In the south of France there is a small town of Avignon, known far beyond the borders of the country not only for its rich history and 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 its lavender fields and perfume factories that are known all over the world.
Blossoming gardens, gray thick city walls, as if from a computer game about the Crusades, strange birds singing in the very center of the city - all this is associated with this city by many.
Avignon: attractions. What to watch in 1 day ?
This is a small town of Avignon. Experienced tourists say that the main sights of Avignon can be seen in one day. All interesting and memorable places are located close to each other, so you will not get lost. Avignon is a city in which the history of Europe was created. 69 years Avignon wasresidence 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 the sights of Avignon are often placed in their advertising booklets by many travel agencies. The surprisingly well-preserved city walls were originally built by order of Louis VIII. However, the walls that tourists can see today were built in the middle of 1300 on the site of the former ones that the church leadership did not like.
Cathedral
The Catholic Church and Avignon are closely related. 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 greatness of the ancient structure.
The temple is made in the Romanesque style. Its main feature is the 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 12th century. Baroque galleries that complemented the interior of the temple appeared in the 17th century.
Much 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 frescoes "Allegory of Death" in the porch and above the entrance. Of great interest are the unusual stained-glass windows under the dome of the Chapel of the Resurrection and wax figures depicting worshipMagi to the Christ Child (XIX century).
Papal Palace
At Boulevard Lin on Palace Square you can see another outstanding attraction of Avignon, the photo of which is posted in this material. This is one of the largest medieval buildings in Europe - the Palace of the Pontiffs (Papal Palace). It began to be built in 1252 on a rock 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 tourist attraction in the country. The massive and somewhat gloomy-looking palace was built as a defensive fortress: there are even gutters for watering the besiegers with boiling oil. This palace has never been under siege, but inside it was seething with a stormy, full of civil strife and struggle for the papal throne.
The palace was looted during the French Revolution. His unique and priceless frescoes were smeared with paint. Unfortunately, from the interior, once luxurious decoration of the palace, little has survived to this day. In the Tower of Angels, only vaults that previously contained papal treasures were discovered.
Frescoes are partially preserved in the hall of Jesus, in the chapels of St. John and St. Martial can be seen medieval painting. Interestingly, the painters had 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 duringin all its splendor.
Today it is open to the public 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. Its attraction, no doubt, can be called a synagogue, which has been operating since the 13th century. True, the building that tourists see today was built on the site of the old one in the 19th century.
Museum of Modern Art
For admirers of cultural attractions, Avignon can offer a visit to several museums. At least 250 exhibitions can be viewed at the Museum of Modern Art. The most popular of them is the Lambert collection, it is unique. It includes works of conceptual and minimalist art, works by artists from the 60s and 70s of the last century, photos and videos from the 90s.
Other exhibits are also popular: works by Saul LeWitt and Sea Twombly, Yvon and Donald Judd. The museum also has a shop where guests of the city can buy original souvenirs.
Museum Lapidaire
Another sight to see in Avignon if you are in the city. The exhibits of this museum are abstract Gallo-Roman sculptures, which are full of anthropomorphism and naturalism. The façade of the building, which today houses a museum and was previously a church, is made in the Baroque style.
Viewing the museum's exposition may take several hours, as the exhibits presented belong to several civilizations and all exhibitions are differentone from the other. It is interesting to see how different cultures have left their mark on history through works of art.
Calvet Museum
This museum is housed in a villa that was built in 1810. The treasures of this landmark of Avignon are sculptures and paintings by talented artists of the 15th - 20th centuries. Visitors can also see archaeological artifacts, ethnic and decorative arts. Of particular interest are products made of iron.
Sun and Space
If you are interested in astronomy, be sure to visit the city's astronomical park. Walking along it will turn into a journey through space and time between planets, stars and asteroids. Seminars are regularly held here, which are interesting for adult visitors, and interactive games captivate young explorers. The planetarium of the Sun and Space Museum and the Alley of Allegorical Figures are especially popular.
The Bridge to Nowhere - Saint-Bénézet
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 constructed 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 - it breaks in the middle of the river. But it was not always so. Initially, it connected two banks and consisted of 22 arches. But the great river of France, the Rhone, has a swift and changeable temper. Floods constantly destroyed the bridge, all attempts made to restore it failed.the desired result. A chapel was built on the stretch, which is supported by only four arches, and the bridge has been turned into a museum.
Drawings by Trompe L’Oeil
In conclusion, I would like to tell you about another special attraction of Avignon. Trompley is a special technical artistic technique characterized by an optical illusion due to the optical illusion of three-dimensional space. In Avignon, or rather, in the building of the Consul General, many religious leaders have lived at different times.
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 oils using superbly selected colors and shades. The building itself, reminiscent of a fortress, is also very interesting. According to the locals, the best time to see the fake art is between April and July, as there is practically no rain in the city at this time, and nothing will stop you from admiring these works.
