Chartreuse du Val-de-Bénédiction
The bounty of the cardinals nourished this abbey, whose name translates, literally, to the Charterhouse of the Valley of Blessings. Inside the impressive 5-acre complex are spare cells with panels illuminating monastic life; the vast 14th-century cloître du cimetière (cemetery cloister); a smaller Romanesque cloister; and, within, what remains of the abbey church, its cloister garden, and the Gothic tomb of Pope Innocent VI. The rose and herb gardens are planted as they would have been by the monks. It's worth a visit if only for the delightful indoor-outdoor courtyard café, and the bookstore is fun to peruse. Theatrical events are staged here during Avignon's annual theater festival.
