L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue

The history of the town is difficult to know with precision, as few texts have survived. A castrum was built there during antiquity, and the town was transformed into a stronghold during the 12th and 13th centuries. The Counts of Provence and then of Toulouse took refuge there until the town was annexed to the Comtat Venaissin: it was then that the Holy See itself used it as a refuge. L’Islo de Venisso (the island of Comtat Venaissin) managed to avoid the destruction of the Wars of Religion but was decimated by numerous outbreaks of plague and cholera. This led to the construction of the Hôpital-Hospice de L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue in 1387, which was expanded and modernized from 1640 to 1782. The Sisters of Saint-Joseph of Avignon, a religious order founded in 1650 and still counting (about) 10,000 members worldwide, are the most well-known occupants of this hospital, with the entire south wing of the building used to house the congregation. This hospital is still active today, specializing in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. The rooms where the sisters slept are still there, as is the pharmacy, containing many faience jars from Moustiers (dating from the 18th century), as well as a huge mortar (dating from the 16th century). Now closed, the sisters’ pharmacy was still active in the mid-20th century. The Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame-des-Anges in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is a unique construction in Provence. Literally: the only other known building resembling it is in Rome! Built under the name Basilica Saint-Laurent in the 12th century, it changed its name and function at the beginning of the 13th century. Entirely rebuilt in a Baroque style between the 15th and 17th centuries, this church is one of the last to have been constructed under the authority of the Comtat. The construction, begun around 1640 after the collapse of the previous building, continued tirelessly until the Revolution, during which it received numerous paintings, woodwork, and other decorations from small convents destroyed by the revolutionaries. Aside from the splendor of the interior, what is most striking are the many statues on the interior walls: each is a personification of the Virtues of the Virgin, a masterpiece that gives the church a distinctive Italian touch. Antique shops are an integral part of the town’s life. It is the largest French town in terms of the number of shops, and it is also the third largest in Europe! At every street corner, in every alley, an antique dealer or a second-hand dealer has a well-stocked shop just waiting for you. The largest gathering of vendors is found in the aptly named Village des Antiquaires, which brings together no fewer than 70 specialized shops throughout the year.