Rue des Teinturiers in Avignon: a walk past the water wheels

Rue des Teinturiers follows a canal beneath plane trees in Avignon’s old town. Water wheels, cobbled paving and historic façades make a photographic walk linking the street’s textile past with its heritage sites.

The canal and the water wheels

Known locally as the “Rue des Roues”, Rue des Teinturiers is one of Avignon’s distinctive old streets. A canal, plane trees and rounded cobblestones give it an atmosphere quite different from the broad squares around the Palais des Papes.

Rue des Teinturiers during the Avignon Festival

In July, the street becomes a lively meeting place for theatre audiences and artists. Terraces and venues contribute to its atmosphere between performances. Programmes and opening arrangements change from year to year: check the Festival d’Avignon and Festival Off Avignon websites to plan a theatre visit.

Shaded by plane trees, the pavement consists of pebbles coming from the Durance river. The street runs along a branch of the Sorgue river whose current was strong enough to actuate several paddle wheels - it has been counted up to 23 - of which four remain today.

The Rue des teinturiers was the center of an important textile industry, from the 15th century, with a peak in the 17th century when it was the main economic activity of the city. Fabrication of "Indienne" - printed fabrics with brightly colored patterns still manufactured in Provence - was banned because Nimes and Lyon feared competition from the papal city of Avignon. But it resumed after the Revolution before disappearing in the late 19th century.

Maison du Quatre de Chiffre

At the entrance to Rue des Teinturiers, at the crossroads with Rue Guillaume Puy, is the "Maison Quatre de chiffre" (House of figure Four), one of the last Gothic style houses in Avignon. It is surmounted by battlements and flanked by two watchtowers, an inscription now erased dates its construction from 1493. A mysterious sign adorns its façade: a heart surmounted by a cross of Lorraine and a cross of Saint-André: is it a talisman protecting against the plague, an alchemical symbol or an old trade mark? It is now the home of the city's associations.

Chapelle des Pénitents Gris - Chapel of the Grey Penitents

The Confrérie des Pénitents Gris was born after the capture of Avignon by King Louis VIII of France in 1226. The current chapel has replaced the original St. Croix chapel in which King Louis VIII came to make his devotions during an expiatory ceremony, dressed only in an ash-coloured robe, in the St. Croix chapel then located outside the ramparts. On this occasion, he founded the Royal and Devout Brotherhood of the Grey Penitents, whose mission is to perpetuate the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament preserved in the chapel they are building in this place, a tradition that is still maintained today.

According to the brotherhood’s religious tradition, during the flood of 30 November 1433 the waters parted inside the chapel so that the Penitents could reach the Blessed Sacrament. This account is known as the “Miracle of the Waters”. It belongs to the chapel’s devotional history; consult the brotherhood’s website for information about its activities.

The Convent of the Cordeliers

The Franciscans known as the Cordeliers established a convent in Avignon in 1226. Their church was one of the city’s major religious buildings. According to tradition, Laure, Petrarch’s muse, was buried there in 1348 in the Sade family chapel. Francis I visited her tomb in 1533. Louis XIV later came to the convent to perform the royal ritual of touching sufferers of scrofula.

In 1791 the patriot Nicolas Lescuyer was accused of embezzlement and murdered in the church of Les Cordeliers. This is the origin of the Massacre de la Glacière, which had a great impact in France.

In 1806 the convent was demolished and today only the bell tower of the Church remains, located at the crossroads of the rue des Teinturiers and the rue des Lices.

Planning a walk along Rue des Teinturiers

The street is inside the city walls, between Rue des Lices and Rue Guillaume-Puy. It is best explored on foot; wear comfortable shoes for the uneven cobbles. The wheels and canal can be seen from the street, while individual monuments and theatres have their own opening arrangements.

Continue your walk towards Place Pie and Les Halles or Place de l’Horloge.