A Provençal step?
Parted in two by the Ouvèze river and partially cliffed on a hillside, we come across the magical Vaison-la-Romaine.
The first time we arrive at it we can have a sensation closer to entering an ancient city in Tolkien's Middle-earth than being just a hundred kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea.
However, it is not like that, there is nothing fancy about this small town. Everything when we find in it is real and of a historical richness that is difficult to match by other populations of the same size.
Vaison-la-Romaine, history in every corner
Located in the Vaucluse department in the French region of Provence, Vaison-la-Romaine, history festers in every stone, in every cobblestone, in every hill we climb and bridge we cross.
On one side we will see the upper town, the medieval one, dotted around the castle built by the Counts of Toulouse around 1195. It is accessed through the main door of the fourteenth century that is located just below its characteristic bell tower.
From here we can walk through its cobbled streets and enjoy the old houses, but above all the the beautiful fountains that are distributed throughout the entire medieval city.
Go up to the castle, it's worth it
As we go up to the castle we will observe that neither restaurants nor lodgings abound. To enjoy it we must retrace our steps and cross the roman bridge , –surely the monument that most characterizes this ancient population–.
Already on the other shore some small souvenir shops will welcome us to the modern city where we can find most of the hotels, restaurants and, of course, the shops.
Vaison-la-Romaine: an essential stop in Provence for history lovers
But the story is not over yet. It is on this side of the Ouvèze that most of the archaeological remains. It is one of the most important deposits in France although most of it still remains buried under the modern city.
Just to name a few of them, here is the Villasse site, where we will discover the richest part of the Gallo-Roman city with its thermal complex, the shopping street or the Maison du buste in argent, one of the largest houses in the town with its more than 5000 square meters.
Close to this site is the Puymin with the commercial district, the house of Apolo laureado or the one with the pergola. Behind the deposits we find the Théo Desplans Archaeological Museum and the magnificent ancient theater.
In Vaison-la-Romaine we find one of the most important deposits in France
Finally, the visit to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Nazareth, built between the 11th and 12th centuries, where we can see a beautiful sample of the provencal romanesque as well as its partially restored cloister in 1868 and 1956.
As we have seen, in Vaison-la-Romaine history is breathed. As much as we want or are able to absorb. But there is also a place for the legend, for the myth and for the epic.
Cathedral of Our Lady of Nazareth
The town lies calm at the foot of the Mont Ventoux –The Giant of Provence– where the cyclist Tom Simpson left his life during his ascent in 1967 or where the mythical eddy merckx required oxygen after topping it in 1970.
What to say it is possible that it is a Tour de France legend and a must for cycling enthusiasts who want to take a slight detour from the A7 on their way to Lyon or Marseille.
Mont Ventoux, the 'Giant of Provence'
Lots to see, right? No problem, in the archaeological museum they have video guides as well as a pass to see all the historical buildings and sites while strolling relaxed, although we cannot affirm that Vaison-la-Romaine is a complete unknown and that tourism does not abound in it. There is, especially French.
We will find souvenir shops and a number of restaurants that far exceeds the demand of its little more than six thousand inhabitants. However, the fact that most of the visitors speak French creates a peaceful feeling.
Let's say this discreet population has gone quite unnoticed in the eyes of foreign tourists leaving aside the protagonism it gained during the tragedy of September 22, 1992, where the floods claimed the lives of 38 people. Although sad, yet another episode in the history of this city.
The cobblestone streets of the city will cast a spell on you