Avignon – The former city of the Popes
According to payhelpcenter, the Rhône bridge in Avignon is still celebrated in kindergartens in Germany. Although Avignon is not a particularly large city with its 86,000 residents, it does appear to be much more populous, especially in the summer months due to the streams of tourists that meander through the city center. The reason is not only the famous bridge, but also the Papal Palace, which had its importance from the time of the residence of the Catholic Popes and counter-popes, who instead of Rome took Avignon for their 70th seat. Avignon is therefore still known today as the “City of the Popes”.
These attractions, which are also part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, make Avignon, the capital of the Vaucluse department, one of the most important cities in France. But not only its historical importance, but also the annual theater festival that takes place in summer makes the city known far beyond national borders.
If you are planning a holiday on the Mediterranean Sea, on the Côte d’Azur, you should definitely include the short detour into the hinterland to Avignon in your program. The fascinating city can be reached quickly and is well worth a visit, even if the prices are correspondingly high due to the many tourists.
Note
Information that applies to the entire country in which the city is located, e.g. on currency, entry regulations, health issues, etc., can be found under France.
| Name in French | Avignon |
| Name in German | Avignon |
| further names | Cité des Papes (German city of the Popes) |
| Country | France |
| Location | Avignon is in the south of France. |
| Landmark of the city | Pont d’Avignon (= Rhône Bridge Avignons, called Pont St. Bénézet) Papal Palace Both buildings are a UNESCO World Heritage Site |
| Function of the city | Capital of the Vaucluse department |
| Area | 65.00 km² |
| Population | Approx. 86,000 (actual city) Approx. 158,000 (in the agglomeration) |
| Ethnicities | In France, a survey of the different distribution of ethnic groups is not usually customary. |
| Languages | French |
| Religions | In France, a survey of religious affiliation is usually not customary due to the secular form of government. |
| National currency | Euro (1 € = 100 cents) |
| Rivers | Rhône |
| Elevations or mountains | Rocher des Doms (in the city) Mont Ventoux (outside) |
| Lakes in or near the city | Lake on the Rocher des Doms |
| Official homepage | www.avignon.fr |
| Tourist center | Office de Tourisme d’Avignon 41, cours Jean Jaurès 84000 Avignon Email: information@ot-avignon.fr Web: www.ot-avignon.fr |
| Telephone code with country code | 0033 – (0) 4 – participant number |
| Time | CET or CEST (Central European Summer Time) in summer |
| Line voltage, line frequency | 230 V and 50 Hz |
| License plate of France | F. |
Avignon: city history
Avignon did not acquire a real far-reaching significance until the Middle Ages through the presence of the Popes, but its history goes back much longer. Some traces testify to a location that dates back to 3000 BC. Was settled. Around 2000 BC A Neolithic city stretched from the banks of the Rhône to the Rocher des Doms. The site has known a permanent settlement since that time, so Avignon is one of the oldest cities in Europe. The strategically good location of Avignon on the banks of the Rhône on a limestone cliff was recognized by many peoples who settled there, as they were able to surround the city very well with a city wall.
Avignon gained great importance when it was named a Roman city in the 2nd century. At that time, its population reached 27,000. During the barbarian invasions, the residents of Avignon withdrew to the Rocher limestone elevation. After the Roman era, Avignon lost its importance and in the 6th century was only a citadel of the Burgundian kingdom. Up until the 12th century Avignon saw mostly wars, partitions and sieges.
In 1305 Clement V (around 1250 to 1314) from Bordeaux was elected Pope. He refused to go to Rome and instead settled in Avignon. John XXII. (1244-1334), his successor, was bishop in Avignon and also decided to stay there. Until 1377 Avignon was the center of the Christian church in which seven popes resided, as well as two counter-popes. During the papal era, the city’s population increased from 15,000 to over 50,000.
In the 15th and 16th centuries, the city was a kind of Italian enclave within France s. It developed and experienced an economic boom, from which the intellectual world and the arts benefited. It was the Avignon School period that produced works of art such as the Pietà on display in the Louvre Museum.
From the 18th century, Avignon, like most cities in France, oriented towards Paris and in 1791 voted for its annexation to France. In the 19th century, the city became a city of culture again when the Félibres made it the center of the Provencal Renaissance. In 1948, Jean Vilar (1912-1971) founded the Festival d’Avignon, which has now become the most important theater festival in the world.
