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Chartreuse du Val de Bénédiction, Villeneuve-lés-Avignon, France

But for the religious requirement and the communal living, this lovely monastery tucked away in quiet Villeneuve-lés-Avignon would have been an appealing place to call home. 13th-century village Villeneuve-lés-Avignon is overshadowed by neighboring Avignon, but its second-rate status ensures quiet streets and a slow pace. In the 14th century, Pope Innocent VI donated some land…

Avignon, France

Approaching Avignon, one of Provence’s main cities, I felt like a displaced medieval warrior. Though I was in a modern car on an equally modern four-lane road, the only view I had was of 14th-century stone ramparts fully encircling the city, high enough to conceal all but the very tops of the requisite medieval cluster:…