World City Guide

Culture

Avignon’s cultural scene hits the headlines each July, with the Avignon Festival, created by Jean Vilar in 1947. It is the oldest and most famous of the festivals in France. Originally pure theatre, the event now includes contemporary and religious music, dance, poetry, circus, films, exhibitions and debates involving up to 600 separate organisations. The most prestigious productions are performed in the vast Palais des Papes courtyard, others within theatres, churches and sports halls. The Chartreuse, at Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, showcases the contemporary theatre of the Avignon Festival, as well as a separate musical theatre festival, Villeneuve en Scène. The programme for 2003 included a performance of Romeo and Juliet in the cour du lycée Saint-Joseph, ‘equestrian theatre’ in the parc des Expositions-Chateaublanc, as well as author readings in the cours du Musée Calvet.

The Bureau du Festival d’Avignon (and box office) is located at the Espace Saint-Louis, 20 rue du Portail Boquier (tel: (04) 9014 1460; website: www.festival-avignon.com). Alongside the official festival (locally known as the ‘In’), the ‘Off’ fringe festival enlivens city streets and courtyards with a carnival atmosphere. The ‘In’ programme is available on the website from March, or from the Bureau du Festival d’Avignon or the Avignon Tourist Office (see Sightseeing) as of the second week in May. Tickets (priced at ¬10-40) are available by telephone (tel: (04) 9014 1414) or on the website, from June onwards. The ‘Off’ programme is published in mid-June (when booking commences) by Paris-based Avignon Public Off (tel: (01) 4805 0119; fax: (01) 4805 4067; e-mail: festoff@wanadoo.fr; website: www.avignon-off.org). During the festival, the headquarters are within the Conservatoire de Musique, 9 Place du Palais des Papes (tel: (04) 9082 1537; fax: (04) 9086 4063).

Tickets to all other performances and cultural events in the city are available for purchase from the individual venue box offices, in advance or on the day. The tourist office publishes a monthly calendar of events (French only) in Rendez-Vouz.

Music: The gracious Opéra d’Avignon (tel: (04) 9082 8140), built in 1847, overlooks place de l’Horloge. The season runs from October to June and includes operas, operettas and symphonic and chamber music concerts, as well as theatre and ballet. The Musique Sacrée en Avignon, 49 rue Portail Magnanen (tel: (04) 9082 2175), organises free concerts in churches (October to May).

Theatre: Avignon has about 10 permanent theatres, as well as the opera house (see above). The Théâtre du Chêne Noir, 8 rue Ste-Catherine (tel: (04) 9086 5811), draws well-known actors and directors, while the Théâtre du Chien qui Fume, 75 rue des Teinturiers (tel: (04) 9085 2587), puts on a varied programme of theatre, music and improvisation evenings. The Théâtre des Halles, 4 rue Noël Biret (tel: (04) 9085 5257), excels in contemporary theatre, while cutting-edge Théâtre des Carmes, 6 place des Carmes (tel: (04) 9082 2047), is run by the André Benedetto company – one of the founders of the Festival ‘Off’. Theatre tickets tend to be cheaper than the Festival ‘On’ and the season runs from October to May.

Dance: Dance has its own moment of glory in February, when Les Hivernales contemporary dance festival takes place at La Manutention, 4 rue escalier Ste Anne (tel: (04) 9082 3312; website: www.hivernales.asso.fr ). The Théâtre de la Danse, 1 rue Ste Catherine (tel: (04) 9086 0127) offers courses and performances year round.

Film: Avignon has about 20 cinemas. Cinéma Utopia, at La Manutention arts centre, 4 rue escalier Ste Anne (tel: (04) 9082 6536), shows undubbed arthouse films. Utopia has another cinema located at 5 rue Figuière, north of place St Didier, where dubbed films creep into the screenings. Utopia also produces La Gazette Utopia, a free monthly listings magazine. Cinema Vox, 22 place de l’Horloge (tel: (04) 9082 0361), offers mainstream films, with the odd arthouse film – some in the original language. One of Avignon’s largest cinemas is the 10-screen Pathé Cap Sud, 175 rue Pierre Sémard, route de Marseille (tel: (08) 3668 2288).

Cultural Events: Without doubt, Avignon’s key cultural event is the Avignon Festival in July (see above). However, another cultural highlight is the Avignon Film Festival, which takes place every June and is a showcase for independent filmmakers from America, France and Europe.

Literary Notes: Petrarch (1304-1374) brought the theme of idealised love to Avignon, where he first set enchanted eyes on Laure, in 1327. This earthly incarnation of perfection inspired the Canzoniere – over 300 poems, mainly sonnets, on the subject of platonic love. Not withstanding the fated meeting, Petrarch detested Avignon, which he famously described as ‘a sewer where all the filth of the universe has gathered.’

Frédéric Mistral (born in 1830, between Arles and Avignon) drew on the troubadour tradition with his love poetry, Mireille (1859), about star-crossed lovers. Written in both Provençal and French, the tragic tale won Mistral a Nobel Prize and revived the dying Provençal language. Together with Avignon-born Theodore Aubanel, he founded the Felibrige movement and helped revive Provençal tradition. Avignon-born writer Pierre Boulle (1912–1994) won international renown with Planet of the Apes (1963) and Bridge Across the River Kwai (1952), both later made into films. English-language writers have painted a mythical picture of Provence as a sun-drenched idyll – most famously in Peter Mayle’s bestselling A Year in Provence (1989).