Carpentras
| Carpentras | |
|---|---|
| Subprefecture and commune | |
Location of Carpentras
| |
| Coat of arms | |
| Location of Carpentras | |
| Carpentras Location within France Carpentras Location within Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | |
| Coordinates: 44°03′21″N 5°02′56″E / 44.0558°N 05.0489°E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur |
| Department | Vaucluse |
| Arrondissement | Carpentras |
| Canton | Carpentras |
| Intercommunality | CA Ventoux-Comtat Venaissin |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Serge Andrieu[1] |
| Area 1 |
37.92 km2 (14.64 sq mi) |
| Population (2023)[2] |
31,619 |
| • Density | 833.8/km2 (2,160/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| 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. | |
Carpentras (French pronunciation: [kaʁpɑ̃tʁa], formerly [kaʁpɑ̃tʁas];[3] Provençal Occitan: Carpentràs in classical norm or Carpentras in Mistralian norm; Latin: Carpentoracte) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.
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.
Carpentras briefly held France's all-time high-temperature record, during the heatwave of June 2019.[4]
History
Classical antiquity
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 a 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.
Ancient Diocese of Carpentras
For the history of the bishopric of Carpentras, see Ancient Diocese of Carpentras.
Middle Ages
At the beginning of the Avignon Papacy, Pope Clement V took up residence, along with the Roman Curia, in Carpentras in 1313. His successor, Pope John XXII, settled definitively at Avignon.
The Hôtel de Ville and the Hôtel-Dieu
The original north-facing section of the Hôtel de Ville on Rue des Halles was completed in around 1740.[5]
The Hôtel-Dieu on Place Aristide Briand was commissioned by Joseph-Dominique d'Inguimbert for use as a hospital and was built between 1750 and 1760.[6] It now accommodates the Bibliothèque Inguimbertine which Jean-François Delmas, the chief librarian, has called "the oldest of our municipal libraries".[7]
French Revolution and return to France
Until 1791, Carpentras was part of the Papal States, not of the Kingdom of France.
Like most communities across France, Carpentras played a role in the 1789-1799 French Revolution, particularly during the rule of the French Directory. After the 'Anti-Royalist' September 4, 1797 Coup of 18 Fructidor, on October 22, 1797, counter-revolutionaries attacked the Hôtel de Ville.[8]
Jewish community
Into the 20th and 21st centuries, Carpentras has been an important centre of French Judaism and is home to the oldest synagogue in France, which opened in 1367. The Jewish cemetery was desecrated by members of the French and European Nationalist Party in May 1990, causing a public uproar and a demonstration in Paris that was attended by 200,000 people, including then-president François Mitterrand.[9]
Population
- Historical population
- Year — Pop. — ±% p.a.
- 1793 — 9,900 — —
- 1800 — 8,489 — −2.17%
- 1806 — 9,674 — +2.20%
- 1821 — 9,099 — −0.41%
- 1831 — 9,817 — +0.76%
- 1836 — 9,224 — −1.24%
- 1841 — 9,776 — +1.17%
- 1846 — 10,198 — +0.85%
- 1851 — 10,711 — +0.99%
- 1856 — 10,891 — +0.33%
- 1861 — 10,918 — +0.05%
- 1866 — 10,848 — −0.13%
- 1872 — 10,524 — −0.50%
- 1876 — 10,479 — −0.11%
- 1881 — 9,699 — −1.54%
- 1886 — 9,685 — −0.03%
- 1891 — 9,778 — +0.19%
- 1896 — 10,797 — +2.00%
- 1901 — 10,443 — −0.66%
- Year — Pop. — ±% p.a.
- 1906 — 10,721 — +0.53%
- 1911 — 11,390 — +1.22%
- 1921 — 11,191 — −0.18%
- 1926 — 11,805 — +1.07%
- 1931 — 12,632 — +1.36%
- 1936 — 13,732 — +1.68%
- 1946 — 14,222 — +0.35%
- 1954 — 15,076 — +0.73%
- 1962 — 18,199 — +2.38%
- 1968 — 21,388 — +2.73%
- 1975 — 24,251 — +1.81%
- 1982 — 24,838 — +0.34%
- 1990 — 24,212 — −0.32%
- 1999 — 26,090 — +0.83%
- 2007 — 28,526 — +1.12%
- 2012 — 28,520 — −0.00%
- 2017 — 28,309 — −0.15%
- 2023 — 31,619 — +1.86%
- Source: EHESS[10] and INSEE (1968–2023)[11]
Geography
Carpentras stands on the banks of the river Auzon, a tributary of the Sorgue. It is 23 km southwest of Mont Ventoux, and 23 km northeast of Avignon. Carpentras station has rail connections to Sorgues and Avignon.
Climate
In the Köppen climate classification, Carpentras has a borderline humid subtropical (Cfa),[12] and hot-summer mediterranean climate (Csa) with cool winters and hot summers. The rainiest seasons are spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October), where heavy downpours may happen.
| Climate data for Carpentras (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1963–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |
44.3 (111.7) |
41.6 (106.9) |
42.2 (108.0) |
36.0 (96.8) |
31.2 (88.2) |
24.9 (76.8) |
21.5 (70.7) |
44.3 (111.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 11.1 (52.0) |
12.8 (55.0) |
17.1 (62.8) |
20.4 (68.7) |
24.6 (76.3) |
29.1 (84.4) |
32.3 (90.1) |
31.9 (89.4) |
26.4 (79.5) |
21.1 (70.0) |
15.0 (59.0) |
11.3 (52.3) |
21.1 (70.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 6.1 (43.0) |
6.9 (44.4) |
10.5 (50.9) |
13.6 (56.5) |
17.7 (63.9) |
21.7 (71.1) |
24.4 (75.9) |
24.0 (75.2) |
19.5 (67.1) |
15.3 (59.5) |
9.9 (49.8) |
6.5 (43.7) |
14.7 (58.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.0 (33.8) |
1.1 (34.0) |
4.0 (39.2) |
6.9 (44.4) |
10.8 (51.4) |
14.4 (57.9) |
16.5 (61.7) |
16.1 (61.0) |
12.7 (54.9) |
9.5 (49.1) |
4.9 (40.8) |
1.8 (35.2) |
8.3 (46.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −15.4 (4.3) |
−12.5 (9.5) |
−11.8 (10.8) |
−2.9 (26.8) |
0.1 (32.2) |
4.4 (39.9) |
7.6 (45.7) |
6.7 (44.1) |
2.2 (36.0) |
−3.1 (26.4) |
−9.0 (15.8) |
−12.0 (10.4) |
−15.4 (4.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 46.3 (1.82) |
34.2 (1.35) |
41.3 (1.63) |
61.1 (2.41) |
55.6 (2.19) |
41.7 (1.64) |
25.7 (1.01) |
40.6 (1.60) |
98.7 (3.89) |
87.6 (3.45) |
90.8 (3.57) |
41.9 (1.65) |
665.5 (26.20) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 5.9 | 4.8 | 5.1 | 6.8 | 6.3 | 4.5 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 5.5 | 6.6 | 7.9 | 5.6 | 65.8 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 151.4 | 173.1 | 229.6 | 243.9 | 285.1 | 328.0 | 363.0 | 326.7 | 257.2 | 190.6 | 148.6 | 138.1 | 2,835.3 |
| Source: Meteociel[13] | |||||||||||||
Economy
Traditions
Carpentras is famous for the truffle market that takes place every Friday morning during the winter months.[14]
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 (chronologically):
- Carpentras (also known as Elzéar Genet) (c.1470–1548), prominent early Renaissance composer
- Hercule Audiffret (1603–1659), orator and Superior General of the Congrégation des Doctrinaires
- Louis Archimbaud (1705–1789), composer and organist of Carpentras Cathedral
- Joseph Duplessis (1725–1802), portraitist
- Jean-Pierre-Xavier Bidauld (1743–1813), painter
- Jean-Joseph-Xavier Bidauld (1758–1846), painter
- Alexis-Vincent-Charles Berbiguier de Terre-Neuve du Thym, (1765–1851), author and demonologist
- Victor Olivier de Puymanel (1768–1799), French Navy volunteer, and adventurer in Vietnam
- François-Vincent Raspail (1794–1878), chemist, physiologist, and socialist
- Jean-Joseph Bonaventure Laurens (1801–1890), painter, lithographer, musician
- Édouard Daladier (1884–1970), politician and Prime Minister of France at the start of the Second World War
- Daniel Lazard (1941–), computer scientist
- Bruno Boscherie (1950–), fencer, Olympic Gold medalist
- Christophe Maé (1975–), musician and composer
- Éric Salignon (1982–), racing driver
- Thomas Mangani (1987–), professional footballer
- Raphaël Cacérès (1987–), professional footballer
International relations
Carpentras is twinned with:
- Vevey, Switzerland[15]
- Seesen, Germany
- Ponchatoula, Louisiana, USA
- Camaiore, Italy
See also
References
- Back to citation "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020.
- Back to citation "Populations de référence 2023" (in French). National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 18 December 2025.
- Back to citation Lesaint, M.-A. (1871). Traité complet de la prononciation française dans la seconde moitié du XIXe siècle (in French). Mauke.
- Back to citation "France records all-time highest temperature of 45.9C". TheGuardian.com. 28 June 2019.
- Back to citation Base Mérimée: IA84000621, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)
- Back to citation Civil Affairs Handbook: France. Headquarters, Army Service Forces. 1944. p. 160.
- Back to citation "L'institution l'Inguimbertine - Library-museum Inguimbertine Carpentras". inguimbertine.carpentras.fr. Retrieved 2025-10-19.
- Back to citation Liabastres, Joseph (1891). Histoire de Carpentras. Léon Barrier. p. 132.
- Back to citation "Imprimer:: Le procès de quatre profanateurs néo-nazis après six ans de fausses pistes - l'Humanite". Archived from the original on 2008-10-15. Retrieved 2009-07-20.
- Back to citation Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Carpentras, EHESS (in French).
- Back to citation Population municipale entre 1968 et 2023, INSEE
- Back to citation "Météo et climat: Carpentras (France) - Quand partir à Carpentras?".
- Back to citation "Normales et records pour Carpentras (84)". Meteociel. Retrieved 14 December 2024.
- Back to citation Truffle Market
- Back to citation "Association Suisse des Communes et Régions d'Europe". L'Association suisse pour le Conseil des Communes et Régions d'Europe (ASCCRE) (in French). Archived from the original on 2012-07-24. Retrieved 2013-07-20.
External links
- Carpentras travel guide from Wikivoyage
- Carpentras official website (in French)
- "Carpentras". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 5 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 386.
- Pictures of Carpentras Cathedral:,
- Pictures of Carpentras Synagogue:,,