Page 514 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - France

1640. The Criminal Court has
17th­century carved tablets of
local towns. In the Hôtel­Dieu
pharmacy, the 18th­century
cupboards have painted fig­
ures of monkey “doctors”.
More regional art and history
is on show at the Musée
Sobirats, renovated in 2018.
EXPERIENCE Provence and the Côte d’Azur # Hours vary, check website
Synagogue
⌂ 15 pl Maurice Charretier
∑ synagoguede carpentras.fr
Musée Sobirats
" ⌂ 112 rue du Collège
§ 04 90 63 04 92 # Apr–Sep:
10am–12pm & 2–6pm Wed–
Mon ¢ Pub hols

Luberon
The picturesque setting of the
! F6 ⌂ Vaucluse
source of the River Sorgue at 13
~ Avignon £ Cavaillon,
Fontaine-de-Vaucluse
Avignon @ Apt n Place
François Tou rel, Cavaillon;
www. luberon-coeurde
11 12 provence.com
Fontaine-de-Vaucluse Carpentras The huge limestone range of
the Montagne du Luberon is
! F6 ⌂ Vaucluse ! F6 ⌂ Vaucluse @
@ Avignon n Av Robert n Maison de Pays, 97 place one of the most appealing
Garcin, Residence Jean du 25 Août 1944; www. areas of Provence. Rising to
1,125 m (3,690 ft), it combines
Garcin; www.oti- carpentras-ventoux.com
delasorgue.fr wild areas with picturesque
In 1320, Carpentras became villages. Most is designated
The main attraction here is capital of the papal county of as a regional nature park, with
the source of the River Sorgue. Venaissin, and remained so more than 1,000 plant species
It is the most powerful spring until 1791. Modern boulevards and dense forests. The varied
in France, gushing at up to follow the former ramparts, wildlife includes eagles, wild
90,000 litres (19,800 gallons) with one original gate, the
per second from an under­ Porte d’Orange, surviving.
ground river at the foot of a In the Middle Ages the town
cliff. It powers the Moulin à was home to a sizeable Jewish
Papier Vallis Clausa (paper­ com munity and the 1367
mill), which produces hand­ Synagogue is the oldest in
made paper using the same France. While they were not
methods that were employed openly persecuted under
in the 15th century, and now papal rule, many Jews changed
produces maps, prints and faith, and they would enter
lamp shades for sale. There are the Cathédrale St­Siffrein by
also a number of museums in the Porte Juive (Jews’ Door).
the town. One is devoted to The Law Courts were built
the poet Petrarch (Francesco as the episcopal pal ace in
Petrarca, 1304–74), who lived
and wrote in the town, and
another exhibits material
related to the work of the Colourful rows of blooming
French Resist ance during lavender by the Abbaye
World War II. de Sénanque in Gordes
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