Avignon isFrance's 35th-largest metropolitan area according toINSEE with 337,039 inhabitants (2020),[3] and France's 13th-largesturban unit with 459,533 inhabitants (2020).[2] 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%.[9]
Between 1309 and 1377, during theAvignon Papacy, seven successivepopes resided in Avignon and in 1348Pope Clement VI bought the town fromJoanna I of Naples. Papal control persisted until 1791 when during theFrench Revolution it became part of France. The city is now the capital of theVaucluse 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 of the Popes).
The historic centre, which includes thePalais des Papes,Avignon Cathedral and thePont d'Avignon, became a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site in 1995 because of its architecture and importance during the 14th and 15th centuries.[10] The medieval monuments and the annualFestival d'Avignon – one of the world's largest festivals for performing arts[11] – have helped to make the town a major centre for tourism.
The earliest forms of the name were reported by the Greeks:[12]АὐενιὼνAueniṑn (Stephen of Byzantium, Strabo, IV, 1, 11) andΆουεννίωνAouenníōn (Ptolemy II, x).
The Roman nameAvennĭo 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 ofCavares, along withCavaillon andOrange.
The current name dates to a pre-Indo-European[12] or pre-Latin[13] themeab-ên with the suffix-i-ōn(e).[12][13] This theme would be ahydronym—i.e. a name linked to the river (Rhône), but perhaps also an oronym of terrain (theRocher des Doms).
TheAuenion of the 1st century BC was Latinized toAvennĭo (orAvēnĭo),-ōnis in the 1st century and is writtenAvinhon in classicOccitan spelling[14] orAvignoun inMistralian spelling.[15] The inhabitants of the commune are calledavinhonencs oravignounen in both standard Occitan andProvençal dialect.
Avignon is on the left bank of theRhône river, a few kilometres above its confluence with theDurance, about 580 km (360 mi) south-east of Paris, 229 km (142 mi) south ofLyon and 85 km (53 mi) north-north-west ofMarseille. On the west it shares a border with the department ofGard and the communes ofVilleneuve-lès-Avignon andLes Angles and to the south it borders the department ofBouches-du-Rhône and the communes ofBarbentane,Rognonas,Châteaurenard, andNoves.
The region around Avignon is very rich inlimestone which is used for building material. For example, the currentcity walls, measuring 4,330 metres long, were built with the soft limestone abundant in the region calledmollasse burdigalienne.[16]
Enclosed by the city walls, theRocher des Doms is a limestone elevation ofUrgonian type, 35 metres high[17] (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 (theMassif des Angles,Villeneuve-lès-Avignon,Alpilles...) and they are partly the result of theoceanisation of the Ligurian-Provençal basin following the migration of the Sardo-Corsican block.[16]
The other significant elevation in the commune is theMontfavet Hill—a wooded hill in the east of the commune.[16]
TheRhone 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 theÎle 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.[16]
In the land around the city there are clay, silt, sand, and limestone present.[16]
The Rhone passes the western edge of the city, but is divided into two branches: thePetit Rhône, or "dead arm", for the part that passes next to Avignon and theGrand Rhône, or "live arm", for the western channel which passesVilleneuve-lès-Avignon in theGard department. The two branches are separated by an island, the Île de la Barthelasse. The southernmost tip of the Île de la Barthelasse once formed of a separated island, the L'Île de Piot.[18]
The banks of the Rhone and the Île de la Barthelasse are often subject to flooding during autumn and March. The publicationFloods in France since the 6th century until today – research and documentation[19] by Maurice Champion tells about a number of them (until 1862, the flood of 1856 was one of the largest, which destroyed part of the walls). They have never really stopped as shown by the floods in 1943–1944[20] and again on 23 January 1955[21] and remain important today—such as the floods of 2 December 2003.[22] As a result, a new risk mapping has been developed.
TheDurance flows along the southern boundary of the commune into the Rhone and marks the departmental boundary withBouches-du-Rhône.[23] It is a river that is considered "capricious" and once feared for its floods (it was once called the "3rd scourge of Provence"[a] 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.
A mill on the Vaucluse Canal in thePont des 2 eaux district
There have been many diversions[24] throughout the course of history, such as feeding the moat surrounding Avignon or irrigating crops.
In the 10th century part of the waters from theSorgue d'Entraigues were diverted and today pass under the walls to enter the city. (SeeSorgue). This watercourse is called the Vaucluse Canal but Avignon people still call it theSorgue orSorguette. It is visible in the city in theRue 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).[25] 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 theDurançole.[citation needed] TheDurançole 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.[citation needed]
The Hospital Canal (joining the Durançole) and the Crillon Canal (1775) were dug to irrigate the territories of Montfavet, Pontet, and Vedène.[citation needed] They were divided into numerous "fioles" or "filioles" (inProvençalfilhòlas orfiolo). 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.[citation needed]
All of these canals have been used to operate many mills.
The leaning bell tower of the Church of theAugustinians.
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."[26]
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.[b] It left a visible trace in the centre of the city since the bell tower of the Augustinians, which is surmounted by an ancientcampanile of wrought iron, located in Rue Carreterie, remained slightly leaning as a result of this earthquake.
Avignon has ahot-summer mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification:Csa), though the dry-summer effect is not as strong as coastal locations likeMarseille 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 themistral. 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).[27]
Climate data for Avignon (1993–2020 averages, extremes 1993–present)
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.[29]
The prevailing wind is themistral 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.[30] 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[when?] from Orange weather reports and that of the last 42[when?] at Carpentras.[31]
Legend: "=" same as normal; "+" higher than normal; "-" lower than normal
Avignon is the seat of theChamber of Commerce and Industry of Vaucluse which manages the Avignon–Caumont Airport and the Avignon-Le Pontet Docks.
Avignon has 7,000 businesses, 1,550 associations, 1,764 shops, and 1,305 service providers.[37] The urban area has one of the largest catchment areas in Europe with more than 300,000 square metres of retail space and 469 m2 per thousand population against 270 on average in France.[38] The commercial area of Avignon Nord is one of the largest in Europe.[39]
The tertiary sector is the most dynamic in the department by far on the basis of the significant production of early fruit and vegetables in Vaucluse, The MIN (Market of National Importance) has become the pivotal hub of commercial activity in the department, taking precedence over other local markets (including that ofCarpentras).
ASensitive urban zone was created for companies wanting to relocate with exemptions from tax and social issues.[40] 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.[41]
There are nine main areas of economic activity in Avignon.[42]
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.[42] The site covers an area of 300 hectares and is located south-west of the city at theTGV 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.[42]
The MIN area of Avignon is the Agroparc area[c] (or "Technopole Agroparc"). The Cristole area is contiguous and both have a little less than a hundred establishments.[42]
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.[42]
Four million visitors come annually to visit the city and the region and also for itsFestival d'Avignon.[37] In 2011 the most visited tourist attraction was the Palais des Papes with 572,972 paying visitors.[43] The annual Festival d'Avignon is the most important cultural event in the city. The official festival attracted 135,800 people in 2012.[43]
A cruise boat at the quay at Avignon.
River tourism began in 1994 with three river boat-hotels.[citation needed] 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 theNational Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom in theCompetition of cities and villages in Bloom.[44]
The city is the headquarters of the International Association of the MediterraneanTomato, the World Council of theTomato Industry, and the Inter-Rhône organisation.
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.[45]
In 2017 the unemployment rate was 26.0% while it was 20.7% in 2007.[46] 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.[46]
theA7 autoroute (E714) is a north–south axis on which there are two exits: 23 Avignon-Nord (Northern districts of Avignon, Le Pontet, Carpentras) and 24 Avignon-Sud (Southern districts of Avignon, Avignon-Caumont Airport);
theA9 autoroute (E15) which branches from the A7 near Orange along a north-east south-west axis towardsSpain.
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.[47]
Avignon is served by two railway stations: the historic station built in 1860, theGare d'Avignon-Centre, just outside the city walls, which can accommodate any type of train and, since 2001, theGare d'Avignon TGV in the Courtine district south of the city, on theLGV Méditerranée line. Since December 2013 the two stations have been connected by a link line—theVirgule. TheMontfavet district, which was formerly a separate commune, also has a station.[48]
TheAvignon - Caumont Airport on the south-eastern commune border has several international routes toEngland. The major airport in the region with domestic and international scheduled passenger service is theMarseille Provence Airport.
TheRhône 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).
Tecelys[49] via theOrizo network is the public transport operator for the commune of Avignon and its surrounding suburbs. Tecelys operatesbus services (includingBRT namedChron'hop[50]), as well asbike sharing andcar pooling services. TheAvignon tramway began operation in October 2019.[51][52] The city previously had a tram system between 1901 and 1932.
Avignon has 110 km (68 mi) of bicycle paths.[37] In 2009 the TCRA (former public transport operator) introduced abicycle sharing system called theVélopop'.[53]
Avignon has a very large number of sites and buildings (177) that are registered as historical monuments.[54]
Rue de la République, the city's central boulevard
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).[55] The buildings along the main street, Rue de la République, date from theSecond Empire (1852–70) withHaussmann façades and amenities around Place de l'Horloge (the central square), the neoclassical city hall, and the theatre district.
Statues gaze over thePlace de l'Horloge in the town centrePaintings on the façades of buildings in the town centreHôtel de Ville
Listed below are the major sites of interest with those sites registered as historical monuments indicated:
Notre Dame des Doms (12th century),[56] the cathedral is aRomanesque 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. Themausoleum ofPope John XXII (1334), within the cathedral, is a noteworthy example of 14th-century Gothic carving.[57]
Palais des Papes ("Papal Palace") (14th century)[58] almost dwarfs the cathedral. The palace is a monument and sits within a square of the same name. The palace was begun in 1316 byJohn XXII 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 Gothicarchitectural style:
Church of Saint-Pierre (14th century)[59] which has a graceful façade and richly carved doors;
The city walls,[74] built by the popes in the 14th century and still encircle Avignon. They are one of the finest examples ofmedieval fortification in existence. The walls are of great strength and are surmounted bymachicolated 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 ofEugène Viollet-le-Duc.
Bridges include:
ThePont Saint-Bénézet, better known as thePont d'Avignon and for the French songSur le pont d'Avignon. 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 ofSaint-Bénézet.[75]
ThePont Édouard Daladier and thePont de Royaume, which together span both channels of theRhone leading toVilleneuve-lès-Avignon, thus replacing thePont Saint-Bénézet
ThePont de l'Europe, which provides a second road crossing over the Rhone.
Calvet Museum, so named afterEsprit 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.[76]
The town has a Statue ofJean Althen, who migrated fromPersia and in 1765 introduced the culture of themadder 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 ofGiampietro Campana.
TheHotel d'Europe, one of the oldest hotels in France, in business since 1799.
TheCollection Lambert, houses contemporary art exhibitions
TheMusée Angladon exhibits the paintings of a private collector who created the museum
Musée Lapidaire, with collections of archaeological and medieval sculptures from theFondation Calvet in the old chapel of theJesuit College.
Les Halles is a large indoor market that offers fresh produce, meats, and fish along with a variety of other goods.
ThePlace 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 ofPablo Picasso's 1907 paintingLes Demoiselles d'Avignon (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) inBarcelona.
The commune houses more than 500 historical objects, many of which are religious.[78]
A theatre festival is held annually in Avignon. Founded in 1947, theFestival d'Avignon (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.[79] 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.
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.[80]
View over the Rhône looking northeast, with thePont Saint-Bénézet or "Pont d'Avignon" at left
Avignon is commemorated by the French song 'Sur le Pont d'Avignon' ('On the bridge of Avignon'), which describesfolk dancing. The song dates from the mid-19th century whenAdolphe Adam included it in theOpéra comiqueLe Sourd ou l'Auberge Pleine, which was first performed in Paris in 1853. The opera was an adaptation of the 1790 comedy byDesforges.[81]
The bridge of the song is thePont Saint-Bénézet over theRhône, 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 900 metres (3,000 ft), but was destroyed during thesiege of Avignon byLouis VIII of France 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.[82]
Sporting Olympique Avignon is the localrugby league 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 inLigue 2, 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 theParc des Sports, which has a capacity of just over 17,000.
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.[83]
The medieval University of Avignon, formed from the existing schools of the city, was formally constituted in 1303 byBoniface VIII in aPapal Bull. Boniface VIII andKing 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 andecclesiastical law. The law department existed nearly exclusively for some time after the university's formation and remained its most important department throughout its existence.[84]
In 1413Pope John XXIII 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. Thebishop 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).[84]
The Primicerius was elected by the Doctors of Law. In 1503 the Doctors of Law had 4 Theologians and in 1784 twoDoctors 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 1413John XXIII granted the university extensive special privileges, such as university jurisdiction andtax 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 theFrench Revolution the university started to gradually disappear and, in 1792, the university was abandoned and closed.[84]
A university annex of theFaculté 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 theUniversité d'Avignon et des Pays de Vaucluse was created. This was nearly 200 years after the demise of the original Avignon university.[85] The main campus lies to the east of the city centre within the city walls. The university occupies the 18th century buildings of theHôpital Sainte-Marthe. The main building has an elegant façade with a centralportico. The right hand side was designed byJean-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.[86][87] In 2009–2010 there were 7,125 students registered at the university.[88]
^The épicentre was at Lambesc—a village in Bouches-du-Rhône.
^This area has had the INRA Centre which carries out scientific research in engineering environmental management for cultivated land and forests since 1953.
^"Vernet" .Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 27 (11th ed.). 1911. pp. 1030–1031.see para I. Claude Joseph Vernet (1714–1789), who was born at Avignon on.....
^"Favart, Charles Simon" .Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 10 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 213 see line 9.in 1745 (Favart) married Marie Justine Benoîte Duronceray (1727–1772), a beautiful young dancer, singer and actress, who as "Mlle Chantilly" had made a successful début the year before.....
Rostaing, Charles (1994) [1950].Essai sur la toponymie de la Provence: depuis les origines jusqu'aux invasions barbares (in French). Marseille: Jeanne Laffitte.ISBN978-273480676-9.
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