Religious Sights in Provence

At the centre of the town's activity, the Church of Saint-Michel opens on to a square crossed by one of the main roads.

The synagogue of Carpentras is the oldest synagogue still in activity in France.

Beautiful baroque architecture, examples of 17th- and 18th-century frescoes and furniture and a large terraced garden.

The Petit Palais museum owes its name to the familiar name of the Archbishops Palace in which it is installed, name that it was given by reference to the great neighbouring palace: the Palais des Papes.

Classified as a historic monument this 15th-century catholic church is located in the heart of the village of Biot.

The cathedral of our lady of Nazareth, or Notre Dame de Nazareth, lies in the centre of Orange not far from the river.

This chapel was originally built after a local woodsman saw an apparition of the Virgin Mary in the clouds above the site in 1519. The first stone for the building was laid a month after the vision.

A great way to discover the religious heritage of the area and a great example of Romanesque architecture.

The medieval church of Notre-Dame du Puy was raised to cathedral status in 1244, when the bishop transferred from Antibes to Grasse.

This cathedral, also known as Sainte Anne d'Apt, is believed to be built on the site where Saint Auspice was buried.

The remarkable architecture and sympathetic restoration work make this one of the best Carmelite abbeys in the Vaucluse region and one that is less frequently visited by tourists.

One of the famous Cistercian abbeys, the Abbaye du Thoronet was built in the late 12th century. This is a magical place, set in beautiful countryside of the Var. The abbey is wonderfully tranquil, surrounded as it is by woods and small streams.

Graves, mausoleums and sarcophagi at this site date back to the beginning of the Roman empire, but it wasn't until the early Christian period that there was a large flurry of activity here.

From the outside you can't really tell what a beautiful cathedral this is, rich with carvings, gold leaf and painted walls, ceilings and archways.

The Montmajour abbey was founded in 948 by the Benedictines. It sits on a large rock and is surrounded by protected surrounding countryside.

This is one of three churches in the old village of Les Baux and has been built partly into the rock face behind it.

This 12th century Cistercian monastery is an iconic scene of Provence. With fields of rows of lavender in an isolated valley leading to a beautifully solumn sanctuary, the Abbey Notre Dame de Senanque provides a glimpse back in time - if you can ignore the crowds of tourists that invariably will share the moment with you.

This magnificent building was built for Pope Benedict III in 1335 as a residence and a 'grand project'. It's the largest Gothic palace in the world (at 15,000 square metres) and is in the top ten most visited monuments in France (over 650,000 visitors per year).