Pernes-les-Fontaines - City of Heritage and History
Former capital of Comtat Venaissin for 3 centuries, Pernes-les-Fontaines has an important history as well as numerous monuments and museums demonstrating this past.
A historically rich city
Nicknamed "La Perle du Comtat", Pernes-les-Fontaines was the capital of the Comtat Venaissin for a long time, until 1320.
Rich in history due to the arrival of the Counts of Toulouse and the Jewish people during the reign of the Pope in Avignon, Pernes-les-Fontaines has many monuments to visit such as the "Porte Notre-Dame" and the other rampart doors, the"Tour Ferrande" and its frescoes and the "Tour de l'Horloge" or even the "Place de la Juiverie" and its Jewish ritual baths and we must not forget the 41 fountains that can be found in the 4 corners of the historic center.
In total, more than twenty monuments are classified as 'Historic Monument' that can be visited freely and/or on a guided tour for some.
Museums about the traditions and history of Comtat Venaissin
In the heart of the city are 4 municipal museums (open from April to September) that honor the history and traditions of the Comtat Venaissin, such as the Comtadin Costume Museum and the Museum of Comtadine Traditions. One is a former draper store that presents fabrics, sheets and accessories but above all an exhibition of a multitude of Comtadin costumes, the other is an old mansion that tells the different customs and traditions of Provence in Comtat Venaissin, such as the 13 desserts for example!
We can also mention the Comtadin Cycle Museum, which has more than a hundred bicycles and presents more than a century of evolution of the cycle in France and the Resistance Museum that evokes the resistance movement during the Second World War in Pernes-les-Fontaines.
