Carpentras

French commune
nomcommune=Carpentras
Town hall of Carpentras
région=Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
département=Vaucluse
arrondissement=Carpentras
canton=Chief town of 2 cantons
insee=84031
cp=84200
maire=Jean-Claude Andrieu
mandat=2001-2008
intercomm=
longitude= 05.048888888888889
latitude= 44.055833333333333
alt moy=95 m
alt mini=56 m
alt maxi=212 m
hectares=3,792
km²=37.92
sans=26,090
date-sans=1999
dens=688
date-dens=1999

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.

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 machicolated 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. [ [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/brov.html Pope Julius II (Giuliano della Rovere) [Catholic-Hierarchy ] ]

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 [http://www.humanite.fr/popup_imprimer.html?id_article=774664] ).

Traditions

Carpentras is famous for the Truffle market that takes place every Friday morning during the winter months. [ [http://www.avignon-et-provence.com/provence/black_truffles/ Truffle Market] ]

Its traditional confectionery is the "berlingot", a small hard candy with thin white stripes, originally made from the syrup left over from conservation of fruits.

Miscellaneous

Famous people

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

Twin towns

Carpentras is twinned with:
*flagicon|SUI Vevey, Switzerland
*flagicon|GER Seesen, Germany

References

External links

* [http://www.ville-carpentras.fr/ Carpentras official website] (in French)
* [http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/CAR_CAU/CARPENTRAS.html "Encyclopaedia Britannica" 1911] "Carpentras"
* Pictures of Carpentras Cathedral: [http://catholique-avignon.cef.fr/divers/histoire/cathed/St-siff-fac.jpg] , [http://www.ville-carpentras.fr/tourisme/imgstsiffrein.jpg] , [http://catholique-avignon.cef.fr/divers/histoire/cathed/Carp.jpg]
* Pictures of Carpentras Synagogue: [http://perso.orange.fr/max-claude/F84-CarpentrasSynagogue.jpg] , [http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/inventai/itiinv/synag/fr/syna4.gif] , [http://perso.orange.fr/max-claude/F84-CarpentrasSynagogue01.jpg]