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Origin and history

The ancient arch of Cavaillon is a Roman vestige dated the first century, consisting of a small tetrapyle (monument with four arches) richly carved. Originally located in an unidentified building, it was reused in the Middle Ages as part of the Episcopal Palace of Cavaillon. This palace, described in inventories of the 14th–12th centuries, included a dungeon, house bodies, and a chapel, with the arch probably used in the episcopal wing. Its decor combines rinceaux pilasters, d-acanthe-leaf capitals, and winged genius friezes.

In 1793, after the sale of the episcopal palace as a national good, the arch was dismantled and transported to the Place du Clos, where it stands today. The vault, mistakenly considered medieval, was removed during this displacement. Ranked in 1840 among the first French historical monuments (list of 1,034 sites), it illustrates the Roman provincial architecture and its medieval re-use. Its style — arches in the middle of a hanger, rosette boxes, adorned brushboards — evokes narbon influences.

Specialists agree on a dating early in the century, although its original building remains unknown. Integrated with a changing urban context (the hill dominates the city), the arch also symbolizes the heritage transformations: first functional element of a palace, it became an isolated monument, a witness to local history from antiquity to the Revolution.

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