Religious Sights in Provence

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

St. Pancras chapel was restored by a local team of volunterrs. It overlooks the town of Digne les Bains and offers a panoramic view of the various surrounding peaks.

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

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

Once connected to the cathedral by a semicircular vaulted corridor, the baptistery is a beautiful building situated in the narrow streets of Venasque.

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

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

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.

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.

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.