The capital of Vaucluse département is a city of nearly 94,000 on the Rhône River whose walled, UNESCO World Heritage old quarter dates mostly from the 14th century. Medieval Avignon's massive Gothic monuments include churches, palaces, municipal buildings, and amphitheaters, with pride of place going to the Palais des Papes, seat of seven legitimate Roman Catholic popes.between 1309 and 1377. All this, plus the city walls - built three centuries before the first settlement in the Americas - makes the past somehow feel both overwhelming and imminently present.

Read more in Tripatini member Fyllis Hockman 's post Provence: Lovely Hills Towns Plus Beaucoup Wine and Cheese Equals Paradise.

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