Carpentras

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Coordinates: 44°03′21″N 5°02′56″E / 44.055833333333333, 05.048888888888889

Commune of Carpentras
Location
Administration
Country	France
Region	Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Department	Vaucluse
Arrondissement	Carpentras
Canton	Chief town of 2 cantons
Mayor	Jean-Claude Andrieu (2001-2008)
Statistics
Elevation	56 m–212 m (avg. 95 m)
Land area¹	37.92 km²
Population² (1999)	26,090
- Density	688/km² (1999)
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code	84031/ 84200
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) only counted once.

Carpentras (Provençal Occitan: Carpentràs in classical norm or Carpentras in Mistralian norm) is a town 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 1 History 2 Truffles 3 Miscellaneous 3.1 Births 3.2 Twin towns 4 References 5 External links

[edit] 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 (see French and European Nationalist Party [1]).

[edit] Truffles

Carpentras is famous for the Truffle market that takes place every Friday morning during the winter months.^[2]

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Its traditional confectionery is the berlingot, a small hard candy with thin white stripes, originally made from the syrup left over from conservation of fruits.

[edit] Births

Carpentras was the birthplace of:

• Carpentras (also known as Elzéar Genet) (c.1470–1548), prominent early Renaissance composer
• Louis Archimbaud (1705–1789), composer and organist of Carpentras Cathedral
• 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

[edit] Twin towns

Carpentras is twinned with:

• Vevey, Switzerland
• Seesen, Germany

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Carpentras official website (in French)
• Encyclopaedia Britannica 1911 "Carpentras"
• Pictures of Carpentras Cathedral: [2], [3], [4]
• Pictures of Carpentras Synagogue: [5], [6], [7]