CARPENTRAS

'Carpentras' (Provençal Occitan: ''Carpentràs'' in classical norm or ''Carpentras'' in Mistralian norm) is a city and commune in the ''département'' of Vaucluse in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur ''région'' of France. It stands on the banks of the Auzon, a tributary of the Ardèche River. As capital of the Comtat Venaissin, it was frequently the residence of the Avignon popes; the Papal States retained possession of the Venaissin until the French Revolution. Nowadays, Carpentras is a commercial center for Comtat Venaissin.

Contents

History

Miscellaneous

Births

Twin towns

External links

History

Carpentras was a commercial site used by Greek merchants in ancient times, and known to Romans at first as 'Carpentoracte Meminorum', mentioned by Pliny, then renamed 'Forum Neronis' ("Forum of Nero"); the city retains an impressive Roman triumphal arch, that has been enclosed by the bishops' palace, rebuilt in 1640, now a law court, and a machiolated city gate, the ''Porte d'Orange''.
It was the seat of a bishop and its Church of St Siffrein, Gothic with some Romanesque remains, was formerly a cathedral. Pope Julius II was made the Bishop of Carpentras when he was 17.^[1]
Carpentras has been an important center of French Judaism, and is home to the oldest synagogue in France (1367), which still holds services.
In May 1990, there was a desecration of the Jewish cemetery.

Miscellaneous

Its traditional confectionery is the '''berlingot''', a small hard candy with thin white stripes, originally made from the syrup left over from conservation of fruits.

Births

Carpentras was the birthplace of:

★ Carpentras (also known as Elzéar Genet) (c.1470-1548), prominent early Renaissance composer

★ Joseph Duplessis, (1725-1802) portraitist

★ Alexis-Vincent-Charles Berbiguier de Terre-Neuve du Thym, (1765-1851), author and demonologist

★ François-Vincent Raspail (1794-1878), chemist, physiologist, and socialist

★ Édouard Daladier (1884-1970) politician and Prime Minister of France at the start of the Second World War

Twin towns

★ Vevey, Switzerland

★ Seesen, Germany

External links

★ Carpentras official website (in French)

★ ''Encyclopaedia Britannica'' 1911 "Carpentras"

★ Pictures of Carpentras Cathedral: [1], [2], [3]

★ Pictures of Carpentras Synagogue: [4], [5], [6]