Fontaine-de-Vaucluse Attractions 
The little village of Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, well known for its spring (the source of the River Sorgue) and for the Italian poet and humanist Petrarch, lies in the west of Provence about 30km/19mi east of Avignon.
The village, although often thronged with tourists, is charmingly situated at the end of the valley. The surrounding hollow (vallis clausa has given the place its name. Fontaine-de-Vaucluse can be reached on a by-road; there are extensive parking places near the village center.
Fontaine-de-Vaucluse was made famous by the Italian poet and humanist Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch; 1304-74); he was born in Arezzo in Italy but took up residence in the former Papal town of Avignon and later withdrew to his country seat in the Vaucluse where he devoted himself entirely to his literary pursuits.
The village, although often thronged with tourists, is charmingly situated at the end of the valley. The surrounding hollow (vallis clausa has given the place its name. Fontaine-de-Vaucluse can be reached on a by-road; there are extensive parking places near the village center.
Fontaine-de-Vaucluse was made famous by the Italian poet and humanist Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch; 1304-74); he was born in Arezzo in Italy but took up residence in the former Papal town of Avignon and later withdrew to his country seat in the Vaucluse where he devoted himself entirely to his literary pursuits.
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Musée d'Histoire
The very interesting Musée d'Histoire Fontaine-de-Vaucluse - was opened in 1990 in a former paper factory on the road to the source of the Sorgue. It is dedicated to the "dark years" of the German occupation and the Resistance in the Vaucluse. Themes include the trauma of defeat, everyday life and its difficulties and the collaboration of the Pétain government with the Nazis.
Hours
March 1 to April 14
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 12:00 | 12:00 | |||||
| Open | 14:00 | 14:00 | |||||
| Close | 18:00 | 18:00 |
April 15 to June 30
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | Closed | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 12:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | |
| Open | 14:00 | 14:00 | 14:00 | 14:00 | 14:00 | 14:00 | |
| Close | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 |
July 1 to August 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 | 20:00 |
September 1 to October 15
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | Closed | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 12:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | |
| Open | 14:00 | 14:00 | 14:00 | 14:00 | 14:00 | 14:00 | |
| Close | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 |
October 16 to December 12
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 12:00 | 12:00 | |||||
| Open | 13:00 | 13:00 | |||||
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 |
Petrarch Museum and Column
In Place de la Colonne, shaded by plane trees; a column here commemorating Petrarch was erected in 1804 to mark the 500th year of his birth. Around the square are restaurants and bars, some with terraces by or above the river.
On the right bank of the Sorgue, in the house in which Petrarch is reputed to have lived, there is a little museum devoted to the poet and his works.
On the right bank of the Sorgue, in the house in which Petrarch is reputed to have lived, there is a little museum devoted to the poet and his works.
Hours
April 15 to October 15
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 9:30 | Closed | 9:30 | 9:30 | 9:30 | 9:30 | 9:30 |
| Close | 12:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | 12:00 | |
| Open | 14:00 | 14:00 | 14:00 | 14:00 | 14:00 | 14:00 | |
| Close | 18:30 | 18:30 | 18:30 | 18:30 | 18:30 | 18:30 |
Romanesque Church of St Véran
Romanesque Church of St Véran, dating from the first half of the 12th C.; in the crypt is the grave of St Véran who was Bishop of Cavaillon in the sixth C.
Sorgue River
Shortly before reaching the township of Isle-de-la-Sorgue the Sorgue river divides into two arms. One winds its way northwards to Velleron, a typical Provençal village; the other flows through Isle to Thor, where the Romanesque Church of Notre Dame du Lac (12th c.) towers above the water like a shipwreck.
