Cavaillon

Cavaillon enjoys a green hill (La Colline Saint-Jacques) in the heart of the city and a remarkable historical heritage that can be visited by strolling through the ancient city centre.

Between Alpilles and Luberon, in the heart of Provence, Cavaillon is at the crossroads, from here you can easily discover the entire region and appreciate the many aspects of our landscapes.

In turn Greek then Roman and Episcopal city in the Medieval period, Cavaillon houses in its heart many vestiges: a cathedral, a unique synagogue with Provencal architecture, the only one in the world, The hotel d'Agar (a mansion built on Roman thermal baths with a Renaissance style ceiling)...

Nowadays, the city, which has since become famous for its melon 'the famous melon of Cavaillon' and its fruit and vegetable market, has become a contemporary and nature-oriented town: the hill is home to a Via Ferrata accessible on foot from the city centre, 250 climbing routes and hiking trails.

The old city center of Cavaillon

In Roman times, the city began to develop at the foot of the St Jacques hill and passed through the history of France in its own way. In the heart of the old town, the remains are numerous and will make you travel back in time.

Walk through the streets of the historic center to understand the history of the city: Antiquity, Middle Ages (Bishopric, Jews of the Pope...) and modern era...

Then, dwadle along the main avenues surrounding the old town. You'll come across beautiful views of the hill, bourgeois houses and Belle Epoque-type buildings.

Let yourself be carried away...

The Roman Arch

It's one of the oldest monument in Cavaillon. It is from the 1st century AD. Called Marius' Arch, after the Roman general who colonized the region. The town development in the plain really started at that time. 

The Cathedral of Notre Dame and Saint Véran

Cavaillon has been an episcopal city since the 4th century AD, when a bishopric was built. The construction of the cathedral dedicated to Notre-Dame and Saint Véran began in the 12th century. Five side chapels were added in the 14th century, including that of Saint Véran who terraced the dragon and sent it away from the inhabitants to the well-known village of the Hautes Alpes: Saint Véran! Burned in the 16th century during the wars of religion, it was restored in the 17th and 19th centuries.

Its 12th century cloister, a place of peace and serenity, leads to to the interior of the building wihere decors date mostly from the 17th century.

The Chapel of the Grand Convent

Also called Convent of the Benedictines. This important Order was present  in Cavaillon from the 14th to the 18th century. The Chapel is located in "La Grande Rue" which was for a long time the town main street. On the wooden portal, the high reliefs recall St. Benoit's doctrine, whose profile is carved under the lintel.

Hotel Dieu

The Musée de l'Hôtel-Dieu and its chapel (built in 1755) is a former hospital acquired at the beginning of the 20th century by a local family, Les Jouve. It presents the archaeological collections of Cavaillon and its region. Currently, the chapel houses a lapidary museum and an exhibition area.

The Synagogue

Located in the heart of the ancient centre, this 18th-century synagogue is a remarkably preserved and recently restored building of great originality. It is still in its original context, the ghetto called the Carrière, of the Provencal term meaning the street. From the Medieval Synagogue there is still a turret to the north. The architectural pattern of the synagogues of the Comtat, preserved only in Cavaillon and Carpentras, is unique in the world.

The Hotel d'Agar

Built on the ruins of Greek and Roman cities that developed at the foot of Saint Jacques Hill, the Hotel d'Agar is a history book in itself; it is registered as a historical monument, with its 15th century Gothic tower with gargoyles or Renaissance ceilings... Traces of the Roman city were uncovered recently in the garden. It then became the bishopric gardens until the Revolution; it also housed the “Treasure of Cavaillon”: 300 Roman denarius (pieces of silver), found in perfect condition in 2010.

Opening hours and prices for sites and museums in Cavaillon