After breakfast on the terrace of the restaurant, you are ready and equipped to discover the treasures of Villeneuve.
This walk has a more sportive character as the terrain is a bit more rugged; it is suitable for everyone, whether you are a walker, a runner, or with family.
We are going to show you La Colline des Mourgues, a closed 8-hectare wooded domain, just steps from the Prieuré. o get there, exit through the pedestrian exit of the hotel and go up to the top of the street, on your left. Montolivet School stands in front of you.
This school complex was built in 1935 by the Deshommes municipality. The imposing Art Deco-style building, designed by the architect from Nîmes, Paul Chabert, was at the forefront of hygiene and comfort advancements. Symbol of modernity, the building was also a weapon resulting from the quarrel between public and private schools, which is why it is taller than the church steeple!
Turn left and pass through the gate of La Colline des Mourgues.
This place consists of landscaped paths dotted with oratories, picnic areas, and playgrounds for children as well as breathtaking viewpoints over the Palais des Papes, Avignon, the village, and the monuments of Villeneuve-lès-Avignon. The name “mourgues” comes from the Occitan word for “monk,” as the area was a former religious property. There are still some remnants of the hermitage where Father Crouzet-Lacombe, coming from the Chartreuse, took refuge during the Revolution. You can still see the tomb carved into the rock (but contrary to his last wish, the father is buried in the cemetery like everyone else). At the top, the small chapel of Notre-Dame de Consolation was restored in the early 2000s. nside, frescoes painted by an artist from Nîmes depict the wine ritual: the Last Supper, the Wedding at Cana, even a drunken Noah on his ark, and revelers dancing.
Finally, to evoke ancient Greece, further down the hill, the Théâtre de Verdure has been fitted with stone tiers and hosts outdoor shows in the summer. Note that the Hill is closed in the evening.
If you still have energy left then exit the Hill through the gate on the ascent to the Tour, turn right, and here it is, large, majestic, The Tour Philippe Le Bel.
It is a true sentinel at the entrance to the city, erected between 1292 and 1307 by order of Philippe le Bel, who was also concerned with keeping Avignon in check. Standing opposite, it controlled access to the Pont d’Avignon until the end of the 17th century. It consists of three floors with beautiful rib-vaulted rooms, and in the 15th century, a watchtower was added. From the top, there is an exceptional panorama of the Rhône.
