Carpentras

For the Renaissance composer of the same name, see Carpentras (composer).
Carpentras

Town hall

Coat of arms
Carpentras

Coordinates: 44°03′21″N 5°02′56″E / 44.0558°N 05.0489°E / 44.0558; 05.0489Coordinates: 44°03′21″N 5°02′56″E / 44.0558°N 05.0489°E / 44.0558; 05.0489
Country France
Region Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Department Vaucluse
Arrondissement Carpentras
Government
 • Mayor (2014–2020) Francis Adolphe (PS)
Area1 37.92 km2 (14.64 sq mi)
Population (2012)2 30,335
 • Density 800/km2 (2,100/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
INSEE/Postal code 84031 / 84200
Elevation 56–212 m (184–696 ft)
(avg. 95 m or 312 ft)

1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Carpentras (French pronunciation: ​[kaʁpɑ̃tʁa]; Provençal Occitan: Carpentràs in classical norm or Carpentras in Mistralian norm) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.

It stands on the banks of the Auzon. As capital of the Comtat Venaissin, it was frequently the residence of the Avignon popes; the Papal States retained possession of the Venaissin until the French Revolution. Nowadays, Carpentras is a commercial center for Comtat Venaissin and is famous for the black truffle markets held from winter to early spring.

History

Carpentras was a commercial site used by Greek merchants in ancient times, and known to Romans at first as Carpentoracte Meminorum, mentioned by Pliny, then renamed Forum Neronis ("Forum of Nero"); the city retains an impressive Roman triumphal arch, that has been enclosed by the bishops' palace, rebuilt in 1640, now a law court, and a machicolated city gate, the Porte d'Orange.

Hôtel-Dieu in Carpentras.

For the history of the bishopric of Carpentras, see Ancient Diocese of Carpentras.

At the beginning of the Avignon Papacy, Pope Clement V took up residence, along with the Roman Curia, in Carpentras in 1313. It was his successor Pope John XXII who settled definitively at Avignon.

Joseph-Dominique d'Inguimbert, Bishop of Carpentras from 1735 to 1754, established a great scholarly library which Jean-François Delmas, the current chief librarian, has called "the oldest of our municipal libraries"; known as the Bibliothèque Inguimbertine and now holding around 140,000 books, it is known to bibliophiles all over France and is scheduled to move into roomier quarters in the former Hôtel-Dieu in 2013.[1]

Carpentras has been an important centre of French Judaism, and is home to the oldest synagogue in France (1367), which still holds services. In May 1990, the Jewish cemetery was desecrated (see French and European Nationalist Party).[2]

For the Renaissance composer of the same name, see Carpentras (composer).

Climate

In the Köppen climate classification, Carpentras has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa),[3] with cold winters and hot summers. The rainiest seasons are spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October), where heavy downpours may happen.

Climate data for Carpentras (1981–2010 averages)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 21.0
(69.8)		 23.1
(73.6)		 28.1
(82.6)		 30.8
(87.4)		 35.4
(95.7)		 38.3
(100.9)		 41.6
(106.9)		 41.9
(107.4)		 35.2
(95.4)		 31.0
(87.8)		 24.9
(76.8)		 21.5
(70.7)		 41.9
(107.4)
Average high °C (°F) 10.7
(51.3)		 12.4
(54.3)		 16.4
(61.5)		 19.5
(67.1)		 24.2
(75.6)		 28.3
(82.9)		 31.9
(89.4)		 31.3
(88.3)		 26.1
(79)		 20.8
(69.4)		 14.5
(58.1)		 11.0
(51.8)		 20.6
(69.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) 5.6
(42.1)		 6.7
(44.1)		 10.1
(50.2)		 13.1
(55.6)		 17.4
(63.3)		 21.1
(70)		 24.2
(75.6)		 23.6
(74.5)		 19.4
(66.9)		 15.1
(59.2)		 9.5
(49.1)		 6.3
(43.3)		 14.3
(57.7)
Average low °C (°F) 0.4
(32.7)		 1.0
(33.8)		 3.8
(38.8)		 6.7
(44.1)		 10.6
(51.1)		 13.9
(57)		 16.4
(61.5)		 15.9
(60.6)		 12.6
(54.7)		 9.3
(48.7)		 4.5
(40.1)		 1.5
(34.7)		 8.1
(46.6)
Record low °C (°F) −15.4
(4.3)		 −12.8
(9)		 −11.8
(10.8)		 −2.5
(27.5)		 0.1
(32.2)		 4.4
(39.9)		 7.6
(45.7)		 6.7
(44.1)		 2.2
(36)		 −3.1
(26.4)		 −9.0
(15.8)		 −12.0
(10.4)		 −15.4
(4.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 42.0
(1.654)		 34.4
(1.354)		 41.5
(1.634)		 63.1
(2.484)		 58.2
(2.291)		 39.5
(1.555)		 24.8
(0.976)		 49.9
(1.965)		 95.0
(3.74)		 87.5
(3.445)		 64.7
(2.547)		 47.6
(1.874)		 648.2
(25.52)
Average precipitation days 5.6 5.1 4.9 7.0 6.6 4.5 2.9 3.6 5.5 7.6 6.6 5.8 65.7
Mean monthly sunshine hours 149.3 174.3 231.7 240.6 279.8 325.9 361.7 322.8 251.3 185.5 152.1 136.8 2,811.8
Source: Meteo France[4][5]

Traditions

Truffle Market in Carpentras

Carpentras is famous for the Truffle market that takes place every Friday morning during the winter months.[6]

Its traditional confectionery is the berlingot, a small hard candy with thin white stripes, originally made from the syrup left over from conservation of fruits.

Personalities

Carpentras was the birthplace of:

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Carpentras is twinned with:

See also

References

  1. ↑ Thomas Wieder, "Un cabinet de curiosités à Carpentras," Le Monde des Livres, August 13, 2009.
  2. ↑
  3. ↑ https://planificateur.a-contresens.net/europe/france/provence_alpes_cote_d_azur/carpentras/3028542.html
  4. ↑ "Données climatiques de la station de Carpentras" (in French). Meteo France. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Climat Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur" (in French). Meteo France. Retrieved January 14, 2016.
  6. ↑ Truffle Market
  7. ↑ "Association Suisse des Communes et Régions d'Europe". L'Association suisse pour le Conseil des Communes et Régions d'Europe (ASCCRE) (in French). Retrieved 2013-07-20.
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