Getaway in Avignon
A walk through the Jardin du Rocher des Doms
A suspended garden above the Rhône, the Palais des Papes and the rooftops of Avignon.
The rock where Avignon began
Overlooking the Rhône, this rocky dome marks the origin of Avignon. A refuge from the river's floods and from threats coming from the plain, it offered a strategic position from which to control a major navigation route, occupied from at least the Bronze Age. Excavations carried out in 1960 and 1961 on the northern side of the rock notably revealed a small anthropomorphic stele linked to the southern Chalcolithic, a sign of very ancient human presence on this promontory.
A public garden above a water reservoir
In the 16th century, a castle stood here, but a fire reduced it to ashes, giving way to mills, which were themselves dismantled in the 19th century. The Rocher des Doms was later pierced with galleries to house a water reservoir that still supplies the city. A public garden was laid out at the top, with shaded paths, statues, basins, fountains and places to walk.
At the centre of the main basin, Félix Charpentier's Venus with Swallows gives the garden one of its most distinctive landmarks. Deemed too bold for the streets of the city, the statue found here a quieter place, surrounded by water, foliage and the calm movement of ducks and swans.
Designed in the 19th century by the landscape architect Barillet-Deschamps, the Jardin des Doms remains one of the main cool places in the old centre. Its recent restoration, led by the City of Avignon, aims in particular to preserve the tree heritage, recover more permeable soils and restore several elements of the garden, including fountains, the grotto and viewpoints.
The Rhône, Villeneuve and the Ventoux on the horizon
The Rocher des Doms offers a shaded pause, just a few steps from the Palais des Papes. From its heights, the view opens onto the Saint-Bénézet Bridge, the Rhône enclosing Barthelasse Island in its two arms, Villeneuve-lès-Avignon and its Fort Saint-André, and, in the distance, the château of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Mont Ventoux. At its feet, the Romanesque Notre-Dame-des-Doms Cathedral and the Palais des Papes recall the medieval power of the city.
The paths leading up to the garden
Several paths connect the garden with the old centre. The most obvious starts from the Place du Palais des Papes and Notre-Dame-des-Doms Cathedral. Another follows the ramparts from the Tour de la Porte du Rocher, in front of the Saint-Bénézet Bridge. The Sainte-Anne staircase climbs from the Manutention district, behind the Palais des Papes. Finally, a passage leads down towards the Rhône and the landing stage for the crossing to Barthelasse Island.
Our selection
Bed and breakfasts around Avignon to extend the getaway
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