ORANGE: The ancient principality of the Princes of Nassau.

City of art and history, ancient Roman colony, it owns, from its glorious past, two buildings listed as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO : the Triumphal Arch and the Theater.
Seat of a bishopric, founded in the 4th century, you can discover the beautiful Romanesque cathedral in the heart of downtown.
In the12th century, the city became an independent principality which, by successive marriages and inheritances will be transferred to the Nassau family, later converted to Protestantism. This family will be at the origin of the creation of the Netherlands, and from this time, the family awards to its heir, the title of Prince of Orange, showing the importance of keeping this landlocked principality in the Kingdom of France. Stronghold and refuge for Protestants, the Treaty of Utrecht, however, will end the independence in 1713, endorsing its annexation to France. The city museum exhibits precious objets, reflecting the rich history of the city. You can see: - fragments of three Roman cadastres engraved on marble slabs (globally unique), delimiting square plots allocated, by random, to the Roman colonists. - paintings of the 18th century, which illustrate the various stages of the fabrics printing, in the Indian Factory Wetter : they provide very interesting informations about the history of Provencal fabric.
The top floor features a collection of works of Albert de Belleroche, a friend of Toulouse-Lautrec, and Frank Brangwyn. The latter owes its fame to monumental Art Nouveau decorations, as for example : The House of Lords (Westminster Palace, London), and the Rockefeller Centre of New York.