Chapter VI: Part I: Paris to Marseilles (4)

PARIS MARSEILLES 455 82 SORGUES, pop. 4000, on the Sorgues, which rises at Vaucluse. Junction with line to Carpentras, 10½ m. eastwards. Carpentras, pop. 10,500, on an eminence surrounded by avenues, rising from the Auzon. _Hotels:_ Universe; Orient, both good, and in the large “Place” opposite, the Hôtel-Dieu, built in 1760 by Bishop Malachie. In the Hôtel-Dieu are a portrait by Rigaud of the Abbot Rancé, and a handsome staircase. In the centre of the Place is a bronze statue of the benevolent Malachie d’Inguimbert. From this “Place,” up the narrow street, the first public building is the church of St. Siffrein, dating from 1405. The square tower, with octangular cupola, attached to the north side of the chancel, was part of a former church constructed in the time of Charlemagne. The stair (89 steps) up to the roof, whence there is a pleasing view, commences at the south side of the chancel, outside. Among the pictures in the interior of the church, the best is a “Salutation” by the Flemish painter Andreas Schoonjans. Behind the pulpit is a picture by Mignard representing Mary giving some of her milk to St. Bernard. At the commencement of the chancel, near the cupola, is the chapel in which the reliquaries are kept. Among them are the skull and bones of St Siffrein, and the nail that pierced the right hand of J. C. on the Cross. In the chancel is a “Coronation” of Mary painted on wood, 15th cent., and behind the altar another “Coronation” by P. Veronese. In the foreground are Saints Laurence and Siffrein. Adjoining is the Palais de Justice, 1640, with frescoes and a crucifix in the “salle des assises.” Within the court, right hand, is a Triumphal arch, erected by Diocletian between 284 and 305, 30 ft. high (but originally higher), 25½ ft. wide, 14½ ft deep, and 10 ft. span. On the N. side, between two attached fluted columns, is, in bold relief, a Latin cross with the arms at obtuse angles. On each side stands a prisoner, with his hands behind him, chained loosely to the cross. From the cross are suspended swords, horns, and pouches. On the south side is a similar cross, but not in 55

such a good state of preservation. The main beam resembles more the stem of a tree. From the top hangs the dress of a warrior.

The continuation of the street from the church leads to the Porte d’Orange, surmounted by a square tower 120 ft. high, of which only three sides exist. It was built by Innocent VI., who also surrounded the town with the ramparts, which now form beautiful Boulevards. From the boulevard in front of the gate are seen to the left the canal aqueduct, to the right the town water aqueduct, and in the distance, between the two, beyond a smaller ridge, Mont Ventoux, extending from N.W. to S.E., with a slight bend. The aqueduct which brings water to Carpentras crosses the valley of the Auzon by 48 massive arches. The canal, which by irrigation fertilises the surrounding country, extends from the Durance to the Ouvèze, a distance of 43 miles, and cost £90,000. In the principal Boulevard, nearly opposite the manufactory of preserved fruits of Eysseric, is the building containing the library and museum. The library contains a valuable collection of manuscripts, explained in a printed 4to volume, several rare incunables, and above 4000 vols., for which there is not sufficient accommodation. Carpentras: Museum. In the “Musée” are a few good pictures, and Roman statuettes in bronze and marble, all from Vaison, excepting a small Apollo found at Carpentras. The gem of the antiquities is an Egyptian-Aramaic limestone slab, 4th or 3d cent. b.c., 19¼ in. long by 13½ wide and 1 thick, divided into three compartments by narrow borders. In the principal compartment stands a young woman with uplifted hands before Osiris, who is seated in front of a table on which are sacrifices. Behind Osiris stands Isis. Below, in the second compartment, is the embalmed body of the deceased, attended by the jackal-headed Anubis and the hawk-headed Horus. Below the body are the four customary funeral vases. Below this, in the third compartment, is an Aramaic inscription in four lines, of which the last two are injured. The first French opera was written in Carpentras by the Abbot Mailly in 1646. Truffles. Truffles or tuberous mushrooms are black, dark gray, violet-coloured, or white. The last variety, principally found in the N. of Italy, has the smell of garlic. About Carpentras, and in the department of Vaucluse, they are black, and are found from 4 inches to 1 foot below the ground, at the extremities of the fibrous roots, both of the common and of the evergreen oak. The season for gathering them is from November to the end of March, after which those which remain become soft and decompose. They are at their best in January, when the rind is black, hard, and rough, and the inside mottled black and white. In size and shape the best resemble small round potatoes, of which the largest may weigh ½ lb., although few are of that size. They are sought by means of dogs and swine, both of a peculiar breed; the sow being the more dexterous of the two, and continues efficient for its duty for upwards of 21 years. It scoops out the earth with its powerful snout in a masterly manner faster than any dog can do. When just about to seize the truffle, the attendant thrusts a stick between its jaws, picks up the truffle himself, and throws to the sow instead two 56

acorns. Without this reward each time, the sow would not continue the search. Till the truffles are ripe, they have no odour.

Ortolans.

The ortolans, which breed about the hills and woods of Carpentras, migrate in autumn. While on the wing they are allured down to nets laid for them by ortolans singing in cages. Those caught are put into dark rooms, where they are fattened. In about a month’s time they become so plump as hardly to be able to fly, when they are killed and sold, excepting a few kept for alluring the others next year. The singing time of these is transferred from spring to August, by pulling out the large feathers of the tail and wings in April, and keeping them in a dark apartment till August.

Carpentras is also famous for its preserved fruits and “berlingots,” a sweetmeat made of the syrup of a mixture of fruits, not unlike barley sugar, but cut into pieces 1 in. square. The best maker is Eysseric.

Carpentras is a good halting-place for delicate people returning from the Riviera—the hotels are comfortable and the prices moderate—excellent public library, pleasant walks, and in the vicinity of many interesting places connected by roomy diligences.

Coach daily from Carpentras to Nyons 28½ m. N., by Vacqueyras 6½ m., and Vaison 17½ m. Also to Nyons 26 m., by Malaucene 10 m. N.E., and Vaison 15 m. by this way. Coach to Buis-les-Baronnies 23 m. N.E., passing through Malaucene. Coach from Buis to Nyons 19 m. N.W. by Mollans. Courrier from Vaison to Buisson 7½ m. N. on the Aigues. Coach to Sault 28½ m. E.

Omnibus several times daily to St. Didier 4½ m. S.E. Coach daily to L’Ile 10½ m. S., convenient for visiting the fountain of Vaucluse. Coach on market-days from Carpentras to Apt 28½ m. S.E., by Venasque 7¼ m. S.E. (For these places see Index, and maps pages 56 and 66.)

THE PLAINS between the ARDECHE, the RHONE and the DURANCE.

opp. 56 [West End] _For continuation northwards see map, page 46._ [East End] _For continuation northwards see map, page 327._

the plains _For continuation eastwards see map, page 327._ [West End] _For continuation southwards see map, page 66._ [East End] _For continuation southwards see map, page 163._

Bedoin. Mont Ventoux.

Coach daily to Bedoin 8¾ m. N.E., 900 ft. above the sea, pop. 1300. _Inn:_ Hôtel de Mont Ventoux. Station to ascend Mont Ventoux, 6274 ft., by a good road from the south end of the ridge. The base is about 2 m. from the village and the top 10 m. by the easy southern slope. Time to ascend, from 5 to 6 hours. Mule, 10 frs. No guide necessary. Before commencing the ascent, go to the top of the hill by the side of the church and take a general survey of the land. The road extending to the right, under those mulberry trees, is the one to take. A little distance along it, at a well with a cistern, a narrow road strikes off to the left and ascends the mountain by a steeper and shorter way. The mountain offers a splendid field for botanists. To see the sun rise from the top, travellers generally start at 11 p.m., and await the appearance of the glorious luminary in the chapel of Ste. Croix, on the summit. Mont Ventoux is the culminating point of the Lure range, an offshoot from the Alps. Among the minerals it has quartz in every form and colour, in nodules and in strata. Also beautiful jasper and fossils such as ammonites and belemnites. The kaoline clay, “terre de Bedouin,” is found in the plain between Bedoin and Crillon, a village 2¾ m. N.E. At different parts in this 57

neighbourhood are strata of sandstone with fossils, overlying beds of sand. These strata crop up at different parts of the department.

Resin Baths. Malaucene.

Four and a half m. S. by omnibus from Carpentras is the village of St. Didier, with a good hydropathic establishment in an old château. Rooms from 1½ fr. to 3 frs. Servants’ rooms, 1 fr. Meat, breakfast and dinner, both with wine, 5 frs. Coffee in the mornings, ½ fr. Meat, breakfast and dinner, for children and servants, 3 frs. Service, ½ fr. First consultation, 10 frs. Every other consultation in the study gratis; but in the guests’ room 1 fr. each time. The baths are in the style of the Turkish baths, with the addition that the heated air is impregnated with resin or is turpentinised (_térébenthiné_). It has a beneficial effect on the lungs and muscular rheumatism. St. Didier is 2¾ m. W. from Venasque and 2 m. from Le Beaucet (map p. 56).

Two coaches daily from Carpentras to Buis-les-Baronnies, 23 m. N.E., by Malaucene 10 m. N.E. The road from Carpentras, in crossing the N.W. extremity of the Ventoux chain, passes by the village of Le Barroux on a hill crowned with the ruins of a castle, 15th cent. At the foot of Mont Ventoux, 5 m. S. from Vaison and 13 m. S.W. from Buis, is Malaucene, 1000 ft. above the sea, pop. 3000. _Inn:_ Hôtel de Cours, in a picturesque neighbourhood, of which there is a good view from the calvary on an eminence in the town. At about ½ m. from the inn is the spring Groseau, gushing forth from the base of a lofty calcareous cliff, crowned with the ruins of the chapel of Groseaux, 11th cent. The stream that issues from the spring is soon strong enough to set in motion the machinery of paper, silk, and flour mills. Any one may visit the silk mills. In 1345 Petrarch ascended Mont Ventoux from Malaucene. The ascent from this place is more difficult, but more picturesque than from Bedoin and requires 2 hours more. On the side of the mountain are the springs—Angel, 3826 ft.; Puits de Mont-Serein, 4774 ft.; and Font Filiole, 5866 ft.

The road from Malaucene to Buis follows the picturesque valley of the Ouvèze. The most important village passed on the way is Mollans, with, in the neighbourhood, a great cave, beyond which is a deep lake. Shortly before arriving at Le Buis are seen, on an eminence, the bronze statue of Bishop Trophime, and beyond, the cliff of St. Julien. No public vehicle goes farther than Le Buis, although the road is good the length of the railway between Marseilles and Grenoble, passing St. Euphemie 7 m. E., St. Auban 10 m. E., Montguers 11¼ m. E., Lacombe 13¼ m. E., and Laborel 27 m. E., after which the road descends to the railway by the valley of the Céans.

Le Buis.

LE BUIS, pop. 2000; _Inns:_ Luxembourg; Commerce; is situated in a hollow on the Ouvèze surrounded by mountains covered with olive, mulberry, fig, peach, and cherry trees. Schistose and shingle strata cover some parts; at others there are calcareous rocks in every form, either in gigantic cliffs or in countless strata of various thickness and at different angles. To go to the statue of St. Trophime and to the top of St. Julien, having crossed the bridge, ascend by the winding road to the valley, right hand, which continue to the next 58

bridge. For the statue cross the bridge and go directly to the right: for the cliffs, ascend by the back of St. Julien by the path on the left, just before reaching the bridge.

Avignon.

59

see caption

sketch plan of avignon.

1. Palace of the Popes: the small building opposite is the Consistoire de Musique; by the side of the palace is the church of Notre-Dame Des Doms, and by the side of the church, on the top of the hill, the beautiful promenade des Doms; whence a stair leads down to the Rhone, near 23, the old bridge Bénézet. Below the promenade is, 2, formerly an archbishop’s palace, now a seminary. Below the Pope’s Palace is B, the Place de l’Hotel de Ville, with the H. de Ville and theatre. The street C C, extending southward to the principal station, is called the R. de la Republique or Rue Petrarque, its original name. Just behind, 3, the Hotel de Ville is the church of St. Agricol, and a little farther S.W. is the Rue Calade, with, at 4, the Musée Calvet, and at 5, across the Rue de la Republique, the Musée Requien, a museum of natural history. Farther east is, 6, St. Joseph’s College, with all that remains of the Church of the Cordeliers, where Laura was buried. That large building at the east corner of the town, 7, is the Hotel-Dieu or hospital; the gate, O, beside it, is the Porte St. Lazare; while 8 indicates the road to the cemetery. A short way E. from the Place de l’Hotel de Ville is, 9, the church of St. Pierre. No. 10, not far from the station, is the Penitentiary, formerly the Convent of the Celestins, founded by Clement VII. in 1879; entrance from the Place du Corps-Saint. No. 13, Convent du St. Sacrement. 14. Chapel Bénézet on bridge. 15. St. Symphorien. 16. Sacré-Cœur. 17. Prison. 18. Mont-de-Piété. 19. Court-house. 20. Lyceum. 21. Prefecture. 22. Suspension Bridge. 23. Bénézet Bridge. A, Place du Palais. B, Place de l’Hôtel de Ville. C, Rue de la République. D, Rue Calade. F, Place du Corps Saint. G, Rue des Lices. H, Place Pie. J, Vieux Septier. K, Rue du Saule. L, Rue Carréterie. M, Porte du Rhône. N, Porte de la Ligne. O, Porte St. Lazarus. Q, Porte L’Imbert. R, Porte St. Michael. S, Porte St. Roche. T, Porte de l’Oulle.

PARIS MARSEILLES 461 76 AVIGNON, pop. 39,000, surrounded with strong embrasured walls, garnished with 39 towers, and pierced with 9 gates, is situated on the Rhône, 2 m. above its junction with the Durance, and 20 m. N.E. from Nîmes by the railway passing the Pont d’Avignon and Remoulins. _Hotels:_ *Europe, near the Pont; *Luxembourg; Louvre; St. Yves, in the centre of the town, near the Place Pie, the great market-place. Temple Protestant in the R. Dorée, near the Préfecture. Cabstands at station and in the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville, 2 frs. per hour. From the station, a beautiful avenue, the Cours de la République, leads up to the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville, with statue “au brave Crillon,” the friend of Henri IV., “Louis des Balbes-Berton duc de Crillon et Lieutenant-colonel de l’infanterie française,” died at Avignon in 1615. To the right is the road leading up to the *Palace of the Popes, the church of *N. D. des Domes, and the promenade, *“au Rochers des Doms;” which, with the ramparts, compose the principal sights of Avignon. The concierge of the palace lives just within the entrance. Fee for party, 1 fr. Opposite gate is the Conservatoire de Musique, built in 1610 for a mint. The churches are closed between 12 and 2. The Musées are open to the public on Sundays between 12 and 4.

Avignon Palace.

The present Palace, commenced by Benedict XII. in 1336, and finished by Gregory XI. in 1370, is an ugly huge structure, consisting of plain walls 100 ft. high and 14 thick, strengthened by long ungainly buttresses. Above the entrance, composed of a low archway, are the arms of Clement VI.; and higher up, on two oriel turrets, the balcony from which the Popes blessed the people. Within the gate is the Cour d’Honneur, a vast quadrangular space between flat walls, pierced by from 3 to 4 stories of windows, not on the same level nor of the same size. From the court ascend the Escalier d’Honneur, a groined staircase, of which the steps were formerly of marble, to the Salle Consistoriale d’Hiver, with an elegantly-groined roof. Before this hall was divided into two, it was 52 ft. high, 65½ wide, and 170 long. From it we enter the Salle d’Armes, with mural paintings by Simone Memmi of Sienna. Ascending higher the grand staircase, we pass on the left the small window for the Spies, and then go along a narrow lobby tunnelled in the wall, to a succession of large bare halls, the Galerie de Conclave, the Salle des Gardes, the Salle de Reception, and then enter the Tour St. Jean, containing the Chapelle du Saint-Office, 60

or the chapel of the Inquisition, with mural paintings. In the story immediately below is the chapel of the Popes. From the Tour St. Jean, after passing through a large hall, we enter an octagonal room, gradually narrowing towards the centre, till it forms a chimney-tower, called the Tour Strapade. Some say this was the torture room; but it is evidently more suited for a kitchen, which in all probability it was. Adjoining is the Glacière, into whose underground cellars, now built up, the democrats of 1791 flung the bodies of 60 men and women they had murdered. From this we enter again the Place d’Honneur by the Tour Trouillas, in which Rienzi was imprisoned five years, bound to a chain fixed to the roof of his cell. During the time of the Popes, from 1305 to 1234, and till 1793, the half of Avignon was occupied by ecclesiastical edifices, which tolled daily 300 bells, and had among them a daily succession of religious processions.

Avignon: Rocher des Doms. Cathedral.

From the palace the road leads up to the highest part of the town, the Rocher des Doms; commanding a magnificent view, and laid out as a public garden, with in the centre a statue of Jean Althen, who introduced, in 1766, the culture of the “garance,” the _Rubia tinctoria_, now superseded, for the dyeing of red. From this terrace a stair leads down to the Rhône near the Bridge Bénézet (see page 63). In the middle of the river is the Ile de Barthelasse, and on the other side are the Tour de Philippe le Bel, the town of Villeneuve, and above it the Fort St. André. On the promenade is the Cathedral Notre-Dame-des-Doms, 194 feet above the Rhône, approached by a stair called the Pater, because originally it had as many steps as there are words in the Lord’s Prayer. This church has undergone many changes, and belongs to various periods. The portal and lower part of the tower are of the 10th cent., and are due to Fulcherius. The nave is two centuries later. The apse was added in 1671. The most remarkable part of the structure is the cupola, terminating in an octagonal lantern, and supported on pendentive arches. It bears traces of frescoes painted in 1672. In the sanctuary is the marble throne used by the Popes, in the sacristy the Gothic mausoleum of Jean XXII., and in one of the side chapels the tomb of Benoit XII. In the third chapel (right hand) is a Madonna in white marble, by Pradier. The sacristan is generally in the small room next the main entrance. Fee, ½ fr. for showing the church and the tomb.

Now return to the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville. At the foot or south end a tram-car leaves every ¼ to the Pont d’Avignon station on the other side of the Rhône, 2 sous; and another to St. Lazare at the 61

eastern end of the town near the cemetery, 2 sous. An omnibus starts every hour from the corner of the theatre for Villeneuve, where it stops at the east end of the church. Fare both ways, 4 sous.

Avignon: St. Agricol. Musée Calvet.

In the “Place” the principal edifice is the Hôtel de Ville, built in 1862, on the site of the Palais Colonna, 14th cent, of which all that remains is the handsome belfry called Jacquemard and his wife, from the two figures which strike the hours. Next the Hôtel de Ville is the theatre, built in 1847. Behind is the church of St. Agricol, 1340, the patron saint of Avignon. To the right on entering is the tomb of the painter Pierre Mignard, d. 4th April 1725, aged 86, and third chapel on same side is a virgin and child in wood by Coysevox. To the left of the entrance is an ancient and elegant marble baptismal font. At the foot of the short street St. Agricol, in the Rue Calade, is the Oratoire, built in 1730. At No. 65 of the Rue Calade is the Musée Calvet, containing a valuable collection of art treasures open to the public on Sundays from 12 to 4, and a library and reading-room open every day except Sunday. Against the wall of the inner court is the tomb of the donor of this museum, Claud François Calvet, d. 25th July 1810, in his 82d year. On the right is the monument erected by Sir Charles Kelsall in 1823 to Laura de Sade, dead of smallpox in 1348, and buried in the church of the Cordeliers (see p. 62). On the other side is the tomb of the military strategist Folard, a native of Avignon. In the outer court, and in the rooms and passages on the ground-floor, are Roman altars, monuments, milestones, torses, amphoræ, and 170 Latin inscriptions, found in the neighbourhood, but chiefly from Orange and Vaison (p. 53). Among the sculptures in relief, one represents a Roman chariot drawn by two horses with their hoofs shod. There are 27 Greek inscriptions, 3d or 4th cent., from Venice. The statuary and sculpture of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance have been gathered principally from the suppressed churches and convents. The most noticeable are: the mausoleums of Pope Urbain V., of Cardinals Lagrange and Brancas, and of Marshal Palice. Within railings are: Cassandra by Pradier, a faun by Brian, and a bather by Esparcieux, all in the finest white marble. Upstairs is a valuable collection of Roman glass and bronzes, and 20,000 coins and medals, including a complete set of the seals and medals of the Popes during their residence at Avignon, and the seal used by the Inquisition while here. There are nearly 500 pictures, and a collection of drawings, including the original sketches of Horace Vernet. Most of the pictures have the artists’ names affixed. Those 62

in the great hall are by Albano, Bassano, Berghem, Bloemen, Bourdon, Canaletto, A. Carracci, Caravaggio, Châlons, Coypel, Credi, David, *Eckout (crucifixion), Sasso Ferrati, F. Floris, Gericault, Girodet, Gros, Holbein, Lomi, Meel, P. and N. Mignard, J. and P. Parrocel, Poussin, Euysdael, Salvator Rosa, Teuiers jun., Veronese, Vigée-Lebrun, and Zurbaran. In the small room are the paintings by Claude-Joseph, Horace and Carle Vernet, with a few by Paul Huet. The marble busts of Horace and Carle are by Thorwaldsen. In the centre of an inner room, containing the medals and engravings, is the famous ivory crucifixion, 27 inches long, of one piece, excepting the arms, a chef-d’œuvre of the sculptor Guillermin in 1659. It is said that Canova stood in ecstasy over this delicate achievement in art. Avignon: Musée Requien. Continuing down the R. Calade to the other side of the R. Petrarque or de la République, we have on the right the Museum of Natural History in the church St. Martial, 15th cent. The greater part of the specimens were bequeathed by M. Requien, d. 1851, and of them the most interesting are those connected with the neighbourhood, such as the flamingo and beaver of the Rhône, and the fossils from Aix. In the eastern continuation of the R. Calade, at No. 62 R. des Lices, is the Collége Saint Joseph, containing within its grounds all that remains (the belfry and piece of the north aisle) of the church of the Cordeliers; in which Laura was buried. The aisle has been repaired, and is now used as a chapel. Visitors are freely admitted. It is to the left of the entrance. Of the tomb there are no vestiges, having been destroyed along with the church by an infuriated mob in 1791. On the E. side of the R. Petrarque, by the narrow R. Prévot, is the church of St. Dedier, 1355, containing, in first chapel right from entrance, a relief in marble representing Christ bearing his cross, executed by Francesco in 1481 at the request of King René. Opposite, over second arch, 36 ft. above the floor, is a stone pulpit with a sculptured pendant. The grave of St. Bénézet is under a plain slab in the middle of the nave, in front of the high altar. Near St. Dedier is the Hôtel Crillon, 17th cent.; and to the east of the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville is the church of St. Pierre (9 in plan), 1520, with an elaborately-sculptured door and pulpit. The pictures about the high altar are by N. Mignard, J. and P. Parrocel, and Simon de Châlons. From the S.E. corner of the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville, the R. des Marchands and its continuation the Rues Saunerie and Carréterie, lead to the Porte St. Lazare, with, to the right, the town hospital (7 in plan), having a frontage of 192 yards, built in the last century on the site of 63

the hospital of St. Martha, founded in 1354. Here, outside the town-walls to the right, then by a broad road to the left, is the Cemetery. The Protestant division is on the right side of the entrance. Avignon: J. S. Mill. In a corner at the end of a short avenue of pine trees is the white marble monument to John Stuart Mill, b. 20th May 1806, d. 7th May 1873. In the same grave is interred Harriet Mill, his beloved wife, who died at Avignon in the Hôtel de l’Europe, Nov. 3, 1858. A touching epitaph, recounting her virtues, occupies the whole surface of the top slab. From the Porte St. Lazare, a walk may be taken between the ramparts and the Rhône down to the bridge built in 1184, partly in the style of the Pont-du-Gard, by the shepherd, saint, and architect, Bénézet, who before had constructed one over the Durance at Maupas. This bridge, which stood 100 years, was 2952 ft. long and 13 wide, on 19 arches, of which four still remain. On the second arch is the chapel of St. Nicolas, in which the relics of St. Bénézet were kept till removed to the church of St. Dedier.

Villeneuve-les-Avignon.

Avignon to Villeneuve.

Every ¼, a tram crosses the bridge for the Pont d’Avignon station, while every hour an omnibus crosses for Villeneuve-les-Avignon, pop. 3100, 2½ m. from the “Place,” or 1¼ m. from the Pont station. Near the parish church, 14th cent., is the Hospital, containing, in the chapel to the left, the mausoleum of Innocent VI., under a lofty elaborately-sculptured canopy, rising in pinnacles to the roof. Upstairs is the picture gallery, in two rooms. The most remarkable picture belongs to the 15th or 16th cent., painted on wood, and represents two subjects, Purgatory and the Judgment Day, apparently by two different artists. Although stiff, the design is admirable, and all the heads, even the smallest, are carefully executed. But the gem is the most charming and bewitching portrait by Mignard of Mme. de Ganges attired as a nun. She was born at Avignon in 1636, and when only 13 married the Marquis de Castellane, with whom she frequented the court of Louis XIV., where she was called La Belle Provençale. After her husband’s death she married the Marquis de Ganges, with whom she returned to Avignon, where her sorrows commenced, caused by the conduct of her two brothers-in-law, the Abbot and the Chevalier de Ganges, whose unlawful passion she steadfastly resisted. At last the exasperated abbot having made her drink poison, she threw herself out of the window, and while lying on the ground in the agony of death, the chevalier pierced her seven times with his sword. These two monsters were condemned by the parliament to be 64

broken alive on the wheel. The other pictures in the collection by Mignard are: Jesus before the Doctors, an Annunciation, and a St. Bruno. Fee, 1 fr., given to the hospital. In the parish church, built in the 14th cent, by Cardinal Arnaud de Via, there is nothing extraordinary. Near it are the ruins of the Chartreuse-du-Val-de-Bénédiction, and on an eminence Fort André, now inhabited as a walled village. The omnibus for Avignon starts every hour at the hour, from the apsidal end of the parish church of Villeneuve.

Avignon is very much exposed to different winds, especially the Mistral, yet perhaps they are necessary, for, according to the adage, “Avenio ventosa, cum vento fastidiosa, sine vento venenosa,” the odours from the drains in some of the streets being very offensive.

Till July 26, 1793, Avignon belonged to the Papal See, when it was forcibly taken possession of by the Republican army under General Cartaux, who owed his victory to the skill of his captain of artillery, the young commandant Napoleon, who afterwards remained nearly a month in this town for the establishment of his health, in No. 65 Rue Calade, opposite the Musée Calvet, where he wrote “Le Souper de Beaucaire.”

Avignon to Nîmes.

Avignon to Nîmes.

Avignon is 1½ hour or 15½ miles N.E. from Nîmes by rail, starting from the Pont-d’Avignon station on the west side of the Rhône. Those wishing to visit the Pont-du-Gard on the way should take their tickets for the Pont-du-Gard station, changing carriages at Remoulins. If with luggage, it is better to take the tickets only to Remoulins; where, without loss of time on arriving, take other tickets to the Pont-du-Gard, leaving the luggage behind. Time will generally be saved by returning from the Pont to Remoulins on foot, about 3 m. by the road, but 5 m. by the rail. See Map, p. 56. For Nîmes see p. 101, and for the Pont-du-Gard see p. 104. Consult the “Indicateur des Chemins de Fer du Lyon” before starting.

L’Isle. Fontaine de Vaucluse.

Avignon to Vaucluse by L’Isle.

From Avignon the Fontaine de Vaucluse is 18 m. eastward, by the village of Isle, on the line to Cavaillon. L’Isle, pop. 7000, a village on the Sorgues, with decorated church rebuilt in the 17th cent. Handsome reredos over high altar and several good paintings. The Tour d’Argent dates from the 11th cent. At the station the omnibuses of the Isle hotels, Petrarque et Laure and St. Martin, await passengers and take them to Vaucluse and back for 4 frs. each. From the village of Vaucluse, pop. 600, take for the fountain the road on 65

the right bank of stream, but for the house and garden of Petrarch take the left side, crossing the bridge. On the left side, against a cliff near the cloth mill, is a small house on the site of Petrarch’s, of which it is a copy. Before it, is still a piece of what was Petrarch’s garden. On the other side of the Sorgue is a cigar-paper mill. There is a little hotel at Vaucluse, the Hôtel Petrarch et Laure. Under a stupendous cliff 1148 feet high is the source of the river Sorgue, the placid Fontaine de Vaucluse about 30 yards in diameter— “a mirror of blue-black water, so pure, so still, that where it laps the pebbles you can scarcely say where air begins and water ends.” During floods, however, the cavern being no longer able to contain the increased volume, the water rushes over in a cascade into the bed below. The poet’s modest house stood at the foot of the rock crowned by the ruins of the castle in which lived his friend Cardinal Philippe de Cabasole. Petrarch himself gives the following description of the site:— “On one side my garden is bounded by a deep river; on another by a rugged mountain, a barrier against the noon-day heats, and which never refuses, not even at mid-day, to lend me its friendly shade; but the sweet air reaches me through all obstacles. In the distance a surly wall makes me inaccessible to both man and beast. Figs, grapes, walnuts, almonds—these are my delights. My table is also graced with the fish that abound in my river; and it is one of my greatest pleasures to watch the fishermen draw their nets, and to draw them myself. All about me is changed. I once used to dress myself with care; now you would believe me a labourer or a shepherd. My house resembles that of Fabius or Cato. I have but a valet and a dog. The house of my servant adjoins my own. I call him when I want him, and when I have no more need of him he returns home.”

Avignon: Petrarch.

On the 6th of April 1327 Francesco Petrarca saw in a church of Avignon Laura the daughter of Audibert de Noves, for whom he conceived a romantic but hopeless attachment. Incessantly haunted with the beautiful vision of the fair Laura, he visited in succession the south of France, Paris, and the Netherlands, and after an exile of eight months returned to bury himself in the solitude of Vaucluse.

Vehicles are also hired at Avignon. Fare to Vaucluse and back, 12 to 18 frs.; time, 8 hours. Also for the Pont du Gard, same price.

20½ m. from Avignon by rail is Cavaillon (p. 66), whence a branch line extends 20 m. E. to Apt, another line 27 m. S.E. to Pertuis on the Marseilles and Grenoble line, and another 22½ m. S. to Miramas (p. 76), between Arles and Marseilles. (See map, p. 66.)

66

Apt.

AVIGNON TO MANOSQUE BY APT.

40½ m. E. by rail from Avignon, by Cavaillon, is Apt, pop. 7000, on the torrent Calavon, in a sheltered hollow surrounded by mountains and calcareous cliffs. _Hotels:_ The *Louvre; des Alpes. The principal industries are agriculture, pottery, and the making of preserved fruits. Fruit to be glazed with sugar, as well as that on which the sugar is to be crystallised, is allowed to soak from 2 to 8 months in a strong solution of white sugar, in uncovered “terrines,” like small basins. Fruits with thick rinds, such as oranges, are pricked before being immersed. The best pottery (Bernard Croix) is near the station, to the left on descending the hill. The clay, gray and reddish, is in thick beds close to the establishment, and resembles that of Vallauris, near Cannes, in its power of resisting fire, and is therefore principally used for the manufacture of kitchen pottery. M. Croix has added artistic pottery and dinner and tea services, of which the prices are extremely low. Opposite is the establishment of L. A. Esbérard, who confines himself almost exclusively to kitchen pottery.

The parish church of St. Anne dates from the 11th cent. To the left on entering is the chapel of St. Anne, under a low octagonal domed tower. Below the altar is a crypt, 10th cent., said to contain the bones of the mother of Mary. Round about the town are pleasant walks, of which many are shaded with Oriental plane trees. Coach daily to Manosque (_Hotel:_ Eymon), 26 m. E., passing Céreste, 5¼ m. E., and Reillanne, on the top of a hill, 5 m. farther. Manosque is on the rail between Marseilles and Grenoble. (See maps, pages 26 and 66.)

Cavaillon to Miramas, 22½ m. S. (see map, p. 66), across a fertile plain, with vineyards and groves of olive, almond, and apricot trees. Cavaillon (pop. 8000). _Inns:_ Parrocel; Teston. Omnibus at station. Cavaillon is a pleasant town, intersected by avenues, and situated on the Durance at the base of great limestone cliffs. It possesses an ancient triumphal arch and a cathedral dating from the 12th and 13th cents., with a cloister of the 12th. Excellent melons are grown in the neighbourhood. 4¼ m. S. from Cavaillon is Orgon (pop. 3000. _Inns:_ Paris; Poste), on the Durance. 11 m. farther S. is Salon (pop. 7100. _Inns:_ Poste; Croix de Malte), on the canal Craponne. This town, dealing largely in first-class olive oil, has still remnants of its old ramparts: a church, St. Michel, of the 13th cent., another, St. Laurent, of the 14th, and a castle of the same date. In the town is a fountain to the memory of Adam de Craponne, the engineer of the canal. (For Miramas, see p. 75.)

Tarascon. Martha’s Tomb.

PARIS MARSEILLES 474 63 TARASCON, pop. 11,000. _Hotels:_ At the foot of the station stairs, the Luxembourg; in the town, the Empereurs. Junction with branch to Nîmes, 17 m. W., and 31 m. farther Montpellier. Below the station is a large hospital for old men and orphans, founded in 1761 by Clerc Molière. Tarascon is an unimportant town on the Rhône, opposite Beaucaire, and connected with it by a chain bridge 67

1450 feet long. In the church of St. Martha, built in the 12th cent., is an ancient crypt, just under the spire, with the tomb of Martha, the sister of Lazarus, whose mortal remains are said to repose here under the peaceful-looking marble effigy which marks the spot. The tradition of the place says she had come with her maid from Aix, at the request of the inhabitants, to kill a terrible dragon with a body as thick as a bull’s, and having succeeded, the inhabitants, out of gratitude to her, after her death buried her in this place. A few steps from the church, by the side of the river, rises the massive strong square castle, begun in 1400 and finished by the Roi René, now used as a prison. On the opposite side of the river, overlooking Beaucaire, are the more picturesque ruins of the castle of Montmorency, whose adjoining garden forms one of the many promenades of the people of Beaucaire. Beaucaire is a poor town with poor houses. The formerly famous fair, commencing on July 1, has become now of little importance. It is held in the broad avenue between the castle and the Rhône.

THE MOUTHS OF THE RHONE.

opp. 66 _For continuation northwards see map, page 56._ [West] _For continuation see map, page 107._

see caption _For continuation eastwards see map, page 123._

St. Remy. Les Baux.

9½ m. east from Tarascon by rail is St. Remy, pop. 6800. _Inn:_ Hôtel du Cheval Blanc, a comfortable house, where carriages can be hired for Les Baux, 6 m. S.W., 10 frs. Also for Arles by Les Baux and Mont-Majour, 19 m. distant, 24 frs. A mile from the Hôtel Cheval Blanc, by the high road, stood the ancient Glanum, one of the commercial stations of the Phœnician traders from Marseilles, before it fell into the possession of the Romans, who have left here two remarkable monuments, of which the more perfect consists of an open square tower standing on a massive pedestal, and surmounted by a peristyle of ten columns surrounding two statues representing the parents of Sextus and Marius, of the family of the Julii, by whom it was erected. It is 50 ft. high; the faces of the statues look to the north. The sculpture on the north side of the pedestal represents a cavalry fight; the south, “sacrificing;” the west, a combat between infantry; and the east, which is the most dilapidated, “Victory crowning a wounded soldier.” Alongside stands a triumphal arch, of which the most perfect portions are the coffered panellings of the soffit.

6 m. S.W. from St. Remy is Les Baux, the ancient Castrum de Baucis, pop. 100. _Inn:_ Monte Carlo. The castle town of Les Baux, commenced in 485, occupies a naked mountain of yellow sandstone, worn away by nature into bastions and buttresses, and coigns of vantage, sculptured by ancient art into palaces and chapels, battlements and dungeons. Now art and nature are confounded in one ruin. Blocks of masonry lie cheek-by-jowl with masses of the rough-hewn 68

rock; fallen cavern vaults are heaped round fragments of fan-shaped spandrel and clustered column shaft; the doors and windows of old pleasure rooms are hung with ivy and wild fig tapestry; while winding staircases start midway upon the cliff and lead to vacancy. High overhead, suspended in mid-air, hang chambers—lady’s bower or poet’s singing room—now inaccessible, the haunt of hawks and swallows. Within this rocky honeycomb— “cette ville en monolithe,” as it has been aptly called, for it is literally scooped out of one mountain block—live a few poor people, foddering their wretched goats at carved piscina and stately sideboards, erecting their mud-beplastered hovels in the halls of feudal princes. From Les Baux road to Fontvieille, 7 m.; whence rail to Mont-Majour and Arles (see map, page 66).

Arles.

opp. 68 [East]

plan of Arles [West] _Scale of ¼ Mile_

PARIS MARSEILLES 483 54 ARLES, pop. 26,000. _Hotels:_ Nord; Forum; near each other in the Place du Forum. Arles is situated on the Rhône, near the Camargue, in a marshy place, as its original name, Arelas, from the Celtic words, “Ar lach,” damp place, indicates. It is said to have been founded 900 years before Marseilles, 700 years before Rome, and 1500 before the birth of Christ. The ramparts and walls rising from the public gardens and the Boulevard des Aliscamps are chiefly the work of the Emperor Constantine, who came to Arles with his family and mother, Saint Helena. He built by the side of the Rhône a superb palace, called afterwards “de la Trouille,” because opposite a ferry-boat, which was pulled or dragged from one side of the river to the other. Of this palace little more remains than the attached tower La Trouille, constructed of alternate layers of brick and stone. On the 7th August 312 his wife Faustina presented him with a son, Constantine II., who succeeded his father in May 357. He commenced the Forum, but was shortly after killed in battle defending himself against his brother Constance, who usurped the throne and finished the Forum. All that remains of this formerly splendid edifice are the two Corinthian columns, with part of the pediment encrusted into the wall of the Hôtel du Nord. It occupied the site of the Place du Forum, called also the Place des Hommes, because labourers and men-servants used to be hired in this “Place.”

In the Place de la République is the Hôtel de Ville, built in 1675 on the site of the Roman baths constructed by the Emperor Augustus. The spacious vaults under the Hôtel du Nord formed probably a part of these baths, although in later times they seem to have been used as an ossuary.

Almost adjoining the Hôtel de Ville is the church of St. Anne, 69

now the Archæological Museum, with a collection of inscriptions, sarcophagi, urns, statues, columns, friezes, altars, and tombstones, those of the Pagans having the letters D.M., _Diis manibus_. Also some of the long lead pipes, with the name of the plumber, “C. Canthius Porthinus fac.,” which helped to bring water from the fountain at the foot of the hill on which Baux stands. At the inner end, right hand, is a torse of Mithras of white Pharos marble, 3 ft. 2 inches high, found in 1598 on the site of the Roman Circus. A serpent is coiled round the body, and between the coils are the signs of the Zodiac. In the opposite corner is an altar in Carrara marble to the good goddess “Bonae-Deae,” found under the church La Major. On the front face is a garland of oak leaves and acorns, and 7 inches distant from each other two human ears. Near it is a good head of Augustus, and a mutilated one of Diana. About the centre of the room is a recumbent figure of Silenus, with a wine skin under his arm.

In the centre of the “Place” is the monolith obelisk, 49 ft. high, hewn by the Romans from the quarries of Esterel. It stood originally in the Circus at the S.W. corner of the town; but of it no vestiges remain.

Arles: St. Trophime.

Opposite St. Anne is the cathedral of St. Trophime, consecrated on the 17th May 626, and rebuilt in the 9th cent. The portal, erected in 1221, consists of a semicircular arch resting on six columns, behind which are statues of apostles and saints separated by pilasters. In the tympanum is Christ, the judge of the world, with the symbols of the Evangelists. In the interior the door on the S. side of the choir leads out to the cloister, of which the N. side belongs to the 9th, the south to the 16th, the east to the 13th, and the west to the 14th cent.

Passing from the cloister into the street, and turning to the left, we arrive at the Theatre, commenced during the dominion of the Greeks, and finished before the Christian era. In the centre of this grand ruin, originally 335 ft. in its greatest diameter, stand two Corinthian columns 30 ft. high, and the base of other two, which formed part of the proscenium. Opposite them is the semicircular space for the spectators, with still many of the stone seats. The Venus of Arles, one of the most valuable statues in the Louvre, was found here. The theatre is open to the public, but the keeper endeavours to attach himself to strangers.

Arles: Amphitheatre.

A short way N.E. is the far grander and more imposing Amphitheatre or Les Arènes, said to have been commenced by the father of Tiberius Nero, b.c. 46. It is elliptic, 459 ft. long and 132 wide, surrounded by a double wall 60 ft. high, each with two stages of 70

arches, and in each stage 60 arches. From around the arena rise 43 tiers of stone seats, capable of containing 23,438 spectators. The stone steps leading up to them were 1½ ft. high and 2 ft. 3 inches long. There were besides above 150 rooms for the gladiators and men connected with the theatre, and 100 dens for wild beasts. The three towers were added by the Saracens in the 8th cent. Bull-fights are given in the building, when a multitude of spectators, as in the time of the Romans, fill the galleries. A splendid view of the amphitheatre, the city, and of the commencement of the delta of the Rhône, is had from the western tower. The entrance into the amphitheatre is by the north gate. The doorkeeper lives in a house a little to the left of the gate. This grand ruin should, if possible, be visited by moonlight; yet during the day the beautiful masonry is more easily examined. It is the great sight in Arles, and it is better to omit all the others than to do this one hurriedly.

The Camargue or Delta of the Rhône, commencing at the outskirts of Arles, is a triangular plain of 180,000 acres extending to the Mediterranean, bounded on the west by the Petit Rhône, and on the east by the Grand Rhône. It contains small villages and large farms, with extensive vineyards and grazing ground for cattle, sheep, and horses. It is best visited by the steamboat sailing between Arles and Port St. Louis on the mouth of the great Rhône. (See p. 72, and map, p. 66.)

Arles: Elysei Campi. Trophimus.

S.E. above the Promenade is the church of St. Cesaire, 9th cent., on the site of a temple of Jupiter. From this to go to Alyscamps, walk down the Boulevard Alyscamps to the canal Craponne, where turn to the left. The first ruin passed is an old entrance into what was the domain of the monastery of St. Cesaire. The Avenue of Alyscamps is lined on each side by 33 large stone coffins with lids, and 120 smaller coffins without lids. This, the Elysei Campi, an ancient Roman cemetery, is now divested of all its valuables and statues, of which a few are in the museum. As J. C.Himself is said to have appeared during the consecration of the cemetery, it was believed that at the resurrection it would be especially favoured by Him; hence the efforts made by so many to bury their friends here. It is said that up to the 12th cent. coffins with their dead, and money for the funeral expenses, floated down the Rhône, of their own accord, to be buried in this privileged spot. At the end of the avenue is the church of St. Honorat, on the site of the chapel founded by Trophimus the Ephesian, one of St. Paul’s converts, who was sent to Arles to preach the gospel and to put an end to human sacrifices. Among the first things he is 71

said to have done was to consecrate the Alyscamps and transform it thus from a heathen into a Christian burial-place, and add to it a little chapel. An old Arles writer alleges on his own authority that Trophimus dedicated this chapel to Mary, who was then alive. After labouring 36 years in this diocese he died on the 29th of November 94, and was buried in the little chapel he himself had built. Among the successors of Trophimus were Ambrose in 160, who remained here 20 years; Augustine in 220, who died 10 years afterwards; Jerome in 230, who also died 10 years afterwards; Marcien in 252, the originator of the Novatien sect; and St. Cyprien in 253. Saint Virgil, one of the successors, founded in 601 the church of St. Honorat beside the chapel of Trophimus. The present church dates only from the 12th to the 14th cent. The best and oldest part, excepting the foundations, is the apsidal termination, which is semicircular, with 4 pilasters and a small window in the centre to give light to the officiating priest. Over it rises a neat octagonal belfry in two arcaded stages. Under the chancel is a small crypt. The keeper calls a small chapel at the left hand corner of the chancel, the chapel of Trophimus.

Arles: Picture Gallery.

The Picture Gallery, or the Musée Reattu, is at No. 11 R. Grand Prieure, near the Tour Trouille. The house and pictures were bequeathed to the town by a cousin of the painter Reattu, b. at Arles 1760, d. 1833. On picture 119 are portraits of himself, wife, and two cousins. Next the picture gallery is the school of design.

Branch line from Arles to Fontvieille, 7 m. E., passing Mont-Majour 4 m. E. Fontvieille is 7 m. S.W. from Les Baux by a good road. Junction at Arles with line to Aigues-Mortes, 36 m. S.W., and to Montpellier, 58 m. S.W.; Cette is 17 m. farther. (See map, p. 66.)

Mont-Majour.

4 m. eastwards by rail from Arles are the ruins of the castle and abbey of Mont-Majour, all in a good state of preservation, excepting the domestic buildings, constructed in 1786. The concierge lives in a house near the station. Fee, 1 fr. He generally shows first the church, 11th cent., and the spacious crypt below, 9th cent. Adjoining the church are the cloisters, 11th cent., of the same kind as those of St. Trophime, but more interesting and more perfect, and containing the tombs of some of the counts of Anjou. Next is the beautiful square dungeon tower, nearly as perfect as when erected in 1374. It is 262 ft. high, is ascended by 137 steps, and commands a wide prospect. From this, a stair leads down the face of the hill to the chapel and cell of St. Trophimus, principally hewn in the soft limestone cliff. Standing apart at the base of the hill is St. Croix, dedicated in 1019, 72

consisting of four semicircular sides, crowned with semidomes projecting from a square tower crowned with a kind of pyramid spire. At Fontvieille (Hôtel du Commerce) are important quarries of soft calcareous sandstone.