Avignon (, , ; or , ; ) is the

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin word, "''praefectura"'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain inter ...

of the

Vaucluse Vaucluse (; or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.

department in the

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (commonly shortened to PACA), also known as Région Sud, is one of the eighteen Regions of France, administrative regions of France, located at the far southeastern point of the Metropolitan France, mainland. The main P ...

region of southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river

Rhône The Rhône ( , ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Ròse''; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Rôno'') is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before dischargi ...

, the commune had a population of 93,671 as of the census results of 2017, with about 16,000 (estimate from Avignon's municipal services) living in the ancient town centre enclosed by its medieval walls. It is France's 35th-largest metropolitan area according to INSEE with 337,039 inhabitants (2020), and France's 13th-largest

urban unit In France, an urban unit () is a statistical area defined by INSEE, the French national statistics office, for the measurement of contiguously built-up areas. According to the INSEE definition , an "unité urbaine" is a commune alone or a grou ...

with 459,533 inhabitants (2020). Its urban area was the fastest-growing in France from 1999 until 2010 with an increase of 76% of its population and an area increase of 136%. The

Communauté d'agglomération du Grand Avignon Grand Avignon (full name ''Communauté d'agglomération du Grand Avignon'') is the ''communauté d'agglomération'', an intercommunal structure, centred on the city of Avignon. It is located in the Vaucluse and the Gard departments, in the Provenc ...

, a cooperation structure of 16 communes, had 197,102 inhabitants in 2022. Between 1309 and 1377, during the

Avignon Papacy The Avignon Papacy (; ) was the period from 1309 to 1376 during which seven successive popes resided in Avignon (at the time within the Kingdom of Arles, part of the Holy Roman Empire, now part of France) rather than in Rome (now the capital of ...

, seven successive

pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

s resided in Avignon and in 1348

Pope Clement VI Pope Clement VI (; 1291 – 6 December 1352), born Pierre Roger, was head of the Catholic Church from 7 May 1342 to his death, in December 1352. He was the fourth Avignon pope. Clement reigned during the first visitation of the Black Death (1 ...

bought the town from

Joanna I of Naples Joanna I, also known as Johanna I (; December 1325 – 27 July 1382), was Queen of Naples, and Countess of Provence and Forcalquier from 1343 to 1381; she was also Princess of Achaea from 1373 to 1381. Joanna was the eldest daughter of C ...

. Papal control persisted until 1791 when during the French Revolution it became part of France. The city is now the capital of the Vaucluse department and one of the few French cities to have preserved its city walls. This is why Avignon is also known as La Cité des Papes'' (The City-State of Popes). The historic centre, which includes the , the cathedral and the Pont d'Avignon, became a UNESCO

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

in 1995 because of its architecture and importance during the 14th and 15th centuries. The medieval monuments and the annual

Festival d'Avignon The ''Festival d'Avignon'', or Avignon Festival (), is an annual arts festival held in the France, French city of Avignon every summer in July in the courtyard of the Palais des Papes as well as in other locations of the city. Founded in 1947 by ...

one of the world's largest festivals for performing artshave helped to make the town a major centre for tourism.

Toponymy

The earliest forms of the name were reported by the Greeks: ''Aueniṑn'' (Stephen of Byzantium, Strabo, IV, 1, 11) and ''Aouenníōn'' (Ptolemy II, x). The Roman name ''Avennĭo Cavărum'' (Mela, II, 575, Pliny III, 36), i.e. "Avignon of Cavares", accurately shows that Avignon was one of the three cities of the Celtic-Ligurian tribe of

Cavares The Cavarī or Cavarēs (Gaulish: *''Cauaroi'', 'the heroes, champions, mighty men') were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the western part of modern Vaucluse, around the present-day cities of Avignon, Orange and Cavaillon, during the Roman period. Th ...

, along with

Cavaillon Cavaillon (; ) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France.

and Orange. The current name dates to a pre-Indo-European or pre-Latin theme ''ab-ên'' with the suffix ''-i-ōn(e)''. This theme would be a

hydronym A hydronym (from , , "water" and , , "name") is a type of toponym that designates a proper name of a body of water. Hydronyms include the proper names of rivers and streams, lakes and ponds, swamps and marshes, seas and oceans. As a subset of top ...

—i.e. a name linked to the river (Rhône), but perhaps also an oronym of terrain (the ''Rocher des Doms''). The ''Auenion'' of the 1st century BC was Latinized to ''Avennĭo'' (or ''Avēnĭo''), ''-ōnis'' in the 1st century and is written ''Avinhon'' in classic

Occitan Occitan may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain. * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France. * Occitan language, spoken in parts o ...

spelling or ''Avignoun'' in Mistralian spelling. The inhabitants of the commune are called ''avinhonencs'' or ''avignounen'' in both standard Occitan and

Provençal dialect Provençal (, , , ; or ) is a variety of Occitan, spoken by people in Provence and parts of Drôme and Gard. The term Provençal used to refer to the entire Occitan language, but more recently it has referred only to the variety of Occitan ...

History

Geography

Avignon is on the left bank of the

river, a few kilometres above its confluence with the

Durance The Durance (; ''Durença'' in the Occitan classical norm or ''Durènço'' in the Mistralian norm) is a major river in Southeastern France. A left tributary of the Rhône, it is long. Its drainage basin is .Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

and north-north-west of

Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...

. On the west it shares a border with the department of

Gard Gard () is a department in Southern France, located in the region of Occitanie. It had a population of 748,437 as of 2019;Villeneuve-lès-Avignon and Les Angles and to the south it borders the department of

Bouches-du-Rhône Bouches-du-Rhône ( ; , ; ; "the Mouths of the Rhône") is a Departments of France, department in southern France. It borders Vaucluse to the north, Gard to the west and Var (department), Var to the east. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the sout ...

and the communes of Barbentane, Rognonas,

Châteaurenard Châteaurenard (; Provençal ; ) is a commune in the Arles arrondissement, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in southern France. Population Twin towns Châteaurenard is twinned with: * Alte ...

, and Noves. The city is in the vicinity of Orange (north),

Nîmes Nîmes ( , ; ; Latin: ''Nemausus'') is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Gard Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region of Southern France. Located between the Med ...

Montpellier Montpellier (; ) is a city in southern France near the Mediterranean Sea. One of the largest urban centres in the region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Montpellier is the prefecture of the Departments of France, department of ...

(south-west),

Arles Arles ( , , ; ; Classical ) is a coastal city and Communes of France, commune in the South of France, a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture in the Bouches-du-Rhône Departments of France, department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Reg ...

(to the south),

Salon-de-Provence Salon-de-Provence (, ; or , ), commonly known as Salon, is a commune located about northwest of Marseille in the Bouches-du-Rhône department (Metropolis of Aix-Marseille Provence), region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Southern France. It ...

, and

(south-east). Directly contiguous to the east and north are the communes of Caumont-sur-Durance, Morières-lès-Avignon, Le Pontet, and Sorgues.

Geology and terrain

The region around Avignon is very rich in

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

which is used for building material. For example, the current

city walls A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications such as curtain walls with to ...

, measuring 4,330 metres long, were built with the soft limestone abundant in the region called ''mollasse burdigalienne''.Relief and Geology of the Avignon sector
Agence Rosier website (archived) Enclosed by the city walls, the ''Rocher des Doms'' is a limestone elevation of '' Urgonian'' type, 35 metres high (and therefore safe from flooding of the Rhone which it overlooks) and is the original core of the city. Several limestone massifs are present around the commune (the ''Massif des Angles'', ''Villeneuve-lès-Avignon'', ''Alpilles''...) and they are partly the result of the oceanisation of the Ligurian-Provençal basin following the migration of the Sardo-Corsican block. The other significant elevation in the commune is the

Montfavet Montfavet is a district of the city of Avignon in the Vaucluse in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. In southern France, the district is well known for the psychiatric hospital, " Centre Hospitalier Montfavet Avignon" located Montdevergues. ...

Hill—a wooded hill in the east of the commune. The Rhone Valley is an old alluvial zone: loose deposits cover much of the ground. It consists of sandy alluvium more or less coloured with pebbles consisting mainly of siliceous rocks. The islands in the Rhone, such as the ''Île de la Barthelasse'', were created by the accumulation of alluvial deposits and also by the work of man. The relief is quite low despite the creation of mounds allowing local protection from flooding. In the land around the city there are clay, silt, sand, and limestone present.

Hydrography

The Rhone passes the western edge of the city, but is divided into two branches: the ''Petit Rhône'', or "dead arm", for the part that passes next to Avignon and the ''Grand Rhône'', or "live arm", for the western channel which passes Villeneuve-lès-Avignon in the

Gard Gard () is a department in Southern France, located in the region of Occitanie. It had a population of 748,437 as of 2019;Durance The Durance (; ''Durença'' in the Occitan classical norm or ''Durènço'' in the Mistralian norm) is a major river in Southeastern France. A left tributary of the Rhône, it is long. Its drainage basin is .Bouches-du-Rhône Bouches-du-Rhône ( ; , ; ; "the Mouths of the Rhône") is a Departments of France, department in southern France. It borders Vaucluse to the north, Gard to the west and Var (department), Var to the east. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the sout ...

. It is a river that is considered "capricious" and once feared for its floods (it was once called the "3rd scourge of Provence" as well as for its low water: the Durance has both Alpine and Mediterranean morphology which is unusual. There are many natural and artificial water lakes in the commune such as the Lake of Saint-Chamand east of the city.

Artificial diversions

There have been many diversions throughout the course of history, such as feeding the moat surrounding Avignon or irrigating crops. In the 10th century part of the waters from the ''Sorgue d'Entraigues'' were diverted and today pass under the walls to enter the city. (See Sorgue). This watercourse is called the Vaucluse Canal but Avignon people still call it the ''Sorgue'' or ''Sorguette''. It is visible in the city in the ''Rue des teinturiers'' (street of dyers). It fed the moat around the first defensive walls then fed the moat on the newer eastern city walls (14th century). In the 13th century (under an Act signed in 1229) part of the waters of the Durance were diverted to increase the water available for the moats starting from Bonpas. This river was later called the ''Durançole''. The ''Durançole'' fed the western moats of the city and was also used to irrigate crops at Montfavet. In the city, these streams are often hidden beneath the streets and houses and are currently used to collect sewerage. The Hospital Canal (joining the Durançole) and the Crillon Canal (1775) were dug to irrigate the territories of Montfavet, Pontet, and Vedène. They were divided into numerous "fioles" or "filioles" (in Provençal ''filhòlas'' or ''fiolo''). Similarly, to irrigate the gardens of the wealthy south of Avignon, the Puy Canal was dug (1808). All of these canals took their water from the Durance. These canals were initially used to flood the land, which was very stony, to fertilize them by deposition of silt. All of these canals have been used to operate many mills.

Seismicity

Under the new seismic zoning of France defined in Decree No. 2010-1255 of 22 October 2010 concerning the delimitation of the seismicity of the French territory and which entered into force on 1 May 2011, Avignon is located in an area of moderate seismicity. The previous zoning is shown below for reference. "The cantons of Bonnieux, Apt, Cadenet, Cavaillon, and Pertuis are classified in zone Ib (low risk). All other cantons the Vaucluse department, including Avignon, are classified Ia (very low risk). This zoning is for exceptional seismicity resulting in the destruction of buildings." The presence of faults in the limestone substrate shows that significant tectonic shift has caused earthquakes in different geological ages. The last major earthquake of significant magnitude was on 11 June 1909. It left a visible trace in the centre of the city since the bell tower of the Augustinians, which is surmounted by an ancient

campanile A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell to ...

of wrought iron, located in Rue Carreterie, remained slightly leaning as a result of this earthquake.

Climate

Avignon has a

hot-summer mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

: Csa), though the dry-summer effect is not as strong as coastal locations like

due to its more sheltered inland location. The city experiences mild-cool winters and hot summers, with moderate rainfall year-round. The city is often subject to windy weather; the strongest wind is the mistral. A medieval Latin proverb said of the city: ''Avenie ventosa, sine vento venenosa, cum vento fastidiosa'' (Windy Avignon, pest-ridden when there is no wind, wind-pestered when there is). The record temperature record since the existence of the weather station at Orange is 42.8 °C on 28 June 2019 and the record lowest was −14.5 °C on 2 February 1956.

The mistral

The prevailing wind is the mistral for which the windspeed can be beyond 110 km/h. It blows between 120 and 160 days per year with an average speed of 90 km/h in gusts. The following table shows the different speeds of the mistral recorded by Orange and Carpentras Serres stations in the southern Rhone valley and its frequency in 2006. ''Normal'' corresponds to the average of the last 53 years from Orange weather reports and that of the last 42 at Carpentras. Legend: "=" same as normal; "+" higher than normal; "-" lower than normal

Demographics

In 2017, the commune had 91,921 inhabitants.

Administration

Avignon is the ''

'' (capital) of

Vaucluse Vaucluse (; or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.

'' department'' in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region. It forms the core of the Grand Avignon metropolitan area (''

communauté d'agglomération An agglomeration community (, ) is a consortium of communes in France, communes (municipality, municipalities) in France, created as a government structure by the Jean-Pierre Chevènement, Chevènement Law of 1999. It is one of four forms of co ...

''), which comprises 15 communes on both sides of the river: * Les Angles,

Pujaut Pujaut (; ) is a commune in the Gard department in southern France. The village is situated on the south side of a small hill overlooking a flat plain that once formed the bed of a lake. The lake was drained at the beginning of the 17th century ...

, Rochefort-du-Gard, Sauveterre, Saze and Villeneuve-lès-Avignon in the

Gard Gard () is a department in Southern France, located in the region of Occitanie. It had a population of 748,437 as of 2019;Caumont-sur-Durance,

Entraigues-sur-la-Sorgue Entraigues-sur-la-Sorgue (; , before 1993: ''Entraigues'')Déc ...

, Jonquerettes, Morières-lès-Avignon, Le Pontet, Saint-Saturnin-lès-Avignon, Vedène and Velleron in the Vaucluse '.

List of mayors

List of successive

mayors In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

;

Mayors In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

from 1940

Twin towns – sister cities

Avignon is twinned with: *

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in northeastern Essex, England. It is the second-largest settlement in the county, with a population of 130,245 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 Census. The demonym is ''Colcestrian''. Colchester occupies the ...

, United Kingdom since 1972 *

Guanajuato Guanajuato, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guanajuato, is one of the 32 states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Guanajuato, 46 municipalities and its cap ...

, Mexico since 1990 *

Diourbel Diourbel (; Serer language, Serer: ''Jurbel'', Wolof language, Wolof: ''Njaaréem'') is a town and urban commune in Senegal lying east of Thiès. It is known for its mosque and local peanut, groundnut industry and is the capital of the Diourbe ...

, Senegal since 1961 *

New Haven New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is the third largest city in Co ...

, Connecticut, USA since 1993 *

Siena Siena ( , ; traditionally spelled Sienna in English; ) is a city in Tuscany, in central Italy, and the capital of the province of Siena. It is the twelfth most populated city in the region by number of inhabitants, with a population of 52,991 ...

, Italy since 1981 *

Tarragona Tarragona (, ; ) is a coastal city and municipality in Catalonia (Spain). It is the capital and largest town of Tarragonès county, the Camp de Tarragona region and the province of Tarragona. Geographically, it is located on the Costa Daurada ar ...

, Spain since 1968 *

Tortosa Tortosa (, ) is the capital of the '' comarca'' of Baix Ebre, in Catalonia, Spain. Tortosa is located at above sea level, by the Ebro river, protected on its northern side by the mountains of the Cardó Massif, of which Buinaca, one of the hi ...

, Spain since 1968 *

Wetzlar Wetzlar () is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany. It is the twelfth largest city in Hesse with currently 55,371 inhabitants at the beginning of 2019 (including second homes). As an important cultural, industrial and commercial center, the un ...

, Germany since 1960

Evolution of the borders of the commune

Avignon absorbed

between 1790 and 1794 then ceded Morières-lès-Avignon in 1870 and Le Pontet in 1925. On 16 May 2007 the commune of Les Angles in

Gard Gard () is a department in Southern France, located in the region of Occitanie. It had a population of 748,437 as of 2019;Carpentras Carpentras (, formerly ; Provençal dialect, Provençal Occitan language, Occitan: ''Carpentràs'' in classical norm or ''Carpentras'' in Mistralian norm; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Vaucluse Departments of France, department in the ...

). A

Sensitive urban zone A sensitive urban zone (, ZUS) is an urban area in France defined by the authorities to be a high-priority target for city policy, taking into consideration local circumstances related to the problems of its residents. On the 26th of December 1996 ...

was created for companies wanting to relocate with exemptions from tax and social issues. It is located south of Avignon between the city walls and the Durance located in the districts of Croix Rouge, Monclar, Saint-Chamand, and La Rocade.

Areas of economic activity

There are nine main areas of economic activity in Avignon.Principal areas of activity in the department
, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Vaucluse, consulted on 19 October 2011 The Courtine area is the largest with nearly 300 businesses (of which roughly half are service establishments, one third are shops, and the rest related to industry) and more than 3,600 jobs. The site covers an area of 300 hectares and is located south-west of the city at the TGV railway station. Then comes the Fontcouverte area with a hundred establishments representing a thousand jobs. It is, however, more oriented towards shops than the Courtine area. The MIN area of Avignon is the Agroparc area (or "Technopole Agroparc"). The Cristole area is contiguous and both have a little less than a hundred establishments. Finally, the areas of Castelette, Croix de Noves, Realpanier, and the airport each have fewer than 25 establishments spread between service activities and shops. The area of the Castelette alone represents more than 600 jobs—i.e. 100 more than Cristole.

Tourism

Four million visitors come annually to visit the city and the region and also for its

. In 2011 the most visited tourist attraction was the Palais des Papes with 572,972 paying visitors. The annual Festival d'Avignon is the most important cultural event in the city. The official festival attracted 135,800 people in 2012. River tourism began in 1994 with three river boat-hotels. In 2011 there is a fleet of 21 river boat-hotel vessels, including six sight-seeing boats which are anchored on the quay along the Oulle walkways. In addition, a free shuttle boat connects Avignon to the Île de la Barthelasse and, as of 1987, a harbor master has managed all river traffic. The commune has been awarded one flower by the ''National Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom'' in the ''Competition of cities and villages in Bloom''.

Agriculture

The city is the headquarters of the International Association of the Mediterranean

Tomato The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible Berry (botany), berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originate ...

, the World Council of the Tomato Industry, and the Inter-Rhône organisation.

Industry

Only EDF (Grand Delta) with about 850 employees and ''Onet Propreté'' with just over 300 exceed 100 employees.South INSEE the highest 10
October 1998, INSEE, consulted on 18 October 2011

Public sector (excluding government)

The Henri Duffaut hospital, the City of Avignon, and the CHS of Montfavet are the largest employers in the town with about 2,000 employees each. Then comes the General Council of Vaucluse with about 1,300 employees.

Employment

In 2017 the unemployment rate was 26.0% while it was 20.7% in 2007.Dossier complet: Commune d'Avignon (84007)
INSEE, retrieved 14 September 2020 There are 38,731 people in the Avignon workforce: 102 (0.3%) agricultural workers, 2,194 (5.7%) tradesmen, shopkeepers, and business managers, 5,598 (14.5%) managers and intellectuals, 8,486 (21.9%) middle managers, 11,734 (30.3%) employees, and 9,247 (23.9%) workers.

Transport

Roads

Avignon is close to two motorways: *the

A7 autoroute The A7 Autoroutes of France, Autoroute, also known as l'autoroute du Soleil (English: the Motorway of the Sun) is a French motorway. It continues the A6 autoroute (France), A6 and links Lyon to Marseille. The autoroute du Soleil is long and fo ...

(E714) is a north–south axis on which there are two exits: Avignon-Nord (Northern districts of Avignon, Le Pontet, Carpentras) and Avignon-Sud (Southern districts of Avignon, Avignon-Caumont Airport); *the A9 autoroute (E15) which branches from the A7 near Orange along a north-east south-west axis towards

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. The main roads are: *

Route nationale A ''route nationale'', or simply ''nationale'', is a class of trunk road in France. They are important roads of national significance which cross broad portions of the French territory, in contrast to departmental or communal roads which serve mo ...

N100 which goes west to Remoulins * The D225 which goes north towards

Entraigues-sur-la-Sorgue Entraigues-sur-la-Sorgue (; , before 1993: ''Entraigues'')Déc ...

* The D62 which goes north-east to Vedène * The D28 which goes east to Saint-Saturnin-lès-Avignon * The D901 which goes south-east to Morières-lès-Avignon * Route nationale N570 which goes south to Rognonas The city has nine paid multi-storey car parks with a total of 7,100 spaces, multi-storey car parks under surveillance with a capacity for 2,050 cars with a free shuttle to the city centre, as well as five other free parking areas with a capacity of 900 cars.

Railways

Avignon is served by two railway stations: the historic station built in 1860, the '' Gare d'Avignon-Centre'', just outside the city walls, which can accommodate any type of train and, since 2001, the '' Gare d'Avignon TGV'' in the 'Courtine' district south of the city, on the LGV Méditerranée line. Since December 2013 the two stations have been connected by a link line—the ''Virgule''. The Montfavet district, which was formerly a separate commune, also has a station.

Airports

The Avignon - Caumont Airport on the south-eastern commune border has several international routes to England. The major airport in the region with domestic and international scheduled passenger service is the

Marseille Provence Airport Marseille Provence Airport () is an international airport located 27 km (17 miles) northwest of Marseille, on the territory of Marignane, both '' communes'' of the Bouches-du-Rhône ''département'' in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regi ...

Water transport

The

has for many centuries been an important means of transportation for the city. River traffic in Avignon has two commercial ports, docking stations for boat cruises, and various riverfront developments. A free shuttle boat has been established between the quay near the city walls and the opposite bank (the île de la Barthelasse). StationVelopop

Public transport

Tecelys via the ''Orizo network'' is the public transport operator for the commune of Avignon and its surrounding suburbs. Tecelys operates

bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a motor vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van, but fewer than the average rail transport. It is most commonly used ...

services (including BRT named ''Chron'hop''), as well as

bike sharing A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike, push-bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, with two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist. B ...

and car pooling services. The first opened in October 2019.

Bicycles

Avignon has of bicycle paths. In 2009 the TCRA (former public transport operator) introduced a

bicycle sharing system A bicycle-sharing system, bike share program, public bicycle scheme, or public bike share (PBS) scheme, is a shared transport service where bicycles are available for shared use by individuals at low cost. The programmes themselves include bo ...

called the '' Vélopop'''.

Cultural heritage

Avignon has a very large number of sites and buildings (177) that are registered as historical monuments. Avignon shops

In the part of the city within the walls the buildings are old but in most areas they have been restored or reconstructed (such as the post office and the Lycée Frédéric Mistral). The buildings along the main street, Rue de la République, date from the Second Empire (1852–70) with Haussmann façades and amenities around Place de l'Horloge (the central square), the neoclassical city hall, and the theatre district. Avignon statues

Listed below are the major sites of interest with those sites registered as historical monuments indicated: * Notre Dame des Doms (12th century), the cathedral is a Romanesque building, mainly built during the 12th century; the most prominent feature of the cathedral is the 19th century gilded statue of the Virgin which surmounts the western tower. The

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type o ...

Pope John XXII Pope John XXII (, , ; 1244 – 4 December 1334), born Jacques Duèze (or d'Euse), was head of the Catholic Church from 7 August 1316 to his death, in December 1334. He was the second and longest-reigning Avignon Papacy, Avignon Pope, elected by ...

(1334), within the cathedral, is a noteworthy example of 14th-century Gothic carving. * ("Papal Palace") (14th century) almost dwarfs the cathedral. The palace is a monument and sits within a square of the same name. The palace was begun in 1316 by

John XXII Pope John XXII (, , ; 1244 – 4 December 1334), born Jacques Duèze (or d'Euse), was head of the Catholic Church from 7 August 1316 to his death, in December 1334. He was the second and longest-reigning Avignon Pope, elected by the Conclave of ...

and continued by succeeding popes through the 14th century, until 1370 when it was finished. * Minor churches of the town include three built in the Gothic

architectural style An architectural style is a classification of buildings (and nonbuilding structures) based on a set of characteristics and features, including overall appearance, arrangement of the components, method of construction, building materials used, for ...

: ** Church of Saint-Pierre (14th century) which has a graceful façade and richly carved doors; ** Church of Saint-Didier (14th century); and ** Church of Saint-Agricol (14th century). * Other religious buildings: ** Church of Saint-Symphorien (14th century, former Carmelite monastery church). ** Church of Montfavet (14th century). ** Chapel of the Oratory. ** Chapel of the White penitents (16th century). ** Chapel of the Grey penitents (18th century). ** Chapel of the Black penitents. ** Synagogue (19th century). * Civic buildings are represented most notably by: ** The Hôtel de Ville (city hall) (1846), a relatively modern building with a

bell tower A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell to ...

from the 14th century, ** The old ''Hôtel des Monnaies'', the papal mint which was built in 1610 and became a music-school. ** Hospital Sainte-Marthe. ** Hotel of Saint-Priest (Hotel de Monery, 18th century). ** House of King René (15th century). * The city walls, built by the popes in the 14th century and still encircle Avignon. They are one of the finest examples of

medieval fortification Medieval fortification refers to medieval military methods that cover the development of fortification construction and use in Europe, roughly from the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the Renaissance. During this millennium, fortifications ...

in existence. The walls are of great strength and are surmounted by machicolated battlements flanked at intervals by 39 massive towers and pierced by several gateways, three of which date from the 14th century. The walls were restored under the direction of

Eugène Viollet-le-Duc Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc (; 27 January 181417 September 1879) was a French architect and author, famous for his restoration of the most prominent medieval landmarks in France. His major restoration projects included Notre-Dame de Paris, ...

. * Bridges include: ** The ''

Pont Saint-Bénézet The Pont Saint-Bénézet (; Provençal: ), also known as the Pont d'Avignon (), was a medieval bridge across the Rhône in the town of Avignon, in southern France. Only four arches survive. An early wooden bridge spanning the Rhône betwee ...

'', better known as the ''Pont d'Avignon'' and for the French song ''

Sur le pont d'Avignon "Sur le pont d'Avignon" () ("On the Bridge of Avignon") is a French song about a dance performed on the Pont d'Avignon (officially Pont Saint-Bénézet) that dates back to the 15th century. The dance actually took place under the bridge and not o ...

''. Only four of the twenty one piers are left and the bridge ends mid-channel. On one of the piers stands the small Romanesque chapel of Saint-Bénézet. ** The ''Pont Édouard Daladier'' and the ''Pont de Royaume'', which together span both channels of the Rhone leading to Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, thus replacing the ''Pont Saint-Bénézet'' ** The ''Pont de l'Europe'', which provides a second road crossing over the Rhone. ** Two railway bridges over the Rhone, one carrying the conventional Paris–Marseille line and the other the LGV Méditerranée line * Calvet Museum, so named after Esprit Calvet, a physician who in 1810 left his collections to the town. It has a large collection of paintings, metalwork and other objects. The library has over 140,000 volumes. * The town has a Statue of Jean Althen, who migrated from

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

and in 1765 introduced the culture of the madder plant, which long formed the staple—and is still an important tool—of the local cloth trade in the area. * Musée du Petit Palais (opened 1976) at the end of the square overlooked by the Palais des Papes, has an exceptional collection of Renaissance paintings of the Avignon school as well as from Italy, which reunites many "primitives" from the collection of Giampietro Campana. * The ''

Hotel d'Europe A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suite (hotel), suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a d ...

'', one of the oldest hotels in France, in business since 1799. * The ''Collection Lambert'', houses contemporary art exhibitions * The ''Musée Angladon'' exhibits the paintings of a private collector who created the museum * ''Musée Lapidaire'', with collections of archaeological and medieval sculptures from the Fondation Calvet in the old chapel of the

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

College. * ''Musée Louis-Vouland'' * ''

Musée Requien Museum Requien (and not Musée Requien) is a natural history museum in Avignon, France. Some of Jean Henri Fabre's work is displayed here. Muséum Requien is named in honor of French naturalist Esprit Requien (6 May 1788, Avignon – 30 May 18 ...

'' * ''Palais du Roure'' * ''Les Halles'' is a large indoor market that offers fresh produce, meats, and fish along with a variety of other goods. * The ''Place Pie'' is a small square near Place de l'Horloge where you can partake in an afternoon coffee on the outdoor terraces or enjoy a night on the town later in the evening as the square fills with young people. * Note: the name of

Pablo Picasso Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, Ceramic art, ceramicist, and Scenic ...

's 1907 painting ''

Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (''The Young Ladies of Avignon'', originally titled ''The Brothel of Avignon'') is a large oil painting created in 1907 by the Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. Part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, it portrays f ...

'' (''The Young Ladies of Avignon'') is misleading; Picasso's models for this painting were in fact not women of the city of Avignon, but rather of the Carrer d'Avinyó (Avignon Street) in

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

. The commune houses more than 500 historical objects, many of which are religious.

Gallery

File:Avignon, Palais des Papes by JM Rosier.jpg, View of the ''Palais des Papes'' from the square on the western side File:Abbaye Saint-Ruf d'Avignon 01.JPG, Abbey of Saint-Ruf File:Avignon bridge by Rosier.jpg, The '' Pont d'Avignon'' from the song "''

Sur le Pont d'Avignon "Sur le pont d'Avignon" () ("On the Bridge of Avignon") is a French song about a dance performed on the Pont d'Avignon (officially Pont Saint-Bénézet) that dates back to the 15th century. The dance actually took place under the bridge and not o ...

''" File:Remparts d'Avignon.jpg, The city walls of Avignon File:Hotel de la monnaie.JPG, The Hôtel des Monnaies

Culture

Avignon Festival

A theatre festival is held annually in Avignon. Founded in 1947, the

(Avignon Festival) comprises traditional theatrical events as well as other art forms such as dance, music, and cinema, making use of the town's historical monuments. Every summer approximately 100,000 people attend the festival. There are really two festivals that take place: the more formal "Festival In", which presents plays inside the Palace of the Popes and the more bohemian "Festival Off", which is known for its presentation of largely undiscovered plays and street performances. Avignon festival was founded by Jean Vilar. This cultural initiative brought, year after year, a major economic boost to the city and to the region of Provence. Indeed, the tourists visiting Avignon during the month of July usually take benefit of their presence to go to the smaller villages around, to discover the local food, local wines, touristic activities, learn some French.

International Congress Centre

The centre was created in 1976 within the premises of the Palace of the Popes and hosts many events throughout the entire year. The Congress Centre, designed for conventions, seminars, and meetings for 10 to 550 persons, now occupies two wings of the Popes' Palace.

"Sur le Pont d'Avignon"

Avignon is commemorated by the French song '

' ('On the bridge of Avignon'), which describes

folk dancing A folk dance is a dance that reflects the life of the people of a certain country or region. Not all ethnic dances are folk dances. For example, Ritual, ritual dances or dances of ritual origin are not considered to be folk dances. Ritual dances ...

. The song dates from the mid-19th century when

Adolphe Adam Adolphe Charles Adam (; 24 July 1803 – 3 May 1856) was a French composer, teacher and music critic. A prolific composer for the theatre, he is best known today for his ballets ''Giselle'' (1841) and ''Le corsaire'' (1856), his operas ''Le post ...

included it in the

Opéra comique ''Opéra comique'' (; plural: ''opéras comiques'') is a genre of French opera that contains spoken dialogue and arias. It emerged from the popular ''opéras comiques en vaudevilles'' of the Théâtre de la foire, Fair Theatres of St Germain and S ...

''Le Sourd ou l'Auberge Pleine'', which was first performed in Paris in 1853. The opera was an adaptation of the 1790 comedy by Desforges. The bridge of the song is the

over the

, of which only four arches (out of the initial 22) now remain. A bridge across the Rhone was built between 1171 and 1185, with a length of some , but was destroyed during the siege of Avignon by

Louis VIII of France Louis VIII (5 September 1187 8 November 1226), nicknamed The Lion (), was King of France from 1223 to 1226. As a prince, he invaded Kingdom of England, England on 21 May 1216 and was Excommunication in the Catholic Church, excommunicated by a ...

in 1226. It was rebuilt but suffered frequent collapses during floods and had to be continually repaired. Several arches were already missing (and spanned by wooden sections) before the remainder was abandoned in 1669.

Sport

Sporting Olympique Avignon is the local

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...

football team. During the 20th century it produced a number of French international representative players. AC Arles-Avignon was a professional association football team. They competed in

Ligue 2 Ligue 2 (, League 2), also known as Ligue 2 BKT due to sponsorship reasons, is a French professional football league. The league serves as the second division of French football and is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Prof ...

, after the 2010–2011 season competing in Ligue 1 and being relegated back down the following season and ultimately folding in 2016. They played at the Parc des Sports, which has a capacity of just over 17,000.

Education

The schools within the commune of Avignon are administered by the Académie d'Aix-Marseille. There are 26 state nursery schools (''Écoles maternelles'') for children up to 6, and 32 state primary schools (''Écoles élémentaires'') up to 11. There are also 4 private schools.

University of Avignon

University before the Revolution

The medieval University of Avignon, formed from the existing schools of the city, was formally constituted in 1303 by

Boniface VIII Pope Boniface VIII (; born Benedetto Caetani; – 11 October 1303) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 December 1294 until his death in 1303. The Caetani family was of baronial origin with connections to the p ...

in a

Papal Bull A papal bull is a type of public decree, letters patent, or charter issued by the pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the leaden Seal (emblem), seal (''bulla (seal), bulla'') traditionally appended to authenticate it. History Papal ...

. Boniface VIII and King Charles II of Naples were the first great protectors and benefactors to the university. The Law department was the most important department covering both civil and

ecclesiastical law Canon law (from , , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical jurisdiction, ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its membe ...

. The law department existed nearly exclusively for some time after the university's formation and remained its most important department throughout its existence. In 1413

Pope John XXIII Pope John XXIII (born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death on 3 June 1963. He is the most recent pope to take ...

founded the university's department of theology, which for quite some time had only a few students. It was not until the 16th and 17th centuries that the school developed a department of medicine. The bishop of Avignon was chancellor of the university from 1303 to 1475. After 1475 the bishop became an archbishop but remained chancellor of the university. The papal vice-legate, generally a bishop, represented the civil power (in this case the pope) and was chiefly a judicial officer who ranked higher than the Primicerius (Rector). The Primicerius was elected by the Doctors of Law. In 1503 the Doctors of Law had 4 Theologians and in 1784 two Doctors of Medicine added to their ranks. Since the Pope was the spiritual head and, after 1348, the temporal ruler of Avignon, he was able to have a great deal of influence in all university affairs. In 1413

John XXIII Pope John XXIII (born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death on 3 June 1963. He is the most recent pope to take ...

granted the university extensive special privileges, such as university jurisdiction and tax exempt status. Political, geographical, and educational circumstances in the latter part of the university's existence caused it to seek favour from Paris rather than Rome for protection. During the chaos of the French Revolution the university started to gradually disappear and, in 1792, the university was abandoned and closed.

Modern university

A university annex of the ''Faculté des Sciences d'Aix-Marseille'' was opened in Avignon in 1963. Over the next 20 years various changes were made to the provision of tertiary education in the town until finally in 1984 the ''Université d'Avignon et des Pays de Vaucluse'' was created. This was nearly 200 years after the demise of the original Avignon university. The main campus lies to the east of the city centre within the city walls. The university occupies the 18th century buildings of the ''Hôpital Sainte-Marthe''. The main building has an elegant façade with a central

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cu ...

. The right hand side was designed by Jean-Baptiste Franque and built between 1743 and 1745. Franque was assisted by his son François in the design of the portico. The hospital moved out in the 1980s and, after major works, the building opened for students in 1997. In 2009–2010 there were 7,125 students registered at the university.

Notable people

The Arts

* Nicolas Dipre (-1532), early

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

painter. * Trophime Bigot (1579 in Arles – 1650 in Avignon), French painter of the

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

era. * Pierre Simon Jaillot (1631–1681), sculptor of ivory objects * Pierre Parrocel (1664–1739), painter of the late-

period. * Claude-Joseph Vernet (1714–1789), a painter of night landscapes. * Dorothea von Rodde-Schlözer (1770 in Göttingen – 1825 in Avignon), artist and scholar. * Pierre Grivolas (1823–1906), painter of landscapes, portraits and genre scenes. * Émile Beaussier (1874–1943), painter of maritime scenes and sunny landscapes. *

Albert Gleizes Albert Gleizes (; 8 December 1881 – 23 June 1953) was a French artist, theoretician, philosopher, a self-proclaimed founder of Cubism and an influence on the School of Paris. Albert Gleizes and Jean Metzinger wrote the first major treatise on ...

(1881–1953), artist, theoretician, philosopher, self-proclaimed founder of

Cubism Cubism is an early-20th-century avant-garde art movement which began in Paris. It revolutionized painting and the visual arts, and sparked artistic innovations in music, ballet, literature, and architecture. Cubist subjects are analyzed, broke ...

* Yahel Chirinian (born 1970),

contemporary Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from about 1945 to the present. In the social sciences, contemporary history is also continuous with, and related t ...

sculptor and installation artist

Music

* Justine Favart (1727–1772), an operatic singer, actress, playwright and dancer. * Albert Guille (1854–1914), operatic tenor * Marie Grisier-Montbazon (1859−1922), a French actress and singer. *

Olivier Messiaen Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen (, ; ; 10 December 1908 – 27 April 1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithology, ornithologist. One of the major composers of the 20th-century classical music, 20th century, he was also an ou ...

(1908–1992), composer, organist, and ornithologist * Jean-Claude Malgoire (1940–2018), oboist and later conductor. *

Mireille Mathieu Mireille Mathieu (; born July 22, 1946) is a French singer. She has recorded over 1,200 songs in eleven languages, with more than 122 million records sold worldwide. Biography and career Early years Mireille Mathieu was born on July 22, 1946, ...

(born 1946), singer *

Christophe Rousset Christophe Rousset (; born 12 April 1961) is a French harpsichordist and conducting, conductor, who specializes in the performance of Baroque music on Authentic performance, period instruments. He is also a musicologist, particularly of opera and ...

(born 1961), harpsichordist and conductor of

Baroque music Baroque music ( or ) refers to the period or dominant style of Classical music, Western classical music composed from about 1600 to 1750. The Baroque style followed the Renaissance music, Renaissance period, and was followed in turn by the Class ...

* Peste Noire (formed 2000), a black metal band

Science & Business

* Procopius Waldvogel (15th C.), a medieval printer and silversmith by trade. * Alexis-Hubert Jaillot (1632–1712), geographer and

cartographer Cartography (; from , 'papyrus, sheet of paper, map'; and , 'write') is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an imagined reality) can ...

* Pierre-Esprit Radisson (1636/1640–1710), fur trader and explorer * Esprit Pézenas (1692–1776), Jesuit astronomer, hydrographer and mathematician *

Honoré Blanc Honoré Blanc (1736–1801) was a French gunsmith and a pioneer of the use of interchangeable parts.. He was born in Avignon in 1736 and apprenticed to the gun-making trade at the age of twelve. His career spanned the decades from circa 1750 ...

(1736–1801), gunsmith, pioneered the use of

interchangeable parts Interchangeable parts are parts (wikt:component#Noun, components) that are identical for practical purposes. They are made to specifications that ensure that they are so nearly identical that they will fit into any assembly of the same type. One ...

. *

Yves Delage Yves Delage (13 May 1854 – 7 October 1920) was a French zoologist known for his work into invertebrate physiology and anatomy. He also discovered the function of the semicircular canals in the inner ear. He is also famous for noting and pre ...

(1854–1920), zoologist, worked on

invertebrate Invertebrates are animals that neither develop nor retain a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''spine'' or ''backbone''), which evolved from the notochord. It is a paraphyletic grouping including all animals excluding the chordata, chordate s ...

physiology Physiology (; ) is the science, scientific study of function (biology), functions and mechanism (biology), mechanisms in a life, living system. As a branches of science, subdiscipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ syst ...

and anatomy. * Christine Ourmières-Widener (born 1964),

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

TAP Air Portugal TAP Air Portugal is the flag carrier of Portugal, headquartered at Lisbon Airport which also serves as its airline hub, hub. TAP – Transportes Aéreos Portugueses – has been a member of the Star Alliance since 2005 and operates on average 2, ...

Public service & the Church

Pope Gregory XI Pope Gregory XI (; born Pierre Roger de Beaufort; c. 1329 – 27 March 1378) was head of the Catholic Church from 30 December 1370 to his death, in March 1378. He was the seventh and last Avignon pope and the most recent French pope. In 1377, ...

(ca.1329 – 1378), the seventh and last Avignon pope. * Francis Lambert (ca.1486 – 1530), a Protestant reformer. *

Georges d'Armagnac Georges d'Armagnac (c. 1501 – July 1585) was a French humanist, patron of arts, cardinal and diplomat deeply embroiled in the Italian Wars and in the French Wars of Religion. Biography He was born at Avignon, the son of Pierre d'Armagnac ...

(ca.1501 – 1585), humanist, patron of arts, Cardinal and diplomat *

Alexandre de Rhodes Alexandre de Rhodes, SJ (; 15 March 1593 – 5 November 1660), also Đắc Lộ was an Avignonese Jesuit missionary and lexicographer who had a lasting impact on Christianity in Vietnam. He wrote the '' Dictionarium Annamiticum Lusitanum et Latin ...

(1591–1664),

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...

. * Chevalier de Folard (1669–1752), soldier and military theorist, championed infantry columns *

Louis des Balbes de Berton de Crillon Louis des Balbes de Berton de Crillon (; 1541, Murs, Vaucluse, Murs, Provence – 2 December 1615, Avignon) was a French soldier, called the ''Man without Fear'' and, by Henry IV of France, Henry IV the ''Brave of the Brave''. Louis was born i ...

(1717–1796), Captain general of the Army. *

Étienne-Antoine Boulogne Étienne-Antoine Boulogne (26 December 1747 – 13 March 1825) was a French cleric of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Troyes from 1809 to 1825. Early life Étienne-Antoine Boulogne was born at Avignon on 26 December 1747. ...

(1747–1825), cleric,

Bishop of Troyes The Diocese of Troyes (Latin: ''Dioecesis Trecensis''; French: ''Diocèse de Troyes'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Troyes, France. The diocese now comprises the ''département'' of Aube. Erecte ...

, 1809–1825. *

Pierre Louis Jean Casimir de Blacas Pierre-Louis Jean Casimir, Count of Blacas d'Aulps (10 January 1771 – 17 November 1839), later created 1st Duke of Blacas (1821), was a French antiquarian, nobleman and diplomat during the Bourbon Restoration. Biography Early life He wa ...

(1771–1839), antiquarian, nobleman and diplomat * Joseph Agricol Viala (1778–1793), child hero in the

French Revolutionary Army The French Revolutionary Army () was the French land force that fought the French Revolutionary Wars from 1792 to 1802. In the beginning, the French armies were characterised by their revolutionary fervour, their poor equipment and their great nu ...

, killed aged 15 *

John Stuart Mill John Stuart Mill (20 May 1806 – 7 May 1873) was an English philosopher, political economist, politician and civil servant. One of the most influential thinkers in the history of liberalism and social liberalism, he contributed widely to s ...

(1806 – 1873 in Avignon), an English philosopher, political economist and MP; he is buried in the local cemetery. *

Édouard Daladier Édouard Daladier (; 18 June 1884 – 10 October 1970) was a French Radical Party (France), Radical-Socialist (centre-left) politician, who was the Prime Minister of France in 1933, 1934 and again from 1938 to 1940. he signed the Munich Agreeme ...

(1884–1970), politician and 3 x pre-war

Prime Minister of France The prime minister of France (), officially the prime minister of the French Republic (''Premier ministre de la République française''), is the head of government of the French Republic and the leader of its Council of Ministers. The prime ...

Bernard Kouchner Bernard Kouchner (born 1 November 1939) is a French politician and doctor. He is the co-founder of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Médecins du Monde. From 2007 until 2010, he was the French Minister of Foreign and European Affairs in t ...

(born 1939), politician and doctor, co-founded

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF; pronounced ), known in some English-speaking settings as Doctors Without Borders, is a charity that provides humanitarian medical care. It is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) of French origin known for its projects in conflict zo ...

* Edmond Alphandéry (born 1943), politician, public-sector company executive * Muriel Casals i Couturier (1945–2016), a Catalan economist and academic

Writing

* Bertran Folcon d'Avignon (fl. 1202–1233), a Provençal nobleman,

troubadour A troubadour (, ; ) was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100–1350). Since the word ''troubadour'' is etymologically masculine, a female equivalent is usually called a ''trobairitz''. The tr ...

and poet * Abraham Farissol (ca.1451 – ca.1525), a Jewish-Italian geographer, cosmographer, scribe and

polemicist Polemic ( , ) is contentious rhetoric intended to support a specific position by forthright claims and to undermine the opposing position. The practice of such argumentation is called polemics, which are seen in arguments on controversial to ...

. * Marianne-Agnès Falques (1720–1785), author of romance novels and other topical writing * Armand de Pontmartin (1811–1890), journalist, critic and man of letters. * Henri Bosco (1888–1976), writer, nominated for the

Nobel Prize in Literature The Nobel Prize in Literature, here meaning ''for'' Literature (), is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, "in ...

four times. *

Pierre Boulle Pierre François Marie Louis Boulle (20 February 1912 – 30 January 1994) was a French author. He is best known for two works, '' The Bridge over the River Kwai'' (1952) and '' Planet of the Apes'' (1963), that were both made into award-winning ...

(1912–1994), author of the novels: '' The Bridge over the River Kwai'' and ''

Planet of the Apes ''Planet of the Apes'' is a science fiction media franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, post-apocalyptic world in which humans and intelligent apes c ...

'' *

René Girard René Noël Théophile Girard (; ; 25 December 1923 – 4 November 2015) was a French-American historian, literary critic, and philosopher of social science whose work belongs to the tradition of philosophical anthropology. Girard was the a ...

(1923–2015), polymath, historian, literary critic and philosopher of social science * Daniel Arsand (born 1950), writer and publisher * Mazarine Pingeot (born 1974), writer, journalist and associate Professor of philosophy at the Paris 8 University and daughter of former French President

François Mitterrand François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand (26 October 19168 January 1996) was a French politician and statesman who served as President of France from 1981 to 1995, the longest holder of that position in the history of France. As a former First ...

. * Vincent Almendros (born 1978), writer, winner of the 2015 prix Françoise Sagan

Sport

Philippe Gache Philippe Gache (born 31 May 1962, Avignon, France) is a French racing driver. He has raced in a number of disciplines, but for the last 20 years (as of 2006) has specialized in off-road racing. In 1992 he competed in the Indianapolis 500, but cra ...

(born 1962), racing driver * Éric Di Meco (born 1963), former footballer with 342 club caps and 23 with

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Jean Alesi Jean Robert Alesi (; born Giovanni Roberto Alesi, 11 June 1964) is a French former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Alesi won the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix with Ferrari. Born and raised in Avignon, Alesi started karting a ...

, (born 1964), professional racing driver for

Formula 1 Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

& DTM * Teddy Richert (born 1974), goalkeeper coach and former goalkeeper with 464 club caps * Jean-Christophe Ravier (born 1979), racing driver * Cédric Carrasso (born 1981), former footballer with 379 club caps * Philippe Toledo (born 1983), former footballer with 449 club caps * Camille Ayglon (born 1985), retired handballer with 270 caps with France women and an Olympic team silver medallist * Benoît Richaud (born 1988), figure skating choreographer and former competitive ice dancer. *

Benoît Paire Benoît "Ben" Paire (; born 8 May 1989) is a French professional tennis player. His best result in a Grand Slam (tennis), Grand Slam has been reaching the fourth round, which he has achieved on four occasions. He has won three singles titles, ...

(born 1989), tennis player, best singles ranking is World No. 18, in January 2016 * Younès Belhanda (born 1990), footballer with over 360 club caps and 58 for

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

* Tony Gigot (born 1990), rugby league footballer with 233 club caps and 19 for

* Giuliano Alesi (born 1999),

Super Formula The Japanese Super Formula Championship is a formula racing series held primarily in Japan. It is considered to be the pinnacle of single-seater racing in Japan or Asia as a whole, making it one of the top motorsport series in the region. The s ...

driver * Clément Novalak (born 2000), FIA Formula 2 driver * Pierre-Louis Chovet (born 2002), racing driver

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External links

Avignon Tourisme website
{{Authority control Communes of Vaucluse Cities in France Prefectures in France World Heritage Sites in France Universities in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Populated places on the Rhône Populated riverside places in France Cavares

Toponymy

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Geography

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Artificial diversions

Seismicity

Climate

The mistral

Demographics

Administration

List of mayors

Twin towns – sister cities

Evolution of the borders of the commune

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"Sur le Pont d'Avignon"

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University of Avignon

University before the Revolution

Modern university

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