What to do in Avignon in one day, five things to see in five squares, here is the city of France for a day of vacation and fun, but above all of discovery, read here.
Before leaving for Avignon I did not know what to expect: some had spoken to me as a place full of charm, others had limited themselves to looking at me with a doubtful expression.
As I approach the fortified city, anxiety begins to rise: what if I don't like it? I must have wasted a weekend that I could have spent somewhere else, maybe in Paris. But as soon as I cross the door of Saint Lazare I have no doubts: I will like this city. Despite the narrow streets that cross in an apparently irregular way, despite the gray buildings made even more gloomy by the rain that slides along the walls. Perhaps this is exactly what fascinates me about Avignon: the sobriety gothic-medieval which goes hand in hand with decadent charm and slovenly. It seems that around every corner there is a secret hidden for hundreds of years. What is certain is that there is one around every corner square with something to reveal to those who want to search.
Place Pie
The first discovery is Place Pie, where I arrive immediately after leaving my luggage in the maison d'hôtes Côté Square: it overlooks the small Place Pétramale, where it is said that Petrarch he saw Laura de Noves for the first time, losing his mind for her instantly. Walking through the narrow streets, being careful not to get squeezed between an old Renault and the wall of a house, you get to Place Pie: this is where the bars and cafes are located where people meet for an aperitif. It has just stopped raining, and the heat of the sun means that tourists and locals quickly occupy the tables of the outdoor areas. We order a beer and a glass of wine, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the view. The sun, the colors, the cheerfulness of the people almost make you forget that on this same square Jean-Perrin Parpaille, son of the dean of the University of Avignon, was beheaded in 1562 on charges of heresy. The following year, work began on the construction of a covered canopy that was supposed to offer shelter to merchants and their merchandise. Even today, the square hosts the Marché Les Halles with its facade decorated with grass and plants that grow vertically. The market, operational since 1858, is a must-see destination for buying products such as honey, oil, cheese and fresh fruit.
Place de l'Horloge
From Place Pie continue along Rue Vieux Sextier, passing from one side street to another, stopping to peek at the window of a shop or the menu of one of the countless restaurants that seem to almost hide in the courtyards of tall buildings, one glued to the other . The umpteenth turn and we find ourselves on Place de l'Horloge, where the labyrinth of medieval streets converges. The square is sober, almost austere: buildings like the Bank of France, the Opera and l 'Hôtel de Ville. It owes its name to the clock tower of the municipality: strangely however, the well-known tower decorated with jacquemart, a mechanical figure that marks the passage of time by striking the bell with a hammer at the stroke of every hour, is almost impossible to see among the buildings.
The bars and restaurants line the long sides of the square one after the other: they look like tourist traps, with photographs of the dishes and menus translated into at least five languages. It is one of the two short sides of the square, the one that continues to become Rue Saint-Agricol, which reserves the best surprises: the first is Oliviers, a shop that sells everything that has to do with olives, from oil, to soap, from perfumes to sweets. The second surprise is the Fragonard boutique, a historic perfumery based in Grasse, on the French Riviera.
Place Jérusalem
The maze of narrow streets that wind through the fortified city leads to Place Jérusalem. Access is through the Calandre portal, the entrance to the Jewish quarter. This is where the synagogue is located, destroyed in 1845 by a fire, and then rebuilt in the following years. The synagogue building is barely noticeable, perhaps also due to the gloomy shadow of the imposing Palace of the Popes, just around the corner. With its towers, battlements and spiers, it imposes itself threateningly on the nearby place of worship with its less showy and imposing forms. There is no way to enter the synagogue during my short stay in the city, so I stop at one of the bars overlooking the square. AOC 84 is a cave à vins where you are greeted by an owner who vaguely resembles Miguel Bosé. He is brusque and hasty and in a few seconds he makes us sit at one of the tables, under an old Ricard sign, not far from the bar counter with its rickety stools. We order a bottle of Ventoux, together with an asiette charcuterie and an asiette fromages. We then move on to the main dishes, the veal fricassé and the baked Camembert.
Place Cloître Saint-Pierre
Not far from Place Jérusalem there is another square enclosed between the buildings that surround it on all sides. IS Place Cloître Saint-Pierre, where the cloister of the basilica homonymous, in Provencal Gothic style. It is said that the first building of the basilica was built in the 1495th century, only to be destroyed by the Saracens. It is on the ruins of this first basilica that construction began from the current basilica, with the rectory and the cloister. The bell tower dates back to 1512, while the gothic decorations of the facade to XNUMX. Apparently I have no luck with religious buildings: the large wooden door seems to have been closed for who knows how long, so again I am forced to choose the the only open door in the square. The Epicerie is a place from the past, so much so that it seems to have come out of a movie. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see Owen Wilson sitting at a table drinking Pastis with Adrien Brody. But this is not Paris and not even a Woody Allen set, so we sit at one of the tables with the checkered placemats and order two glasses of Côtes du Rhône and an axes des épicières.
Place des Corps Saints
The usual little dose of history is not missing here either mystery seasoned with a pinch of religion. At the time of the Romans, the Place des Corps Saints it was used for burials. There was also an illustrious burial, that of Cardinal Peter of Luxembourg: Charles VI he ordered the construction of a chapel to house the relics of the cardinal. Since then this place has been known as the square of the holy body. But the only saints I hear mentioned are those that come out of my companion's mouth: it has started raining heavily, and the atmosphere is as gloomy as that of the 1300s. Many restaurants are closed, with chairs and tables stacked in a disorderly manner in front of them. to the shop windows. The only light on is that of Ginette et Marcel. We go in and sit by the wood stove on which the soupe marché is boiling. We warm up with a glass of Seguret, waiting for us to be served the main dish of the restaurant, the tartine chèvre et miel: it is a crostone of toasted bread with goat cheese and honey. Not only does it look great, it tastes great too, with the pungent flavor of goat cheese contrasting with the sweet flavor of honey. After the savory canapes we move on to desserts: do not miss the tarte poire et chocolat, accompanied by coffee served in small glass glasses.
When we go out it has stopped raining: we walk a little longer through the streets of the city, letting ourselves be guided by the reflections of the lights on the paved streets, made shiny by the rain.
