Church of Saint-Florent

This small 14th-century Romanesque church is the former chapel of the Franciscans of Orange. It served as the final resting place for many of the lords from the House of Baux, one of the most powerful families in medieval Lower Provence. By the end of the first millennium, they held sway over the entire county of Provence. Fun fact: the name Provence dates back to Roman times, as it was the very first province the Romans established in Gaul! In the 16th century, however, the Wars of Religion ravaged the whole of France, and this little church was no exception. It was set on fire by the Huguenots in 1561, and a few years later, it was more or less demolished to make way for a wheat mill. Yet the church rose again, when the Franciscan friars returned to Orange at the end of the Wars of Religion and practically rebuilt the entire structure. But then came the Revolution! The church was converted first into a hayloft, then into barracks, stables and a prison. In 1803, it finally reopened as a place of worship. The church is dedicated to the city’s patron saint, Florent, who was bishop of Orange in the 5th century and is said to have performed numerous miracles. Part of his relics are kept here, and part in Florentiola, Italy.