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Orange
Situated in the Southeast corner of France in the Vaucluse region, the town of Orange is an agricultural center for the best of French local produce.
A trip to the golden-hued buildings that line its city streets will reward you with casual market-places around random street corners with regional specialities like wine, pate, fruit, honey, truffles, and preserves to be sampled. Craftsmen from the town also create objects d’art such as shoes and fabrics such as silk and wool.
But beyond the work of the artisans of Orange are its more ancient roots that date back to Roman victories in their conquest of France. Scattered throughout the city are the various artifacts of that glorious civilization, accessible by foot for personal discovery.
The town’s triumphal arch is not only far finer than any other in France, but ranks third in size and importance among those still existing on the continent at the present day, displaying remarkable variety and elegance in its sculptured decorations. From the inscription’s traces, the arch may have been erected in honour of Tiberius to commemorate his victory over a Gallic chieftain in A.D. 21.
Every July, a joyous music festival, the oldest festival in France dating back to the 19th century called the Chorégies d'Orange takes place an anicent Roman theatre, an UNESCO World Heritage site.
The ancient theatre sits on at the foot of the Colline St. Eutrope hill and still invites spectators to watch performance for town’s annual festival.
It is a small wonder that such a marvel has been well preserve as it actually dates from the reign of Emperor Augustus, built against a hill. In the 17th Century, it was turned into a fortress by Maurice of Nassau, only to be destroyed fifty years later by order of Louis XIV., whose troops in 1660 captured the town. In the 19th Century the site was primarily used as stables, which were cleared out upon restoration efforts, resulting in today’s national theatre.
A stone’s throw away from the famed ancient theatre are other Roman archeological treasures such as a hippodrome, statues and bas-reliefs as well as the ruins of an amphitheatre.
