Vaison la Romain - Roman ruins and Medieval Cité

On a gorgeous Saturday Sophia and I took a road trip to see what we could see.  The first thing we did when we arrived in Vaison-la-Romaine was look for a parking spot.  As we parked the car we had a beautiful view of the old Roman bridge. The bridge which connects the lower city to the upper Medieval city spans the Ouvèze river. It was built by Romans in the 1st century and incredibly, having survived severe flooding over the centuries, it is still used today. 

http://www.vaison-ventoux-tourisme.com/semerveiller/les-villages/vaison-la-romaine.html

I wanted to go to Vaison-la-Romaine because of the Roman ruins.  I did not realize that not only are there two different Roman sites to visit but also a château and medieval city on the top of a hill. When we got out of the car, Sophia saw the château on the top of the very steep hill and with her pre-teen astuteness correctly guessed that we would be hiking up to the very top. 

The Roman sites are located in the center of town, dark green in the map.  We walked up into town through the streets, busy with the Saturday bustle. Puymin is the larger area, where the theater and museum are located.  We decided not to visit the museum but rather to concentrate on walking through the different houses reading the history signs.  The theater has been completely renovated and it is used for many concerts and the Vaison-la-Romaine Dance Festival. A true fusion of new and old!  The columns and the view are original. 

Theater

Maison d'Apollon

Sanctuary

Piano man - a bit random but there he was in the square near the tourist office

View of the shops and road

La Villasse, the second Roman antiquity site is located just a short walk across the street from Puymin.  The ruins here are fascinating as well.  I particularly liked the street and shops.  

"This commercial thoroughfare consisted of a wide road for traffic with a pedestrian walkway on either side running directly in front of the shops.  The pavement on the west side ran beneath the first floor of the buildings which were supported by columns." - from the sign at the site

The baths were quite extensive. We got a kick out of the latrines!

The baths were constucted 10-20AD.  There were cold and hot baths, a pool and communal latrines!

The Notre-Dame-de-Nazareth cathedral, built in the 11th century, is a majestic stone building on its own, and has the added feature of a very lovely Cloister walled in at the side.

We visited the Notre-Dame-de-Nazareth cathedral.  It was built in the 11th century but there are chapels that date back to the Merovingian period.  

They were getting ready for a wedding

I really enjoyed walking in the cloisters. The walls were lined with many different ruins and stones.  

The Upper City

We crossed the old Roman bridge to begin our hike up into the upper city.  These two panels were on the wall at the foot of the hill. On the left is the WWI war memorial.  The plaque below is a memorial to the victims during the flood of 1992 when the river Ouvèze flooded.

The bell tower and entrance into the upper city.

Place du Vieux Marché is dappled with shade and you can sit and enjoy the sounds of the fountain.  The water in the fountain is especially clear.

The plaque on the arch indicates that it is the entrance to "la Juiverie" or Jewish quarter. 

We continued our stroll through the narrow streets.  Of course we stopped for ice cream because I promised Sophia that she could have some if she hiked the hill!  We followed the signs up to the château and the last part of the trail is on the rocky outcropping at the top of the hill.  What is left of the château is pretty impressive! Unfortunately it was not open to visitors when but we walked around to see the views of the valley.

The château is made up of three main sections with the square keep surrounding an interior courtyard. The additions and reconfigurations date from the 15th century.  The château had military uses as well as residence for the Lord or Master.  The structure saw its last residents in 1791 and it was eventually was sold to the community of Vaison.  http://www.vaison-la-romaine.com/spip.php?article395

Le Mont Ventoux

View of the church bell tower

La Cathedrale Sainte Marie de l'Assomption or "The High Cathedral" was built in 1464 on top of an older chapel.  This church is dedicated to "la Bienheurese Vierge Marie" The Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Quenin, the patron saint of Vaison. It is located on the edge of a cliff and the terrace in front of the church has a beautiful view of the lower city.  The church was being used as an art gallery when we visited.   

Inside the church 

The church was not used during twenty five years.  It was restored in 2015 and is now used as a cultural site open to the public.

Selfie from the church terrace

Vaison-la-Romaine was a cool place to visit.  From Roman to Medieval times in the span of a few hours, you can really see it all in one day.