Cavaillon

Cavaillon
Commune
A view of Cavaillon
Coat of arms
Location of Cavaillon
Cavaillon Location within France Show map of France Cavaillon Location within Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Show map of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Coordinates: 43°50′15″N 5°02′17″E / 43.8375°N 5.0381°E / 43.8375; 5.0381
Country	France
Region	Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Department	Vaucluse
Arrondissement	Apt
Canton	Cavaillon
Intercommunality	CA Luberon Monts de Vaucluse
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Gérard Daudet
Area 1	45.96 km2 (17.75 sq mi)
Elevation	75 m (246 ft)
Highest elevation	200 m (660 ft)
Lowest elevation	49 m (161 ft)
Population  (2023)	25,636
• Density	557.8/km2 (1,445/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	84035 /84300
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Cavaillon (French pronunciation: [kavajɔ̃] ^ⓘ; Occitan: Cavalhon) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. It is situated in the Durance Valley, at the foot of the Luberon mountains.

History

Cavaillon was already a city in the Gallo-Roman period, and has several minor relics from that era, including a 1st century triumphal arch. Other minor relics of the Roman period have been found to the south of the town, on the site of the ancient Cabellio. It was the seat of the bishops of Cavaillon from the 4th century until the French Revolution. Saint Veran was bishop here in the 6th century, and the 12th-century cathedral is dedicated to him. In the Middle Ages Cavaillon was part of the Comtat Venaissin.

The Hôtel de Ville was completed in 1753.

Geography

Cavaillon is part of the Regional and Natural Park of Luberon (parc naturel régional du Luberon) in the French Department of Vaucluse.

The Calavon, a tributary of the Durance locally called Coulon, flows westward through the middle of the commune.

The Durance forms the commune's south-western border.

Population

Historical population
Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 5,193 —     1800 5,192 −0.00% 1806 5,750 +1.72% 1821 6,360 +0.67% 1831 6,911 +0.83% 1836 7,041 +0.37% 1841 7,195 +0.43% 1846 7,428 +0.64% 1851 7,405 −0.06% 1856 7,431 +0.07% 1861 7,779 +0.92% 1866 8,034 +0.65% 1872 8,034 +0.00% 1876 8,454 +1.28% 1881 8,591 +0.32% 1886 9,144 +1.26% 1891 9,077 −0.15% 1896 9,405 +0.71% 1901 9,850 +0.93%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1906 9,952 +0.21% 1911 9,416 −1.10% 1921 8,991 −0.46% 1926 10,451 +3.06% 1931 11,743 +2.36% 1936 12,522 +1.29% 1946 13,804 +0.98% 1954 14,831 +0.90% 1962 17,058 +1.76% 1968 18,544 +1.40% 1975 21,259 +1.97% 1982 20,615 −0.44% 1990 23,102 +1.43% 1999 24,563 +0.68% 2007 25,596 +0.52% 2012 25,289 −0.24% 2017 26,641 +1.05% 2023 25,636 −0.64%
Source: EHESS and INSEE (1968-2023)

Economy

Cavaillon is famous for its melons, as well as other early fruits and vegetables.

Famous people

• Saint César de Bus
• Castil-Blaze, French musicologist, Music critic and Composer
• Luc Bulot, French palaeontologist
• Pierre Salinger, press secretary to U.S. President John F. Kennedy, U.S. Senator from California, Paris bureau chief for ABC News

Sights

• the 11th-13th century Cavaillon Cathedral
• Colline Saint-Jacques, with chapel
• Roman triumphal arch
• the 15th-18th century synagogue, housing the Jewish Museum

Twin towns

• Cavaillon has been twinned with Weinheim, Germany, since 1958 and Langhirano, Italy, since 2001.

Climate

See also

• Communes of the Vaucluse department
• Antoine Sartorio
• Ancient Diocese of Cavaillon

References

External links

• Town council website
• Tourism office website
• Melon of Cavaillon (in French)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cavaillon.