Religious Sights in Provence

The heart of the old town of Sospel opens out into a wide sunny square dominated by the colourful facade of the Saint-Michel cathedral.

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.

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

This charming little church is located in the centre of Aix en Provence, alongside the Musee Granet.

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.

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

The present building is from the 18th century, however there has been a structure here from as early as the 13th century.

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.

The synagogue in Cavaillon is no longer used as a place of worship, but it's on many people's "must visit" lists if you're in the area, thanks to its ornate decoration and fascinating history.

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).

This monastery was founded and built in the 1970's and is now famous for its monks broadcasting their Gregorian chants live throughout the day.

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

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.

Pope Benedict XIII ordered the reconstruction of this building after the original Romanesque church collapsed, in 1404.

The St Roman Abbey dates back to the 5th century, built by hermits and monks. It is cleverly ucarved into the surrounding rocks and cavities and you can wander around the chapel and ancient monk cells. It's heyday was in the 14th century when it was fortified and used as a college.

This large cathedral was originally built in 1096 and has undergone many additions and modifications over the centuries.

This Romanesque chapel was built on a rocky promontory offering visitors breathtaking views of the Alpilles.