Avignon (, ; ; oc, Avinhon, label= Provençal or , ; la, Avenio) is the prefecture of the

Vaucluse Vaucluse (; oc, Vauclusa, label= Provençal 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 (; or , ; commonly shortened to PACA; en, Provence-Alps-French Riviera, italic=yes; also branded as Région Sud) is one of the eighteen administrative regions of France, the far southeastern on the mainland. Its pref ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...

of Southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river

Rhône The Rhône ( , ; wae, Rotten ; frp, Rôno ; oc, Ròse ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea. At Ar ...

, the

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

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 336,135 inhabitants (2019), and France's 13th largest

urban unit In France, an urban unit (''fr: "unité urbaine"'') 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 ...

with 458,828 inhabitants (2019). 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 Communes of France#Intercommunality, intercommunal structure, centred on the Communes of France, city of Avignon. It is located ...

, a cooperation structure of 16 communes, had 192,785 inhabitants in 2018. 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. The situation a ...

, seven successive

pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

s resided in Avignon and in 1348

Pope Clement VI Pope Clement VI ( la, Clemens 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 Bl ...

bought the town from

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

. Papal control persisted until 1791 when during the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

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. The historic centre, which includes the

Palais des Papes The Palais des Papes (English: Palace of the Popes; ''lo Palais dei Papas'' in Occitan) is a historical palace located in Avignon, Southern France. It is one of the largest and most important medieval Gothic buildings in Europe. Once a fortress ...

, the cathedral and the Pont d'Avignon, became a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

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 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 Jean Vila ...

(commonly called: "Festival In d'Avignon") and its accompanying Festival Off d'Avignon - one of the world's largest festivals for performing arts, have 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. The ...

, along with

Cavaillon Cavaillon (; Provençal: ''Cavalhon'') is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France.Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

. 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 el, ὕδρω, , "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 ...

– 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.

History

Geography

Avignon is on the left bank of the

river, a few kilometres above its confluence with the Durance, about south-east of Paris, south of

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, third-largest city and Urban area (France), second-largest metropolitan area of F ...

and north-north-west of

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fra ...

. On the west it shares a border with the department of Gard and the communes of

Villeneuve-lès-Avignon Villeneuve-lès-Avignon (; Provençal: ''Vilanòva d’Avinhon'') is a commune in the Gard department in southern France. It can also be spelled ''Villeneuve-lez-Avignon''. History In the 6th century the Benedictine abbey of St André was foun ...

and Les Angles and to the south it borders the department of

Bouches-du-Rhône Bouches-du-Rhône ( , , ; oc, Bocas de Ròse ; "Mouths of the Rhône") is a department in Southern France. It borders Vaucluse to the north, Gard to the west and Var to the east. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the south. Its prefecture and ...

and the communes of

Barbentane Barbentane (; oc, Barbentana) is a commune of the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southern France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Barbentanais'' or ''Barbentanaises'' in French. Geograp ...

Rognonas Rognonas (; oc, Ronhonaç) is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France. Population See also * Communes of the Bouches-du-Rhône department The following is a list of the 119 communes of the Bouches-du-Rhône d ...

Châteaurenard Châteaurenard (; Provençal oc, Castèurainard; ) 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 twinn ...

, and

Noves Noves (; oc, Nòvas) is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France. Population Sights * Church of ''Sainte Baudille'', located in the site of a 3rd-century Palaeo-Christian worship area and of a Roman temple. The c ...

. The city is in the vicinity of

Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...

(north), Nîmes, Montpellier (south-west),

Arles Arles (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Arle ; Classical la, Arelate) is a coastal city and commune in the South of France, a subprefecture in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in the former province of ...

(to the south), Salon-de-Provence, and

(south-east). Directly contiguous to the east and north are the communes of

Caumont-sur-Durance Caumont-sur-Durance (, literally ''Caumont on Durance''; oc, Caumont de Durença) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. In 2017, it had a population of 4,885. Geography The ri ...

Morières-lès-Avignon Morières-lès-Avignon (, literally ''Morières near Avignon''; Provençal: ''Morieras d'Avinhon'') is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. It is located just east of Avignon, wit ...

, Le Pontet, and

Sorgues Sorgues (; oc, Sòrgas) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. The river Ouvèze, a tributary of the Rhône, as well as its tributary Sorgue, which begins at the Fontaine de Va ...

Geology and terrain

The region around Avignon is very rich in

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

which is used for building material. For example, the current city walls, 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 Oceanisation, or oceanization, is the process of formation of an ocean after continental rifting. The oceanisation is marked by the accretion of oceanic basalts between the drifting continental blocks and the incursion of marine waters and spec ...

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. S ...

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

in the Gard 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. The banks of the Rhone and the Île de la Barthelasse are often subject to flooding during autumn and March. The publication ''Floods in France since the 6th century until today – research and documentation'' 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 and again on 23 January 1955 and remain important today – such as the floods of 2 December 2003. As a result, a new risk mapping has been developed. The Durance flows along the southern boundary of the commune into the Rhone and marks the departmental boundary with

. 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 The Sorgue is a river in Southeastern France lying between the foothills of the Alps and the Rhône. It is long. Its source is near the town of Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, Vaucluse department. It is the biggest spring in France and the fifth bigges ...

). 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 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 temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

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

due to its more sheltered inland location. With mild-cool winters and hot summers, with moderate rainfall year-round. July and August are the hottest months with average daily maximum temperatures of around 28 °C, and January and February the coldest with average daily maximum temperatures of around 9 °C. The wettest month is September, with a rain average of 102 millimetres, and the driest month is July, when the monthly average rainfall is 37 millimetres. The city is often subject to windy weather; the strongest wind is the

mistral Mistral may refer to: * Mistral (wind) in southern France and Sardinia Automobiles * Maserati Mistral, a Maserati grand tourer produced from 1963 until 1970 * Nissan Mistral, or Terrano II, a Nissan 4×4 produced from 1993 until 2006 * Microp ...

. 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). According to Météo-France the number of days per year with rain above 2.5 litres per square metre is 45 and the amount of water, rain and snow combined is 660 litres per square metre. Average temperatures vary between 0 and 30 °C depending on the season. The record temperature record since the existence of the weather station at Orange is 40.7 °C on 26 July 1983 and the record lowest was −14.5 °C on 2 February 1956.

The mistral

The prevailing wind is the

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 '' prefecture'' (capital) of

Vaucluse Vaucluse (; oc, Vauclusa, label= Provençal 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 (french: communauté d'agglomération) is a government structure in France, created by the Chevènement Law of 1999. It is one of four forms of intercommunality, less integrated than a métropole or a communauté urb ...

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

Rochefort-du-Gard Rochefort-du-Gard is a Communes of France, commune in the Gard Departments of France, department in southern France. Population Culture Rochefort-du-Gard is integrated into Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie but naturally rooted in Pr ...

, Sauveterre,

Saze Saze (; oc, Sase) is a commune in the Gard department in southern France. Population See also *Communes of the Gard department This is a list of the 351 communes of the Gard department of France. The communes cooperate in the following ...

and

in the Gard '; * Avignon,

Entraigues-sur-la-Sorgue Entraigues-sur-la-Sorgue (; oc, Entraigas de Sòrga) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. Population In 2017, it had a population of 8,472. See also *Communes of the Vaucl ...

, Jonquerettes,

, Le Pontet, Saint-Saturnin-lès-Avignon,

Vedène Vedène (; oc, Vedena) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It is a northeastern suburb of Avignon, crossed by the A7 autoroute. Population See also *Communes of the Vauclu ...

and

Velleron Velleron (; oc, Veleron) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. See also *Communes of the Vaucluse department The following is a list of the 151 communes of the Vaucluse dep ...

in the Vaucluse '.

List of mayors

List of successive mayors ; Mayors from 1940

Twin towns – sister cities

Avignon is twinned with: *

Colchester Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian. Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colch ...

, United Kingdom since 1972 * Guanajuato, Mexico since 1990 *

Diourbel Diourbel ( ar, ديوربل; Serer: ''Jurbel'', Wolof: ''Njaaréem'') is a town in Senegal lying east of Thiès. It is known for its mosque and local groundnut industry and is the capital of the Diourbel Region. The population in 2013 was 1 ...

, Senegal since 1961 *

New Haven New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,023 ...

, Connecticut, USA since 1993 *

Siena Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena. The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centur ...

, Italy since 1981 *

Tarragona Tarragona (, ; Phoenician: ''Tarqon''; la, Tarraco) is a port city located in northeast Spain on the Costa Daurada by the Mediterranean Sea. Founded before the fifth century BC, it is the capital of the Province of Tarragona, and part of Tarr ...

, 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 hig ...

, 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

in 1870 and Le Pontet in 1925. On 16 May 2007 the commune of Les Angles in Gard ceded 13 hectares to Avignon.Avignon
Town Hall Annual, consulted on 10 September 2010

Area and population

The city of Avignon has an area of 64.78 km² and a population of 92,078 inhabitants in 2010 and is ranked as follows:

Economy

Avignon is the seat of the ''Chamber 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. 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. The commercial area of Avignon Nord is one of the largest in Europe. 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 of

Carpentras Carpentras (, formerly ; Provençal Occitan: ''Carpentràs'' in classical norm or ''Carpentras'' in Mistralian norm; la, Carpentoracte) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. ...

). A

Sensitive urban zone A sensitive urban zone (french: Zone urbaine sensible, 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. ...

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 festival. 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. Viking Burgundy (ship, 2000) 001

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 is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...

'', the ''World Council of the

tomato industry The tomato is the edible berry of the plant ''Solanum lycopersicum'', commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Mexican Nahuatl word gave rise to the Spanish word ...

'', 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 Autoroute, also known as l'autoroute du Soleil (English: the Motorway of the Sun) is a French motorway. It continues the A6 and links Lyon to Marseille. The autoroute du Soleil is long and forms part of European routes E15, E80, and ...

(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 The A9 autoroute (La ''Languedocienne''/''La Catalane'') is a motorway in southern France. The road forms part of the European route E15, as does the A9 road (Scotland). The road runs between Orange and Perthus, in the Pyrénées-Orientale ...

(E15) which branches from the A7 near Orange along a north-east south-west axis towards

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. 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 m ...

N100 which goes west to

Remoulins Remoulins (; oc, Remolins) is a commune in the Gard department in southern France. The town lies on the River Gardon or Gard, and is a short distance downstream of the Roman aqueduct Pont du Gard, in nearby Vers-Pont-du-Gard. The current bridg ...

* The D225 which goes north towards

* The D62 which goes north-east to

* The D28 which goes east to Saint-Saturnin-lès-Avignon * The D901 which goes south-east to

* Route nationale N570 which goes south to

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 Gare is the word for "station" in French and related languages, commonly meaning railway station Gare can refer to: People * Gare (surname), surname * The Gare Family, fictional characters in the novel '' Wild Geese'' by Martha Ostenso Places * ...

'' in the 'Courtine' district south of the city, on the

LGV Méditerranée The LGV Méditerranée (French: ''Ligne à Grande Vitesse''; English: Mediterranean high-speed line) is a French high-speed rail line running between Saint-Marcel-lès-Valence, Drôme and Marseille, Bouches-du-Rhône, also featuring a connecti ...

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 '' r� ...

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

The (TCRA) is the public transport operator for the commune of Avignon and its surrounding suburbs. TCRA operates

bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...

services, as well as

bike sharing 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 bot ...

and

car pooling Carpooling (also car-sharing, ride-sharing and lift-sharing) is the sharing of car journeys so that more than one person travels in a car, and prevents the need for others to have to drive to a location themselves. By having more people usi ...

services. The first tram line opened in October 2019.

Bicycles

Avignon has of bicycle paths. In 2009 the TCRA 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' Vélopop' is a bike sharing scheme in Avignon, France, launched in July 2009, engineered by Smoove. This community bicycle program A bicycle-sharing system, bike share program, public bicycle scheme, or public bike share (PBS) scheme, is ...

''.

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 Hausmann is a German word with former meanings "householder" and "freeholder" and current meaning "house-husband." Hausmann (Hausman), Haussmann (Haussman), Haußmann, Hauszmann, etc. are German-origin surnames that may refer to: Hausmann * C ...

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 Avignon Cathedral (French: ''Cathédrale Notre-Dame des Doms d'Avignon'') is a Roman Catholic church located next to the Palais des Papes in Avignon, France. The cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Avignon. The cathedral is a Romanesque ...

(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 of Pope John XXII (1334), within the cathedral, is a noteworthy example of 14th-century Gothic carving. *

("Papal Palace") (14th century) almost dwarfs the cathedral. The palace is an impressive monument and sits within a square of the same name. The palace was begun in 1316 by

John XXII Pope John XXII ( la, Ioannes PP. 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 ...

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 set of characteristics and features that make a building or other structure notable or historically identifiable. It is a sub-class of style in the visual arts generally, and most styles in architecture relate closely ...

: ** 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 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 A machicolation (french: mâchicoulis) is a floor opening between the supporting corbels of a battlement, through which stones or other material, such as boiling water, hot sand, quicklime or boiling cooking oil, could be dropped on attackers at t ...

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 who restored many prominent medieval landmarks in France, including those which had been damaged or abandoned during the French Revolution. H ...

* Bridges include: ** The '' Pont Saint-Bénézet'', better known as the ''Pont d'Avignon'' and for the French song '' Sur 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 of Saint-Bénézet. ** The ''Pont Édouard Daladier'' and the ''Pont de Royaume'', which together span both channels of the Rhone leading to

, 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 __NOTOC__ Esprit Calvet (28 November 1728 – 25 July 1810) was a French physician and collector. Calvet came from a long established family in Avignon and was educated at the Jesuit college in the town. He studied medicine at the university ...

, 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 Jean-Baptiste Joannis Althen, better simply known as Jean Althen (Hovhannès Althounian; 1709–1774), was an Armenian agronomist from Safavid Iran who developed the cultivation of madder in France. Although the plant had been present in the reg ...

, who migrated from

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

and in 1765 introduced the culture of the

madder ''Rubia'' is the type genus of the Rubiaceae family of flowering plants, which also contains coffee. It contains around 80 species of perennial scrambling or climbing herbs and subshrubs native to the Old World. The genus and its best-known ...

plant, which long formed the staple—and is still an important tool—of the local cloth trade in the area. *

Musée du Petit Palais The Petit Palais (; en, Small Palace) is an art museum in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France. Built for the 1900 Exposition Universelle ("universal exhibition"), it now houses the City of Paris Museum of Fine Arts (''Musée des beaux-arts ...

(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'', 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 College. * ''Musée Louis-Vouland'' * '' Musée Requien'' * ''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 Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and Scenic design, theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th ce ...

's 1907 painting ''

Les Demoiselles d'Avignon ''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. The work, part of the permanent collection of the Museum o ...

'' (''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 coast of northeastern 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 ci ...

. The commune houses more than 500 historical objects, many of which 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, The Abbey of Saint-Ruf. File:Avignon bridge by Rosier.jpg, The '' Pont d'Avignon'' from the song Sur le Pont d'Avignon. 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 The ''Festival d'Avignon'', or Avignon Festival, is an annual arts festival held in the 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 Jean Vila ...

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 ' Sur le Pont d'Avignon' ('On the bridge of Avignon'), which describes folk dancing. 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 po ...

included it in the Opéra comique ''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 Pont Saint-Bénézet 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 900 m (2950 ft), but was destroyed during the siege of Avignon by

Louis VIII of France Louis VIII (5 September 1187 – 8 November 1226), nicknamed The Lion (french: Le Lion), was King of France from 1223 to 1226. As prince, he invaded England on 21 May 1216 and was excommunicated by a papal legate on 29 May 1216. On 2 June 1216 ...

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 Sporting Olympique Avignon also known as Avignon XIII or SO Avignon are a semi-professional rugby league team based in Avignon in the south of France. They currently play in the Elite One Championship. The club was formed in 1916 and they enjoyed ...

is the local

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 11 ...

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, after a season 2010–2011 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 ( la, Bonifatius PP. VIII; born Benedetto Caetani, c. 1230 – 11 October 1303) was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 December 1294 to his death in 1303. The Caetani family was of baronial ...

in a Papal Bull. 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 grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...

. 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 ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni 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 in June 19 ...

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 The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Avignon ( Latin: ''Archidioecesis Avenionensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse d'Avignon'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. The diocese exercises jurisdiction over the t ...

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 ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni 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 in June 19 ...

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

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. 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

Réception pour les Français de Shanghai 20100430 - 21

The Arts

Nicolas Dipre Nicolas Dipre (sometimes also Nicolas d'Amiens, Nicolas d'Ypres, ''fl.'' -1532) was a French early Renaissance painter. Among the Avignon artists of the late 15th and early 16th century, the name Nicola Dipre is among the most famous. Life and ...

(ca.1495-1532), early

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

painter. *

Trophime Bigot Trophime Bigot (1579–1650), also known as Théophile Bigot, Teofili Trufemondi, the Candlelight Master (''Maître à la Chandelle''), was a French painter of the Baroque era, active in Rome and his native Provence. Bigot was born in Arles in 1 ...

(1579 in Arles – 1650 in Avignon), French painter of the Baroque era. *

Pierre Simon Jaillot Pierre Simon Jaillot was a French sculptor of ivory objects born in Avignon-lès-Saint-Claude in 1631, and died on 23 September 1681 in Paris. He was the brother of the geographer Alexis-Hubert Jaillot. Biography He was a member of the Acad ...

(1631-1681), sculptor of ivory objects *

Pierre Parrocel Pierre Parrocel (1664–1739) was a French painter of the late-Baroque period. Life He was born in Avignon to a large family of artists, including his uncle Joseph Parrocel and his father, Louis Parrocel. He was first instructed by his uncle, a ...

(1664–1739), painter of the late- Baroque period. *

Claude-Joseph Vernet Claude-Joseph Vernet (14 August 17143 December 1789) was a French painter. His son, Antoine Charles Horace Vernet, was also a painter. Life and work Vernet was born in Avignon. When only fourteen years of age he aided his father, Antoine 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 *

Yahel Chirinian Yahel Chirinian is a French Contemporary art, contemporary sculptor and installation artist who lives and works in India. She opened the avant-garde Monsoon Heritage Studio in Goa in 2002 and won the "Goan of the Year" Award in the Arts and Cult ...

(born 1970),

contemporary Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from approximately 1945 to the present. Contemporary history is either a subset of the late modern period, or it is o ...

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 (1908–1992), composer, organist, and ornithologist *

Jean-Claude Malgoire Jean-Claude Malgoire (25 November 1940 – 14 April 2018) was a French oboist and later conductor. Early life Malgoire was born on 25 November 1940 in Avignon, France. His mother was born in Italy. Malgoire graduated from the Paris Conservatory ...

(1940–2018), oboist and later conductor. *

Mireille Mathieu Mireille Mathieu (; born 22 July 1946) is a French singer. She has recorded over 1200 songs in eleven languages, with more than 122 million records sold worldwide. Biography and career Early years Mireille Mathieu was born on 22 July 1946 in A ...

(born 1946), singer *

Christophe Rousset Christophe Rousset (; born 12 April 1961) is a French harpsichordist and conductor, who specializes in the performance of Baroque music on period instruments. He is also a musicologist, particularly of opera and European music of the 17th and 1 ...

(born 1961), harpsichordist and conductor of Baroque music * Peste Noire (formed 1982), 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 *

Pierre-Esprit Radisson Pierre-Esprit Radisson (1636/1640–1710) was a French fur trader and explorer in New France. He is often linked to his brother-in-law Médard des Groseilliers. The decision of Radisson and Groseilliers to enter the English service led to the fo ...

(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. *

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 prep ...

(1854–1920), zoologist, worked on

invertebrate Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordate ...

physiology Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical ...

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

TAP Air Portugal TAP Air Portugal is the currently state-owned flag carrier airline of Portugal, headquartered at Lisbon Airport which also serves as its hub. TAP – Transportes Aéreos Portugueses – has been a member of the Star Alliance since 2005 and oper ...

Public service & the Church

Pope Gregory XI Pope Gregory XI ( la, Gregorius, 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 pop ...

(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'Armagna ...

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

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

(1591–1664), Jesuit

missionary A missionary is a member of a religious group which 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.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...

. *

Chevalier de Folard Jean Charles, Chevalier de Folard, commonly referred to as the Chevalier de Folard, 13 February 1669 – 23 March 1752, was a French soldier and military theorist who championed the use of infantry columns rather than the prevailing trend towards ...

(1669–1752), soldier and military theorist, championed infantry columns *

Louis des Balbes de Berton de Crillon Louis des Balbes de Berton de Crillon (c. 1541, Murs, Provence – 2 December 1615, Avignon) was a French soldier, called the ''man without fear'' and, by Henry IV the ''brave of the brave''. Louis was born in France from a branch of the Bal ...

(1717–1796),

Captain general of the Army Captain General ( es, link=no, Capitán General) has been the highest rank in the Spanish Army (''Ejército de Tierra'') since the 18th century. A five-star rank with NATO code OF-10, it is equivalent to a field marshal of the armies of numerou ...

. * Étienne-Antoine Boulogne (1747–1825), cleric, Bishop of Troyes, 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 was ...

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

French Revolutionary Army The French Revolutionary Army (french: Armée révolutionnaire française) was the French land force that fought the French Revolutionary Wars from 1792 to 1804. These armies were characterised by their revolutionary fervour, their poor equipme ...

, killed aged 15 * John Stuart Mill (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-Socialist (centre-left) politician, and the Prime Minister of France who signed the Munich Agreement before the outbreak of World War II. Daladier was born in Carpe ...

(1884–1970), politician and 3 x pre-war Prime Minister of France * Bernard Kouchner (born 1939), politician, co-founded

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF; pronounced ), also known as Doctors Without Borders, is a humanitarian medical non-governmental organisation (NGO) or charity of French origin known for its projects in conflict zones and in countries affected by endemic diseases. ...

* 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 Bertran Folcon d'Avignon or Bertran Folco d'Avinhon ( fl. 1202–1233) was a Provençal nobleman and troubadour from Avignon. He was a faithful partisan of Raymond VI and Raymond VII of Toulouse in Provence, and participated in the wars again ...

(fl. 1202–1233), a Provençal nobleman,

troubadour A troubadour (, ; oc, trobador ) 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 troubadour is usually called a ''trobairi ...

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 topic ...

. * Marianne-Agnès Falques (1720-1785), author of romance novels and other topical writing *

Armand de Pontmartin Armand Augustin Joseph Marie Ferrard, Comte de Pontmartin (1811-1890) was a French journalist, critic and man of letters. Pontmartin was born at Avignon (Vaucluse), France, on 16 July 1811. A Legitimist sympathizer, he began his career by attack ...

(1811-1890), journalist, critic and man of letters. *

Henri Bosco Henri Bosco (16 November 1888 – 4 May 1976) was a French writer. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature four times. Life Bosco was born in Avignon, Vaucluse into a family of Provençal, Ligurian and Piedmontese origin. Through ...

(1888-1976), writer, nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature four times. *

Pierre Boulle Pierre François Marie Louis Boulle (20 February 1912 – 30 January 1994) was a French novelist 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 films. ...

(1912-1994), author of the novels: ''

The Bridge over the River Kwai ''The Bridge over the River Kwai'' (french: Le Pont de la rivière Kwaï) is a novel by the French novelist Pierre Boulle, published in French in 1952 and English translation by Xan Fielding in 1954. The story is fictional but uses the construct ...

'' and ''

Planet of the Apes ''Planet of the Apes'' is an American science fiction media franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a world in which humans and intelligent apes clash for control. The franchise is based on Frenc ...

'' *

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

(1923–2015), polymath, historian, literary critic and philosopher of social science * Daniel Arsand (born 1950), writer and publisher *

Mazarine Pingeot Mazarine Marie Pingeot (born 18 December 1974) who changed her name to Mazarine Marie Mitterrand Pingeot in November 2016, is a French writer, journalist and professor. Biography Pingeot is the daughter of former French president François Mi ...

(born 1974), writer, journalist and associate Professor of philosophy at the

Paris 8 University Paris 8 University Vincennes-Saint-Denis (french: Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis) is a public university in Paris, France. Once part of the historic University of Paris, it is now an autonomous public institution. It is one of the th ...

and daughter of former French President François Mitterrand. * Vincent Almendros (born 1978), writer, winner of the 2015

prix Françoise Sagan The prix Françoise Sagan is a French literary award established in 2010 by , the son of Françoise Sagan. The Prize Awarded at the beginning of June, the Prix Françoise Sagan rewards "an author never yet rewarded, not even selected in recent ...

Sport

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

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

Jean Alesi Jean Alesi (born Giovanni Alesi, 11 June 1964) is a French professional racing driver of Italian origin. After successes in minor categories, notably winning the 1989 Formula 3000 Championship, his Formula One career included spells at Tyrrell ...

, (born 1964), professional racing driver for Formula 1 & DTM * Teddy Richert (born 1974), goalkeeper coach and former goalkeeper with 464 club caps * 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 Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

team silver medallist *

Benoît Richaud Benoît Richaud (born 16 January 1988) is a French figure skating choreographer and former competitive ice dancer. He has competed at three World Junior Championships, placing as high as seventh. Richaud currently lives in Avignon, France, his h ...

(born 1988), figure skating choreographer and former competitive ice dancer. * Benoît Paire (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 the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...

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

* Giuliano Alesi (born 1999), Super Formula driver *

Clément Novalak Clément Novalak (born 23 December 2000) is a French- Swiss racing driver set to race for Trident in the 2023 Formula 2 Championship, having previously drove for MP Motorsport. He previously raced in the FIA Formula Three Championship for Car ...

(born 2000), FIA Formula 2 driver *

Pierre-Louis Chovet Pierre-Louis Chovet (born 11 April 2002) is a French racing driver. Career Karting Pierre-Louis Chovet practiced many sports during his childhood such as skiing, BMX or tennis. He attended the 2011 Monaco Grand Prix and quickly developed a p ...

(born 2002), racing driver

Notes

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

Tourist office websiteCity council websiteAvignon greater metropolitan area website

Google Earth view of Avignon
{{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