Avignon 1663

Description

Avignon, France from the famous: "Atlas van Loon" commissioned by the wealthy Frederik Willem van Loon (1644-1708) citizen of Amsterdam. The Atlas van Loon contains amongst others town books of European cities from 1649 published by Joan Blaeu, one of the most noted Dutch cartographers from the Dutch Golden Age.


Avignon is an old ancient place with a long history. Between 1309 and 1377 during the Avignon Papacy, seven successive popes resided in Avignon and in 1348 Pope Clement VI bought the town from Joanna I of Naples. Papal control persisted until 1791 when, during the French Revolution, it became part of France. The town is now the capital of the Vaucluse department and one of the few French cities to have preserved its ramparts.


The historic centre, which includes the Palais des Papes, the cathedral, and the Pont d'Avignon, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The medieval monuments and the annual Festival d'Avignon have helped to make the town a major centre for tourism.