Avignon - City of the Popes...and the Romans
Overlooking Avignon from the Palais du Papes.
Avignon is perhaps best known as the City of the Popes. Surprisingly, a lot of people are not sure why. Well, back in the 1300’s the French and the Papacy were at odds with each other. In those days you might be expected to solve this sort of problem with a good old fashioned marriage. Alas that option is generally not open to priests, so Phillip IV, the king of France, did the next best thing. He made sure that the next Pope was a Frenchman - Clement V. To cut a long, and interesting, story short, the new Pope then did what all new leaders do, he surrounded himself with friendly faces by promoting French cardinals to the Curia, and moved the papacy to Avignon. Thus breaking the Italian domination of the Catholic Church.
The Romans had arrived around 1400 years before the Popes. They named the city Avenio and set about fortifying it, building temples and other major construction projects. It wasn’t their most important city at the time, but its proximity to the Via Aggrippa gave Avignon a certain importance. However, there is very little evidence left of their presence inside the current city ramparts. Fortunately for us though, there is the Pont du Gard. Thought to have been built in the 1st century, It forms part of the 52KM long aqueduct that brought water from Uzés to Nimes.
The Papal Palace in Avignon and The Pont Du Gard are popular places to visit all year round and combined they make a great day trip form Vila Amande. Popular amongst our guests is to visit the Palais in the morning, and then move on to the Pont for a Picnic then head home for sundowners on the balcony at Villa Amande. If you don’t have the energy to cook, dinner in la Pastorale is always a good option.
The great Assembly hall at the Palais du Papes.
The Papal Palace - Palais du Papes
Situated on the left bank of the Rhone, the Palais is open all year round. At the time of writing the entrance fee is 12 Euros per adult. You can take a guided tour if you like but included in the entry fee is an iPad like device that has AR capabilities (eg. you can point it at a wall and it shows you what it would have looked like when the palace was occupied) and provides a very detailed set of information. Expect to spend a good two hours wandering around the old and new Palaces. Our advice is to book your tickets in advance, aim to arrive early and bring water - particularly in peak season. There is underground parking at the Palais, as well as others dotted around the city inside the ramparts. There are plenty of places to eat around the Palais, but we recommend moving away from the immediate vicinity to some of the quieter streets and lower prices. Better yet, hop back in your car and have a picnic at the Pont du Gard.
Useful Info
Palais Website: http://www.palais-des-papes.com
google map reference: XR25+83 Avignon
Parking google map reference: XR34+38 Avignon
The Pont du Gard -
The pont du Gard lies about 20km on the other side of the Rhone. You can approach it from the left bank (rive gauche) or the right bank (rive droite). There is ample parking on both sides, but the interpretive centre and the largest car park, are on the left bank. While the restaurant is on the right bank. We have not tried it, but there is also ample space for picnicking. Swimming is not prohibited, however, it is at your own risk (rivers in Provence can be prone to flash flooding from rain upstream). Guided tours are available or you can just pay the €9.70 entrance fee and wander around on your own. You can book a visit to the top tier, if that is your thing - but they are pretty rare.
useful info
PduG website: http://pontdugard.fr/en
Google map reference Parking rive gauche: XG3P+F2 Vers-Pont-du-Gard
Google map reference Parking rive droite: XG3P+F2 Vers-Pont-du-Gard
Taking a break at the festival d’avignon - A summer theatre festival.
The Festival of Avignon 3rd July to 23rd July 2020
If you are staying in Villa Amande during July you may also like to consider the theatre festival in Avignon. During the Festival the whole of the walled city is turned into a stage with literally hundreds of plays to be seen in formal theatres, cafés or just out on the streets. Even as you eat in restaurants, actors will perform excerpts of their plays to entice you to their evening performances. It’s a lot of fun and the standard of the performances is excellent. We highly recommend it.
Useful info
Festival d’avignon website: www.festivaldavignon.fr