Webcarpentras, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Carpentras
The former capital of the Comtat Venaissin, a papal territory until the French Revolution, Carpentras, in the Vaucluse, has kept a remarkable heritage from that period, including the 15th-century belfry and the oldest synagogue still in use in France, a witness to the Jewish community tolerated under papal rule.
The Cathedral of Saint-Siffrein, in southern Gothic style, and the Porte d'Orange, the only remnant of the old ramparts, complete the monuments gathered on a hill above the farming plain. Known for its Friday market, one of the largest and liveliest in Provence, the town is also associated with the berlingot, a local sweet, and is a popular starting point for Mont Ventoux and the Dentelles de Montmirail.
