Eglise Notre Dame in Venasque

In the 6th century, Bishop Siffrein had a cathedral and a baptistery built in Venasque. Nothing remains of that original cathedral. On the same site, the current church of Our Lady was built in the 12th century. The church is a protected monument. Below the choir is a small underground church, similar to a cellar. It is said to date from the 11th century. The side chapels date from the 12th and 13th centuries and the bell tower dates from the 16th century.
Inside, in the Chapel of the Virgin, hangs a beautiful painting of the School of Avignon. It depicts the crucifixion and dates from 1498. One can also admire a crucifix from the same period.
After our visit we leave Venasque along the north side. We first drive around the village with a beautiful view of the region on the right. Then we descend further to the main road, the D4 that runs from Carpentras to Gordes.
We follow this road in the direction of Carpentras for about 800 meters. We cross the Nesque and at the fork a little further we turn right in the direction of Malemort du Comtat. We follow this road and at the end we turn right again for our next village Malemort du Comtat.

Wim Willems