Religious Sights in Provence

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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 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 Carthusian monastery heralds back to the 14th century when it was built for Pope Innocent VI. The monastery consisted of a church and three cloisters which made it the largest monastery 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.

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

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

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

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.