Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, France: Self-Guided Walking Tour

Villeneuve-lès-Avignon is a historic town in Occitania, France, known for its medieval fortifications, religious buildings and former cardinal residences. Set across the Rhône from Avignon, it offers a compact collection of important heritage sites, from the Tower of Philip the Fair to the hilltop Fort Saint-André. Neywo’s free audio guide for Villeneuve-lès-Avignon includes 10 narrated places, helping you discover the town while you walk.

What to see in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon

The main sights are concentrated around the old town and Mont Andaon, making Villeneuve-lès-Avignon especially suited to a self-guided walking tour.

Tower of Philip the Fair

The Tower of Philip the Fair is one of Villeneuve-lès-Avignon’s most evocative medieval landmarks. It once guarded the French end of the Saint-Bénézet Bridge across the Rhône and marked the boundary between the Kingdom of France and the Papal territory of Avignon.

King Philip IV of France ordered its construction in the early fourteenth century. The first two-storey tower was completed by 1302, followed by a gatehouse at the bridge end. Together, they formed part of a larger fortress with a curtain wall, chapel and residence for the castle’s governor. A third storey was added in the middle of the fourteenth century. The fortress lost its purpose after the Saint-Bénézet Bridge was abandoned in 1669.

Collégiale Notre-Dame

The Collégiale Notre-Dame is a Gothic church consecrated in 1333 by Cardinal Arnaud de Via, the nephew of Pope John XXII. Its architecture is a fine example of southern Gothic, a regional style with a character distinct from the Gothic churches of northern France.

Musée Pierre-de-Luxembourg

The Musée Pierre-de-Luxembourg occupies a remarkable fourteenth-century building that once served as a cardinal’s residence, or livrée cardinalice. The building was later known as the Hôtel de Boucoiran, after the noble De Boucoiran family who lived there in the seventeenth century.

The museum’s permanent collections were gathered from Villeneuve’s religious institutions after they were secularized during the French Revolution. The museum holds the prestigious Musée de France label, and its collections make it an important stop for visitors interested in religious art and the town’s ecclesiastical history.

Livrée de la Thurroye

Also known as the palace of Cardinal de Deaux, the Livrée de la Thurroye is one of Villeneuve-lès-Avignon’s historic cardinal residences. It reflects the town’s close connection with the religious and political power that shaped the Rhône valley during the medieval period.

Livrée Rossi de Giffone

The Livrée Rossi de Giffone is another historic building in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon. Like the Livrée de la Thurroye, it forms part of the town’s architectural legacy of palaces and residences associated with cardinals.

Chapelle des Pénitents gris

Built in 1758 by the architect Jean-Baptiste Franque, the Chapelle des Pénitents gris is a protected monument historique. Its name refers to the Grey Penitents, a lay religious brotherhood whose chapel served as a place for prayer and charitable work.

Although smaller than the town’s medieval fortifications and churches, the chapel adds a later chapter to Villeneuve-lès-Avignon’s religious history.

Chartreuse Notre-Dame-du-Val-de-Bénédiction

The Chartreuse Notre-Dame-du-Val-de-Bénédiction is a former Carthusian monastery dating from the Middle Ages. Protected as a French Monument historique since 1862, it combines architectural heritage with a cultural role through its monument, exhibitions and performances.

Abbaye Saint-André

Perched at the top of Mont-Andaon, the Abbaye Saint-André is a Benedictine abbey with a hilltop setting above Villeneuve-lès-Avignon. Its position makes it part of the town’s defining landscape, where religious heritage and elevated viewpoints come together.

Fort Saint-André

Fort Saint-André stands high on Mont Andaon above the town. This medieval fortress dates from the first half of the fourteenth century and was built to command the surrounding landscape. Its fortified enclosure and hilltop position show the strategic importance of the site, with views over the Rhône valley and Villeneuve-lès-Avignon.

Église Sainte-Thérèse

The Église Sainte-Thérèse is a distinctive church in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon. It is a quieter stop than the town’s major medieval landmarks, but adds another layer to the religious heritage encountered while exploring the streets.

Explore Villeneuve-lès-Avignon with a free audio guide

Download Neywo to follow the “Cardinals, Kings and Monks above the Rhône” walking tour. It covers 2.22 km, takes about 96 minutes and includes 9 narrated stops: the Tower of Philip the Fair, Collégiale Notre-Dame, Musée Pierre-de-Luxembourg, Livrée de la Thurroye, Livrée Rossi de Giffone, Chapelle des Pénitents gris, Chartreuse Notre-Dame-du-Val-de-Bénédiction, Abbaye Saint-André and Fort Saint-André.

Neywo’s Villeneuve-lès-Avignon audio guide works as you walk: each story plays when you reach the place it describes, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. Narration is available in 11 languages.

Villeneuve-lès-Avignon is part of Occitania, a region with many other historic destinations to explore. When planning a wider journey through France, you can also discover nearby cities such as Nîmes, Uzès and Montpellier.