Avignon, << ah vee NYAWN >> (pop. 92,378; met. area pop. 529,190), is an agricultural center and a historic city in southeastern France. It lies along the Rhone River in one of the richest agricultural regions in France.
Avignon is a trading center for wine, fruits, vegetables, and other products produced in its area. Other economic activities include shipping, food processing, and the manufacture of chemicals, leather, machine tools, soap, and textiles. A major theater festival is held there each summer. The city is the capital of the Vaucluse department (administrative district).
Roman soldiers established a colony on the site of what is now Avignon in the 100’s B.C. From 1309 to 1377, Avignon served as the home of the popes and, as such, the center of Christianity (see Pope (The troubles of the papacy) ). The Papal Palace, where the popes lived, is an architectural masterpiece and a major tourist attraction. Walls that were built around the city to protect the popes still stand.
See Provence .
