Avignon

Avignon (; ) is a commune in southeastern France in the department of Vaucluse on the left bank of the Rhône river. It is the capital (prefecture) of the Vaucluse department.

The historical centre, which includes the Palais des Papes, the cathedral, and the Pont d'Avignon, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The medieval monuments and the annual Festival d'Avignon have helped to make the town a major centre for tourism.

Name 
The earliest forms of the name were reported by the Greeks:

Аὐενιὼν = Auenion
Άουεννίων = Aouennion (Ptolemy II, x).

The Roman name Avennĭo Cavarum (Mela, II, 575, Pliny III, 36), i.e. "Avignon of Cavares" shows that Avignon was one of the three cities of the tribe of Cavares, along with Cavaillon and Orange.

History 
Between 1309 and 1377, during the Avignon Papacy, seven successive popes lived in Avignon and in 1348 Pope Clement VI bought the town from Joanna I (; March 1328 – 27 July 1382) was Queen of Naples and Countess of Provence.

Papal control persisted until 1791 when, during the French Revolution, it became part of France.

Geography 
Avignon is on the left bank of the Rhône river, a few kilometres above its confluence with the Durance, about  southeast of Paris,  south of Lyon and  northwest of Marseille.

It has an area of  and its average altitude is ; at the city hall, the altitude is .

On the west Avignon shares a border with the department of Gard and to the south it borders the department of Bouches-du-Rhône.

Avignon is surrounded by the communes Sorgues, Le Pontet, Vedène, Morières-lès-Avignon and Caumont-sur-Durance and the departments Bouches-du-Rhône (communes of Noves, Châteaurenard, Rognonas and Barbentane) and Gard (communes of Les Angles and Villeneuve-lès-Avignon).

The Rhône, the Durance (tributary of the Rhône and the L'Anguillon (tributary of the Durance) are the rivers flow through the commune.

The Rhône passes the western edge of the city but is divided into two branches: the Petit Rhône for the part that passes next to Avignon, and the Grand Rhône for the western channel which passes Villeneuve-lès-Avignon in the Gard department. The two branches are separated by an island, the Île de la Barthelasse.

The Durance flows along the southern boundary of the commune into the Rhône and marks the departmental boundary with Bouches-du-Rhône.

Climate
The climate of Avignon, in the Köppen climate classification, is Csa - Oceanic climate with hot summers.

The average temperature for the year in Avignon is . The warmest month, on average, is July with an average temperature of . The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of .

The average amount of precipitation for the year in Avignon is . The month with the most precipitation on average is October with  of precipitation. The month with the least precipitation on average is January with an average of .

Population
The inhabitants of Avignon are known, in French, as Avignonnais (women: Avignonnaises).

With a population of 92,209, Avignon has a population density of  inhabitants/km2.

Evolution of the population in AvignonT

Transport

Rail 
Avignon has three train stations: Gare d'Avignon Centre, Gare d'Avignon TGV and Gare d'Avignon-Montfavet.

Administration 
Avignon is the prefecture of the Vaucluse department since 1793. It is also the capital of the arrondissement of Avignon and the administrative centre () of three cantons, all formed with part of the commune: 
 Avignon-1 : 30,134 inhabitants  (2014)
 Avignon-2 : 34,426 inhabitants (2014)
 Avignon-3 : 35,749 inhabitants (27,649 in Avignon and 8,100 in Morières-lès-Avignon) (2014)

It is part of the intercommunality Grand Avignon ().

Sister cities 
Avignon is twinned with:
  Guanajuato (Mexico) since 1990.
  Ioannina (Greece) since 1984.
  New Haven (USA) since 1993.
  Siena (Italy) since 1981.
  Tarragona (Spain) since 1968.
  Wetzlar (Germany) since 1960.

Places of interest
Some interesting places in Avignon are:
 The Notre Dame des Doms cathedral (12th century).
 The Palais des Papes ("Papal Palace") (14th century).
 The Pont d'Avignon (the Pont Saint-Bénézet), a bridge best known for the famous French song Sur le pont d'Avignon.

Gallery

Related pages
 Avignon Papacy
 Arrondissement of Avignon
 Communes of the Vaucluse department

References

Other websites

 Ville de Avignon - official website 
 Avignon Tourist Office
 Avignon greater metropolitan area website 
 Avignon theatre festival website 

 
Departmental capitals in France
World Heritage Sites in France