Religious Sights in Provence

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

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 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.

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 old Romanesque style church dates back to the 10th century and was modified in the 12th century. Its austere exterior matches very plain interior decor, very typical to the Romanesque style of the old ages.

The building of the church and the adjacent convent began in 1295. It is now the only large Gothic church in Provence.

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.

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

Formerly a Roman Catholic cathedral it is now a protestant church in the centre of the town of Uzes.

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.

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

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

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

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

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 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.

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