history and beautiful architecture, Avignon is one of the highlights of Provence and is a must-see destination for any visitor to the region.

Whilst the area around Avignon has been inhabited since Neolithic times, the city itself dates from the 6th century BC and was founded by the Phoenicians of Marseilles. Originally named Aouenion (after its Gaulish inhabitants, the Avenionsios), this became a thriving hub of trade in the province Gallia Narbonensis in Roman times. In the 5th century, it was pillaged by the Goths and came under the control of the Burgundians. Over the next five hundred years, Avignon changed hands many times as it was repeatedly invaded by the Franks, the Merovingians and the Saracens. In 932, when the kingdom of Arles was formed from the union of the kingdoms of Provence and Upper Burgandy, Avignon became one of its most important cities. In 1032, the kingdom of Arles formed an alliance with the Holy Roman Empire, but with its own consular government. Avignon declared itself an independent republic in the 12th century but in 1226 it came under the control of the counts of Anjou and Poitiers. Avignon's status changed drastically in the 14th century when it became the residence of the popes. With Rome descending into anarchy, Pope Clement V willingly accepted an invitation from King Philip IV of France to settle in Avignon (not realising that the king's motivation was to increase his control over the papacy). Thus began the Catholic Church's Babylonian Captivity. From 1309 to 1377, seven Popes would reside in Avignon, initiating lavish building projects (including an enormous papal palace) that would transform the city, whilst attracting swarms of artists, merchants and charlatans eager to relieve them of their wealth. The city's defences were shored up to keep out not only marauding invaders but also possible plague victims. In 1348, the papacy bought Avignon from its Angevin masters for 80,000 florins, and it remained a papal possession right up until the French Revolution. When Pope Benedict XIII returned to Rome, Avignon elected its own antipope in 1378, Clement VII, and this led to the Great Schism. Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, Avignon resisted several attempts made by the French monarchy to take control of it. It was not until 1791, during the French Revolution, that it became fully incorporated into France. When the department of Vaucluse was created in 1793, Avignon was chosen as its capital.

With its winding medieval streets, astonishingly well-preserved ancient fortifications and abundance of palaces and sacred buildings, it is not hard to see why Avignon is one of the most visited places in Provence. Most of the city's architecture dates to the 14th century, when it was home to the popes and therefore the centre of Christianity. The historic city centre is enclosed within its 4 km long medieval walls and is dominated by its chief monument, the Palais des papes (Popes' Palace). Built between 1316 and 1370, this was the residence of seven successive popes and two antipopes, easily one of the largest and most important medieval Gothic structures in Europe. Built on a rocky outcrop on the northern edge of the city, it comprises the Palais Vieux (Old Palace) and Palais Neuf (New Palace) and takes up an area of 2.6 acres. Virtually all that remains of the once lavishly decorated interior are its frescos and elaborate ceiling decorations. Each summer, the palace's Cour d'honneur serves as the main venue for the Festival d'Avignon.

Avignon's other well-known landmark is the ruined Pont Saint-Bénézet. Built between 1171 and 1185, this originally had a length of 900 m and spanned the Rhône River between Avignon and Villeneuve-lès-Avignon. Unfortunately, it was sited in an area that made it susceptible to storm damage, and it had to be rebuilt many times. Finally, the bridge was abandoned in 1668 when part of it was demolished by a flood. Today, only four of its original 22 arches remain. The bridge is the one that is referred to in the well-known French ditty "Sur le pont d'Avignon, l'on y danse l'on y danse..." (Originally, the song was: "Sous le pont d'Avignon", and referred to festivities on the Île de la Barthelasse, rather than on the bridge itself).

Avignon's attractions do not end with its papal palace and dilapidated bridge. The city has a wealth of historical architecture, from its early Gothic churches to its grand mansions built between the 15th and 18th centuries. One of the oldest sacred buildings is the partially ruined Abbaye Saint-Ruf, a Romanesque abbey built in the 11th and 12th centuries on the site of an early Christian burial ground. Notre Dame des Doms is a Romanesque cathedral of the 12th century which is distinguished by the gilded statue of the Virgin Mother on top of its west tower. The Église Saint-Pierre dates from the late 14th century and is a fine example of Provençal Gothic with its ornate façade and elegantly carved doors. Other notable churches include those of St-Didier and St-Agricol, although perhaps more interesting architecturally are the extravagant palaces (known as livrées) of the wealthy cardinals. Then there is the 17th century baroque Hôtel des Monnaies, originally built as a papal mint, but now used as a music school, and the imposing Hôtel de Ville, a more recent building topped by a 14th century belfry.

Avignon's historical and cultural importance is underlined by its array of museums. Situated in the Livrée de Cambrai, the Musée Calvet is the city's principal art gallery and offers an impressive collection of paintings, sculptures and drawings, as well as displays of porcelain and metalwork. The paintings include work by Jan Bruegel the Younger, Jacques-Louis David, Camille Corot, Edouard Manet and Alfred Sisley, whilst the sculptures offer important pieces by James Pradier and Camille Claudel. The Musée du Petit Palais (near the Palais des Papes) has a fine collection of Renaissance paintings of the Avignon school and Italian primitive art, whilst the Collection Lambert, in the Hôtel de Caumont, has exhibitions of contemporary art. The Musée Lapidaire displays archaeological artefacts from antiquity and medieval sculpture, housed in the old chapel of a Jesuit College. The Palais du Roure is home to a museum that is dedicated to the history of the region, and the Musée Requien is a well-stocked natural history museum.

Avignon's 26 parks and gardens cover a total area of 200 hectares. These include the Jardin du rocher des Doms, the Jardin des Carmes and the Parc Chico Mendès. The Rochers des Doms is one of the most picturesque parts of the city, offering a fantastic view over the Rhône river to the mountains in the distance.

Each year, the city of Avignon hosts several cultural events, of which the best-known is the Festival d'Avignon. The latter is held in July and embraces a wide range of performance arts, the high point being several grand spectacles staged in the Palais des Papes. Other festivals include les Hivernales d'Avignon (a festival of contemporary dance) and the Avignon Jazz Festival.

Avignon is connected to Paris and Marseille by a high speed (TGV) rail line (the journey time to Paris being about three hours). There is also a standard rail service to other cities in the Provence region. The main train station, Gare d'Avignon-Centre, is situated on the southern edge of the old town, just outside the city walls, whilst the TGV station (Gare d'Avignon TGV) is about 2 km from the city centre (reached by a shuttle bus). A bus service with 23 lines operates within the town centre. Avignon-Caumont Airport is located 8 km southeast of Avignon and is used mainly by low cost airlines (Flybe, CityJet) that provide flights to a limited number of European destinations (including London, Birmingham, Southampton, Dublin).