Religious Sights in Provence

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).

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.

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

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

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.

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

The church of Saint Leger sits amongst the narrow cobbled medieval streets in the very pretty little town that is Seillans.

This church lies at the centre of what was the old Medieval village of Vaison la Romaine. It was built in the 11th century over the remains of early Christian buildings.

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.

Built sometime in the twelfth century this beautifully carved and carefully constructed church is a stunning sight in Arles. Named after an early bishop of Arles the stone carvings, statues and intricate details represent the Roman Provencal style of architecture.

A Roman Catholic church that was once a catherdral and is now a national monument in France.

The 14th century Fort St Andre was built by order of the King of France, Philippe le Bel as a mean to keep an eye on the papal city of Avignon. Perched on a hill, this impressive structure contains the ruins of the Abbaye St Andre.

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

Aix's cathedral has its origins in the 5th century and it has been added to throughout the centuries.

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.

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.

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

With the arrival of French pope Clement V, Avignon was transformed into a religious and artistic centre. The grand Notre Dame cathedral has existed since the twelfth century, but the current building has been subjected to a number of alterations. The eye-catching gold statue of the Virgin Lady on the top of the tower is six metres in height and weighs 4,500 pounds.