There’s a monument to twelve nuns killed during the Revolution. During the French Wars of Religion in the 16th century, it was converted to Protestantism, and during the French Revolution it became secular. Today, it mostly dates from the 12th century. The Romans arrived as the Empire was Christianising and the cathedral was founded in the 4th century. The town cathedral is a microcosm of Orange’s at times, turbulent history. After our visit we walked into the old town to explore its medieval and Renaissance-era centre. While the main thing to do in the theatre is soak up the atmosphere, there’s an interesting audio guide that gives you the history of the building. The theatre is still used today for performances and after clambering up to the very top where there are views over the town, it really must be an incredible experience to see a show here. It grew into a politically and economically powerful Roman city until it suffered the same fate as the rest of the Empire. It would be another 70 years before the Roman city of Orange was built by veterans of the Second Legion in the now pacified Gaul. Orange’s Roman history really starts in 105 BC, when two Roman armies were heavily defeated by a confederation of Gallic tribes at the Battle of Arausio. Roman Theatre, Orange, France Triumphal Arch, Orange, France Orange, France Orange, France Orange, France Orange, France
It’s no surprise that they have been recognised as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, it is surprising how few people were visiting either the day we were there. The Théâtre Antique d’Orange, with its 103m long, 37m high facade, and capacity to seat 9,000 people, and the equally impressive Triumphal Arch, are two blockbuster sights that make Orange an unmissable stop on any visit to Provence. Orange’s 1st century Roman Theatre is one of Europe’s finest ancient buildings to have survived into the modern era. Orange would be just another lovely and historic Provencal town, with an attractive old centre and a scattering of ancient buildings such as the 12th century Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Nazareth d’Orange, were it not for the fact that it is also home to some of the most magnificent Roman remains on the entire continent.
0 kommentar(er)
