Porte d'Avignon

The gate of Avignon is one of the last vestiges of the ramparts of Cavaillon. It is registered as a historical monument since May 2nd 1927. The door dates from the XIVth century and its facade was rebuilt in the XVIIIth century during the great urbanism works ordered by the bishop of Cavaillon. It contained in keystone the arms of the pope. The door is of classical style, it has a mandorla as a keystone and an entablature with triglyphs. The door suffered an invasion of extreme violence in 1791 where many massacres were committed. Many marks of the cannonade can still be seen on the museum of the Hôtel Dieu and on the door. The upper part was added in the middle of the 19th century: a virgin and an inscription on a new monumental element indicating the inscription in Latin: Poserunt me Custodem "I have been placed there as a guardian". The door was saved by Marie-Thérèse Jouve at the end of the 19th century because it was threatened with destruction.