Best places to learn about the history of Provence in France

Le Village des Bories

In one of the most beautiful areas of Provence, Vaucluse, there is a historical site resting by mountains, not too far from another town called Gordes, known as Bories. Bories is an ancient dwelling. In this dwelling, the buildings are made from limestone slabs known as lauzes, and they are dated from 2,000 BC. These buildings were used for shelter or storing implements.

This historical site was fascinating to visit as I was able to see another way of how people lived in the past.

Pont du Gard

As an art history student, it’s important for me to write down my observations and some facts that I’ve learned about the site. What’s incredible about this water aqueduct, built around during the 1st A.D., was that it was constructed without any use of mortar because stones were cut precisely. As one may notice, there are stones protruding out of the bridge. Those stones were just simply supports for the scaffolding. During the first few centuries, this bridge was used to bring the water from Fontaines d’Eure springs near Uzès to the Castellum in the Roman city of Nemausus which is now known as Nimes. Unfortunately, by around 9th century, it became totally useless and then, during the Middle Ages, it became a pedestrian bridge.

This bridge has very typical ancient Roman appearance as there are three rows of arcades. There is a sense of harmony because all three rows depict repeating arches with perfect half circular tops. It’s such a simple structure not only because of the repeating arches, but also because the color was uniform. It was just simply in the color of the sand.

Roman Arena

Les Arènes is a grand ancient roman artifact like the Colosseum in Rome, Italy. It’s one of the most well-preserved Roman monument in Provence. A very important note to make - GO TO THE TOP! Tourists can get an incredible panoramic view of Arles by going to the top.

Pont d'Avignon

The first thing I see in Avignon is the broken bridge, Pont d’Avignon. It’s seriously resting on the river as a completely unusable bridge! That’s not the end of the world because it’s just simply a great monument site. Of course, I first asked myself, why is this bridge broken? I did some researching, and the answer was simple: The bridge was destroyed by frequent floods. In fact, this bridge was reconstructed several times, but it was continually destroyed by floods. In 1668, the bridge was finally stopped being rebuilt due to a major flood.

The bridge used to lie across the Rhône River between Avignon and Villeneuve-lès-Avignon. There used to be 22 arches, but only four of the 22 arches still exist. During the Middle Ages, the bridge was a main link between several of the residences that were built by the cardinals and the Popes’ Palace, a palace inside the city of Avignon.

Musée de la Lavande

No one cannot know the history of lavender without leaving Provence. Musée de la Lavande is the place where visitors can see the machines that farmers used to dry the lavender and to create scents such as soaps and perfume. This museum also explains its rich history of growing lavender through its movie and exhibit. Without any doubts, there is a boutique with many wonderful lavender goods.

Vallis Clausa

Paper displayed at Moulin à papier Vallis Clausa, a small paper-making museum, were not ordinary paper that we would see in Office Max or Office Depot. They were paper with real treasures inside them. There were flowers inside some of the paper creating a lovely aroma. Some had leaves inside them and some others had confetti. One set of papers even had scraps from jeans. The edges had unclean cut, but imperfect things are beautiful. The paper also had a rough texture creating a value to the sense of touch. They also display the production of making paper.

Cezanne's Studio

Provence was very close to Cezanne's heart as it's evident in his paintings, in particular the paintings of Mt. Saint Victoire. Nestled in woods, there is a little studio owned by Cezanne. Visiting the studio gives the visitors a view of where Cezanne worked and all the objects he treasured including bowls that are displayed in many of Cezanne's paintings.

Museon Arlaten

Arlatan Museum is filled with many treasures of Provence. This museum explains a great deal about the history of Provence by displaying many artifacts, which includes a selection of clothing, kitchenware, furniture, and illustrations, that come from as far as hundreds of years.

Feudal Château

At the top of the hill in this little village, there is a castle originated from 12th century known as feudal château. It is very typical to find castles from the Middle Ages built on top of the hills in order to be well protected from its enemies. This spot is simply a great place to discover an ancient ruin from hundreds of years. Not only there is an opportunity to explore the castle, but also to enjoy the magnificent view of the village of Oppède-le-Vieux.