Page 164 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Provence & The Côte d'Azur

162  PROVENCE AREA B Y AREA

colonnaded public building,
Pompey’s Portico. The site is
dotted with copies of original
statues that are now kept in
the Musée Théo Desplans, and
include a powerful nude of
Hadrian and his well-draped
empress, Sabina. Many statues
were designed to have their
heads replaced whenever
there was a change of local
officials. Other remains include
a communal six-seater latrine
and a 3rd-century silver bust,
which once stood in the hall of
a patrician’s house in La Villasse,
The Belvédère Pasteur garden in Bollène the district on the other side of
the avenue Général-de-Gaulle.
1Bollène The modern town sits beside the The Haute-Ville, which artists
Roman town, opposite the hilltop and craftspeople helped to
Road map B2. * 14,400. £ @
n Pl Reynaud de la Gardette Haute-Ville on the other side of re-populate, is reached by means
(04 90 40 51 45). ( Mon. the river. Vaison is a smart address of a Roman bridge, a single 56-ft
∑ bollenetourisme.com for Parisians’ second homes and, (17-m) span used for more than
judging by the opulent remains 2,000 years until devastating
Despite being spread along the left by the Romans, it has floods necessitated huge
A7 autoroute, Bollène is pleasant, long been sought repairs. Entrance is
with airy boulevards and walks after. The Romans via a 14th-century
beside the river Lez, where there lived with the native fortified gate.
is a camping site. The narrow Celtic Vocontii and The Romanesque
streets of the old quarter lead the population was church, built as a
to the 11th-century Collégiale around 10,000. Two cathedral, has 7th-
St-Martin, with its timber saddle- sites have been century columns
back roof and Renaissance door- excavated, divided in the apse, and a
way. Bollène became famous in by the avenue Général- 12th-century cloister.
1882, when Louis Pasteur stayed de-Gaulle. The upper Mosaic in the museum A walk to the summit
here and developed innoculation site, known as the at Vaison-la-Romaine reveals the ruined
against swine fever. The Belvédère Puymin Quarter, has a castle the victorious
Pasteur garden above the town Roman theatre, still used for Counts of Toulouse built in 1160.
has views over the Rhône valley Vaison’s summer festival in July,
to the Cévennes, the Bollène centred on dance. Its stage is T Roman City
hydroelectric power station and cut out of rock, and the theatre Fouilles de Puymin and Musée
Tricastin nuclear power plant. The seats up to 6,000. Many Roman Archeologique Théo Desplans, Pl du
town hosts free open-air concerts remains come from the villa Chanoine Sautel. Tel 04 90 36 50 48.
from early July to August. of a wealthy family, the House Open daily. Closed Jan. & =
South of Bollène is the clifftop of the Messii, and an elegant, 7 restricted. 8
fortress of Mornas, built by the
Earl of Toulouse, which was later
fought over for its strategic posi-
tion during the Wars of Religion.
The steep climb is rewarded by
superb views of the Rhône valley.
2Vaison-la-
Romaine
Road map B2. * 6,429. @ n Pl du
Chanoine Sautel (04 90 36 02 11).
( Tue. ∑ vaison-ventoux-
tourisme.com
The pavement cafés in this
attractive stone-and-red-roof
town on the river Ouvèze are
among Provence’s most chic. Grounds of Roman house with 3rd-century silver bust, Vaison-la-Romaine
For hotels and restaurants in this region see p201 and pp215–16