#22 - 2000 YEAR OLD DELICIOUS ORANGE

ORANGE/FRANCE

ORANGE

#22

From:           Montepellier

To:               Orange

Distance:      93km / 58 miles

Climate:        25C = 73F

Region:        Provence

2000 YEAR OLD 

DELICIOUS ORANGE

Ah... we all know how delicious a juicy sweet Orange tastes ..... but how many of you know of the delicious sweet 2000 year old Orange located in Provence France? 

 Less than an hour later....

We left Montpellier with our our target  being Grenoble, about a 5 hour drive.....but no sooner did we get on the road did we get off the road. Bob mentioned he had stopped for an overnight years ago in Orange... so we pulled off to the side to discover a very historical 2000 year old town.

And what a town!!

Orange is deceiving... you drive in to this small quaint French town...no big signs to warn you of the ancient discovery you are about to embark on as you make your way down the main street and after the roundabout you see to the left.

No billboards, no signs, no announcements. Just the sudden shock of such an impressive site which was good enough reason to overnight and put off driving to Grenoble for another day.

Come on.. 

get in the car with us

and travel back in time - over 2000 years - to visit the most preserved Roman theatre in the West.




But first... 
click and play this beautiful video of Mireille Mathieu, France's most famous singer .  (She was my moms favorite singer and her beautiful voice resonated in our home often)
For me - Mireille  Mathieu is France. 

Bio: Mireille Mathieu, a successor to Edith Piaf, was born in 1946 to a very poor family and the oldest of 14 children . She has sold over 120 million records worldwide in 9 different languages and sang for Kings and Queens around the world.

THE ROMAN EMPIRE

"ANCIENT THEATRE of ORANGE"
"Theatre antique d'Orange"

Because I was unable to take a photo of the entire site, I took a photo of a photo ( below) to show you just how large and incredible this 2000 year old Amphitheater really is.

FACTS:

1. Built in 100BC
2. Seats 8,500 people
3. Most preserved Roman theatre in the West
4. Romans viewed the theatre as critical to preserve cultural entertainment and a distracts from politics
5. Pantomime original started here in 20BC. It was the most popular form of entertainment for many many years
6. 1981 UNESCO Heritage Site
7. 82 Columns are missing
8. The design of the theatre provides perfect acoustics 
9. Fire destroyed much of the theatre including a roof
10. Wealthy Romans were taxed to help pay for the theatre

ROMAN EMPIRE

RETIRED ROMAN SOLDIERS WERE GIVEN LAND FOR FREE

The town of Orange was always in good order without any civil problems. One of the reasons for this is the Roman government awarded all retired soldiers land for free in exchange for keeping order in the town they lived in. 

HISTORY: The Romans originally came to France in 500BC to fight with the Greeks to protect their land and later took it over to be included as part of the ROMAN EMPIRE

HAIL TO THE EMPEROR!
Below you will notice a large Roman Emperor statue in the top center.
These were pre fabricated in Rome and sent to all the Roman towns as a "quasimodo-god statue". There were thousands made.However, interestingly enough, the head of the statue was removable and were easily changed whenever a new emperor  was elected.

FREE ENTRY PRICE & STATUS SEATING
Seating was a symbol of status. The more prominent you were the lower you sat. The further back the less social status you held. The last and back seats were for prostitutes and peasants of the town.

All shows were free to the public. At the height of this amphitheater there were over 180 shows a year. Part of this was to distract the public from politics as well as a means of entertainment.

Roman Emperor Roberto Mancini

• 72 of the original columns are still missing
• They had a fire which caused most of it to be destroyed.
• There was an original roof which covered most of the theatre to keep it cool and shaded. It was also destroyed in a fire.

Right & Below:

Along side the theatre there was a recent archeological discovery of a large temple built. This historical find continues today to be dug out.

DECLINE OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE:

Church  strongly opposes and bans the theatre

After the decline of the Roman Empire in 4AD the theatre was closed in 391AD due to strong opposition of the Church since Christianity then became the main religion of the State. The Church called it "uncivilized" and "profane".

BARBARIANS

Once the theatre was shut down Barbarians occupied it until the Middle Ages when it was then used as a defensive post during the Religious Wars.

19th CENTURY REVIVAL

It wasn't until 1825 that it slowly started to be renovated and reconstructed to being a "Roman Revival". 

Below is a photo of a photo to demonstrate the modern day use of this Amphitheater. Today it  is host to many Opera's, show and summer Festivals.

CLICK - OFFICIAL WEBSITE

MUSEE:

Directly across the street and included in the E6.50 entry ticket ( including audio tour) is a Museum which is host to all the Roman artifacts. It is 5 stories and has ample for those interested in Roman history. 

Below are two paintings from the museum depicting the towns history. All the people in the town worked for the town and had a role to keep it functioning. 

Tastes and flavors of Provence:

Lunch  - E8.50/$12.00
 including beer or wine. Water was an extra charge!

Left:
Bib lettuce salad, Basmati Rice with Soy Sauce and a crispy Thai favored chicken

Below:

Potato Souffle, sesame carrots, lettuce with balsamic dressing and a beef liver.

STORE FRONTS 

Notice just how creative the French are at turning any storefront into a work of art and pleasing to the eye.

TIDBIT: Did you know it is cheaper to buy beer or wine  in a restaurant than a bottle of water in France? Yes.........

We really hope you enjoyed todays travel back in time... tomorrow we take an unexpected turn... so make sure your seat belts are fastened as it ends with a big bang. 

So hold tight.....

night night ....

and for those who like speed, distance, sound and natural surprises - 

make sure you join us on tomorrows drive....

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner