Orange
Orange is situated in
north-west Provence, in a fertile region that is famous for its wines -
in fact it is only 10 km (6 miles) north of Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Its name
is thought to derive from its original Roman name of Arausio, and it was
the home of the counts of Orange, a title created by Charlemagne in the
eighth century.
Orange is best known for its superb Roman theatre. Built in the first
century AD, the Theatre Antique is built at the base of the hill at the
south end of the old town, and it is the best-preserved Roman theatre in
Europe. Its vast stone stage wall is one of only three left in the world,
and it rises to 36 meters (118 feet), so sounds bounce back off it
towards the seating that is built into the hill itself. In an alcove in
the centre of the wall stands a large statue of Augustus Caesar, the man
responsible for its foundation. The acoustics here are virtually perfect
and today the theatre is still used for theatrical and operatic
productions, for which it still draws large audiences.
You can follow a footpath up the hill behind the theatre to the scattered
ruins of the seventeenth-century castle of the Princes of Orange where
Queen Juliana of Holland planted an oak tree in tribute to her ancestors.
This gives you the best view of the theatre and the city. The other major
Roman monument here is the Triumphal Arch - it stands on what used to be
the Via Agrippa, the road linking Arles to Lyon. Its facades celebrate
the Second Legion's victories over the Gauls. You can get to Orange by
train from Paris, Lyon, Avignon or Marseilles.
