This has been the last day with Avignon as our base. It has been the ideal point from which to step out and explore the Provence region. Our accommodation has been perfect for our needs, we have been in close proximity to bus or train transport to and from our destinations, and each of those eight separate destinations (including Avignon) has had its own history, attractions and charm. We have thoroughly enjoyed our time here.
We joined
the Number 5 bus this morning, crossing the Rhône to Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, then taking the long climb up a hill to the imposing Fort Saint
André[JU1] and the Saint André Gardens and Abbey. The fort was
commissioned by King Philippe-le-bel of France in the 14th century
and is an exceptional example of military architecture – because of its
position on the top of Mount Andaon, with its high stone walls and
fortifications, it would have been almost impenetrable from any side.
The abbey,
first constructed in the 13th century on the site of an 8th
century monastery, has a fascinating history.
It also has fortifications all round and, although close to Avignon, it
was granted autonomy from Avignon by the King of France in 1292 when the king
was at loggerheads with the ruling counts of Avignon (resulting in a
three-month siege at one point). This
autonomy was to remain in place, despite the Papal aristocracy using Villeneuve-lès-Avignon as
their relaxation base during the Avignon papacy (1316 to 1377 from memory).
Although
the abbey fell into decline in later centuries, especially after the French
Revolution, there was renewed interest in the gardens and subsequently the
abbey buildings from the late 19th century, resulting in their
present, almost-fully-restored condition.
The Italianate
gardens, with views across to the Popes Palace and the surrounding countryside,
are an absolute delight and we spent more than an hour wandering through, enjoying
the many statues, ponds, the ruins of the Romanesque chapels and tombs from the
early middle ages, taking many photos and savouring the heady scent of the
wisteria.
From there
we wandered down the hill to the township (more of a village) of Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, looked in on the Eglise Collegiale Notre Dame and its
cloister (while we were wandering around the cloister, the church was locked
for the 1-2pm lunch break and we had to find our way out).
After a
satisfying al-fresco lunch at a patisserie/boulangerie we waited until 2pm for
the opening of La Chartreuse, a monastery founded by Pope Innocent VI in the
late 1300s. It is a huge complex with
many former monks’ cells off all four sides of a very large cloister. Many of
these rooms are now used by budding artists working in the field of theatre,
however there were enough rooms still open to the public to present a clear
indication of monastic life in medieval times.
This was one of the largest “charterhouses” in France, containing a
church, three cloisters, 40 monks’ cells, gardens and a separate chapel that had
been completely adorned with frescoes, many of which are still extant, as well
as another chapel containing the tomb of Pope Innocent VI, who died in 1372. An enormous place, requiring us to climb up
and down many stone staircases and across cobbled courtyards to get a complete
picture of monastic life in centuries past.
Then a long
walk back to again join the number 5 bus for the journey home. We have absolutely loved our ten days in
Avignon and the surrounding towns we have visited, but it’s time to move on to
Lyon.
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