The Provencal city of Avignon is one of the most important tourist attractions of southern France. Associated primarily with the bridge on the Rhône, about which the popular song was created is a real treasury of medieval monuments and an important cultural center.
Avignon was founded in ancient times. There was a Celtic settlement here, which was then taken by the Romans and created a flourishing city here. In the early Middle Ages Avignon, located on the crossing of the Rhône, was an important trade center. At the same time, he was often the target of military expeditions for strategic reasons. There was also one of the Albigens fortress here. The city experienced its greatest glory in the fourteenth century, when it became the seat of the papacy for over 70 years. It is from these times that his most important monuments come from.
Contrary to appearances, the main monument of Avignon is not a bridge, but the Papal Palace. Built in the fourteenth century, the powerful stronghold consists of several courtyards and surrounding buildings. Outside, the walls of the palace look impregnable, while the interiors hide valuable treasures of Gothic art. Around the Palace stretches the Old Town built up with tenements from different eras. There is also a Romanesque-Gothic cathedral of the Virgin Mary with the graves of Avignon popes. There are cafes and restaurants on the squares. The whole city is surrounded by manual defensive walls.
The most famous monument of Avignon or Bridge of Saint. Benedict is outside the city walls. Built in the 12th century, it was one of the most important crossings over the Rhône and part of the trade route from Lyon to the Mediterranean. Today, only four spans with a small chapel have survived from the huge building.
