As if its natural beauty were not enough, Provence
also has exceptional monuments and towns. In no other region
of France can you see examples of more than twenty-five centuries
of architecture simply by walking the streets. Here are the
ten wonders of the Bouches-du-Rhône.
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Château
de La Barben
This large building, with its French
garden, is in La Barben. The castle was turned into a
stately home in the 17th century. The interior decors
are interesting, and there is a collection of modern paintings.
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Château
de l'Empéri / Salon-de-Provence
This overlooks Salon-de-Provence from
the Puech rock, and is one of the oldest fortresses in
Provence. The Museum of Art and Military History has been
housed here since 1967. |
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Silvacane Abbey/ La Roque-d'Anthéron
This is one of the "three sister"
Cistercian abbeys, and was founded in 1147, on the banks
of the Durance, to the south of Lourmarin. It was built
between 1175 and 1300 on the sober Cistercian plan, in
a pleasing mixture of Romanesque and Gothic style. An
international piano festival is held in the grounds in
August. |
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Saint-SauveurCathedral
/ Aix-en-Provence
ARomanesque, Gothic and Baroque superposed,
in the centre of Aix-en-Provence. It has a 15th century
triptych retable of the Burning Bush by Nicolas Froment. |
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Mount Sainte-Victoire
The compact mass of the Sainte-Victoire
sits in the Aix countryside like a marooned ship. On
the north face, the garrigue scrub spreads right up
to the top (1011 m). You can follow a path to the top
from the Bimont dam (1946),and visit a chapel and the
ruins of a convent built in 1657. The 19m-high metal
Provence cross was erected on the summit in 1871
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Notre-Dame-de-la-Mer
/ Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer
The late 12th century Romanesque fortified church contains
the relics of Saint Sarah, the patron saint of gypsies.
Sarah, the Black Virgin, lies under a pile of dresses
and mantles in the crypt, built in 1448. Romany gypsies
come here on pilgrimage each year on 24th and 25th May.
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The Roman Arena /
Arles
The Arena ranks twentieth in size in the Roman world,
and dates back to the first century. It is in a very
good state thanks to the two hundred houses occupying
it in the Middle Ages. It was restored in 1825 and can
hold 25,000 people.
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The Baux-de-Provence
Not much is left of the castle except some walls, but
some fine renaissance houses remain in the village,
and the site is quite exceptional. The Château
des Baux, with its museum, exhibition and panoramic
view is one of the major attractions of the region.
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Glanum Arches and
Mausoleum / Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
These two monuments, in an admirable state of preservation,
date from the years 20 and 6 B.C. They mark the limits
of the ancient city of Glanum, which is now Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.
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The Château
de Tarascon
King René's castle on the bank of the Rhone is
one of the finest and best conserved castles in France.
The gruff exterior belies the refinement to be found
inside.
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