Carpentras

 Carpentras offers in theeyes of the visitors, the facets as coloured as the frontages of its old center. Heiress of the Gallic city of Memini, with the double character of acropolis and market, the city becomes in the Middle Ages, the capital of Comtat Venaissin. It owes its originality with its membership of the Saint Sits of 13th at the 18th century. Its architecture takes as a starting point the Italian models and the presence of the Jews protected from the Popes, marks his culture.

In the detour of the streets and places, its rich person inheritance reveals himself with the walker.

High place of habitat since antiquity, Carpentras nourished various influences in the course of the centuries. Architectures Roman, Romance, Gothic, traditional, rebirth, baroque… are mèlent with more contemporary constructions, leaving in heritage, of the prestigious buildings which were worth at the city its membership of the domestic network of the Cities and Pays of art and history.

• The Hospital
• Cathedral St Siffrein
• Law courts
• Arc Romain
• Synagogue
• Gate of Orange

Discover the old center while strolling in the streets of Carpentras. In the detour of the streets and places, it is not place which does not preserve intact, the richness of the history of Carpentras. Here art and the history belong to the daily newspaper.

Window open on the Country of art and history of Comtat Venaissin, the city in the shape of heart takes airs of Tuscany and offers to the walker other classified treasures which are discovered through the fresh and intimate lanes, where it is good to stroll.

•  Private mansions:

The heart of the city counts a great number of Private mansions of 17th and 18th century, vestiges one time old when it held its role of capital. The nobility and the prelates lived in these beautiful residences in which stone masons, sculptors, and craftsmen in wrought iron let burst their talent.

To see: street Moricelly, the beautiful alignment of elegant frontages to the doors and richly decorated balconies. Also street of the Sailors, the monumental gate of the Hotel of Walls and balcony with caryatids of the Bassompierre hotel…

• The Boyer passage

Also called street Vitrée, it is a typical covered commercial galleries of the middle of the 19th century. Raised to easily connect the small Markets and the market, the alignment of its shops knack at the ground floor of buildings to the regular ordinance contrasts with the gravers taken refuge under the medieval arcades of the street of the Markets.

Roman vestiges with the strengthened doors, while passing through the rich person private mansions of the 18th century, the Religious art has a dominant place there. The churches, cathedrals and palates were built with the wire of the centuries by many artists and craftsmen who successively transmitted their culture and a know-how of a great diversity.

Romance vaults, Bell-towers, works of water, oratories… starting from Carpentras, the roads take shape and reveal with the visitor who takes time, his more beautiful works of art, registered voters forever in the landscape comtadin

 Discover the laundrettes, basins, fountains which are the heart and the memory of the villages of the Comtadine plain supplied with many spouting springs at the bottom of Ventoux.

Leave from Carpentras by D4 towards Didier Saint. Stop advised in Venasque, classified more beautiful village of France, to reach Beaucet, village troglodyte fixed on the rock.

At the bottom it small valley, to visit the miraculous source of St People, famous place of pilgrimage.

By D121, to join Pernes, the city with the 40 fountains. A stop is essential to discover this “Pearl of Comtat” and its rich person inheritance.

Return to Carpentras with a dawdling in the landscape park of the shaded banks of Auzon.

Duration of the circuit: ½ day

From Carpentras, you take D938 towards Malaucène: advised stop in the castle of Barroux - of its terrace, very beautiful sight on the agricultural plain - continue by the D90A, picturesque road in edge of the peaks which shelters a village of cribs: Alric Castling. In Lafare, to take the direction of Beaumes of Venice, village considered for its sweet aperitif wine, halt with the vault ND of Aubune, jewel of the Romanesque art. Return to Carpentras by Aubignan.
Duration of the circuit: ½ day

To leave Carpentras in direction of Bédoin, to take D13 towards Caromb, Crillon le Brave (very beautiful sight on Ventoux and the plain), to continue towards Bedoin (many paths of discovered), then by D213 towards Flassan and its frontages of red blood stone, Cities on Auzon (halt picnic with the drill of Fine sands, old yellow-earth quarry. To follow the picturesque road towards Blauvac and to continue by D150, stop advised with Mazan for the visit of its Alyscamps before joining Carpentras). Do not hesitate to taste the good vintages in the many wine fields which mark out your route.
Duration of the circuit: ½ day

 To take D942 towards Mazan, Cities on Auzon…

The Throats open starting from Monieux, in direction of Sault. On the beautiful cliff road, halt advised with the view-point of Castellaras vis-a-vis the Rock of the Wax which overhangs at 200 m the torrent. Visit of Sault and its immense blue plate lavender. Rise of the Mount-Ventoux by D164. At the top, the panorama is imposing. To go down again by Malaucène and return on Carpentras by D938.

During the winter, you cannot reach the top. To reverse the route then while assembling Ventoux by the southern slope, D974 - Sault direction and to take the road of the Throats of Nesque by Monieux.

Duration of the circuit: 1 day