"Villeneuve lez Avignon has a long and rich history. Legend has it that in the 1 st Century AD, Saint Martha, the Patron Saint of Avignon "resurrected" a shepherd from the town after he drowned in the Rhone (resurrections were rather more frequent in those days). Some 400 years later, another Saint settled in Villeneuve as the locals call it, a Visigoth princess-hermit who devoted her life to God on Puy Andaon, the hill that dominates Villeneuve."
"Until around the 18 th century, Villeneuve was joined to Avignon via a bridge as the Rhone was closer to Villeneuve then, but after it was destroyed by a storm the river changed course. Villeneuve, once a mighty rival to Avignon, became a much sleepier place. What to see in and do in Villeneuve Villeneuve has a very different vibe from its tourist-packed neighbour Avignon across the river."
Villeneuve lez Avignon sits across the Rhône from Avignon and retains a village atmosphere with narrow streets, cafes, boutiques and boulangeries. The town's history includes legends of Saint Martha and a Visigoth princess-hermit who lived on Puy Andaon and whose relics were housed in the Abbey of St André. From the 13th to 15th centuries Villeneuve functioned as a fortress on the Rhône frontier, and cardinals built mansions in the 14th century. A bridge once connected Villeneuve to Avignon until a storm altered the river's course and reduced the town's rivalry. Key sights include the 13th-century Philippe le Bel tower.
Read at The Good Life France
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