Roman Provence
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12-19 October 2008 with Stephen Greep
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Van Gogh painted it, music composed by Bizet was inspired by it, and the Romans fought over it. Provence is a region of France with a warm climate, fertile lands and beautiful landscapes; it is not surprising that it found particular favour with the Romans as their Empire extended further to the west. However, the grandeur of Provence did not end with the demise of the Roman Empire. It found new importance during the 14th century, a time when the Popes fled from Rome to seek refuge in Avignon, where the stately Palais des Papes stands to this day.
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The city of Arles, honoured by being given the title of 'Rome of the North', will of course be a highlight during our detailed discovery tour of Roman France but we will also see all the major ancient sites and monuments of Provence, most of which date from the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D. The architecture of this Late Antique period merges seamlessly into the Early Christian period, when once again Arles was unrivalled, and then onwards to the Romanesque. Throughout Provence one discovers wonderful examples of the grandiose style of Romanesque architecture, together with delicate sculptures, all of which serve as a reminder of the great days of Roman France.
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Dr Stephen Greep is a respected archaeologist and for many years has led tours to every major region of the Roman Empire. |
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Itinerary
| Day 1 |
(Sunday): Leaving London from the newly refurbished and re-opened St. Pancras Station, we travel by high-speed Eurostar to Lille, to connect with the direct TGV service to Avignon. Relax as you journey through the beautiful French countryside and on arrival transfer to the centrally located Hotel du L'Horloge in the attractive town of Avignon, where we will stay for 7 nights. Dinner is included tonight.
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| Day 2 |
Today we will explore Avignon, which is a maze of narrow lanes and ramparts and is, of course, dominated by the majesty and splendour of the Papal Palace. Group lunch. Later in the day we will see the Petit-Palais, with its Gothic
sculptures, and the Cathedral, before going to Villeneuve-les-Avignon to see the romantic ruins of the Charterhouse of Pope Innocent VI.
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| Day 3 |
We travel to Arles - the Roman capital of Provence - where we will visit the many magnificent sites which remain to remind us of the importance of this city. We will see the well-preserved Amphitheatre and Les Alyscamps, a grand mediaeval
burial ground. Group lunch. We will also visit the Cathedral and the Baths of Constantine.
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| Day 4 |
Today we will travel to the spectacular three-tiered aqueduct at Pont du Gard, built by Agrippa to bring water to the nearby town of Nimes, which we will also visit. Group lunch. In Nimes we will see the delicate architecture of Agrippa's
Temple, the Maison Carree, the enormous Amphitheatre and the lovely Temple of Diana.
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| Day 5 |
During our visit to Orange we will see the impressive and atmospheric Theatre Antique, still used today to great effect as a venue for opera during the summer. Group lunch. We visit the Triumphal Arch of Tiberius before going on to Vaison-la-Romaine, with its glorious late-Romanesque Cathedral. |
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| Day 6 |
En route to Aix-en-Provence we will stop at the Cistercian Abbey of Silvacane. Group lunch. In Aix, we will visit the Cathedral and we will also have some free time to enjoy this delightful town. |
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| Day 7 |
On our final tour day, there will be a visit to popular St.Remy-de-Provence, the site of ancient Glanum. Here, we will see the Cenotaph and, after a group lunch, we will take advantage of some free time in this quintessential Provençal town. Farewell dinner. |
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| Day 8 |
This morning we take the TGV from Avignon to Lille where we change to the Eurostar service for our return journey to London St. Pancras.
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