Between small and big stories, the reader is invited to explore Avignon through the streets of the city center but not only that. This is the whole point of this work which also crisscrosses the four corners of the city, intra and extra-muros, up to the island of Barthelasse. “ In addition to the sites that I knew or which were pointed out to me by friends from Avignon, I found them by studying all the books that can be found in Avignon », specifies Nicole Cabassu.
A sense of curiosity that will delight readers, with these pages which highlight places that we frequent without always noticing them. “ Several of my discoveries surprised me, in particular the fact that the Hospice Saint-Louis was united with the Célestins to constitute a branch of the Invalides of Paris under Napoleon. And to cite other examples: “the bull's-eye on rue Joseph-Vernet provided lighting in the room where Louis XIV “dried off” after playing tennis. But the most astonishing thing was the discovery of the weapons of the de Sade family under the Avignon bridge. ».
Throughout the pages, we travel through the eras, each chapter shedding light on emblematic places: the Palais des Papes, and numerous buildings, churches or theaters. In the old center, rue Saint-Etienne, we discover that number 18 housed the first essays of Joseph de Montgolfier. If you look up, you can see a balloon-shaped pattern on the balcony. At 25, rue des Etudes, we are opposite the birthplace of Pierre Boulle, the author of Planet of the Apes. And on rue de la Banasterie, the Madon hotel in Châteaublanc houses a mosaic depicting a set of five comets, probably inspired by the passage of Halley's comet in 1758.
“Unusual and secret Avignon”, by Nicole Cabassu. Jugglez Editions. €18.95.
