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Timeline
Temps modernes
Révolution/Empire
XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1800
1900
2000
1830
Construction of water reservoir
Construction of water reservoir 1830 (≈ 1830)
Supply of drinking water from Avignon.
3e quart du XIXe siècle
Garden development
Garden development 3e quart du XIXe siècle (≈ 1962)
Creation of the current public park.
2003
Outstanding garden rating
Outstanding garden rating 2003 (≈ 2003)
Department official label.
2024
Historical monument classification
Historical monument classification 2024 (≈ 2024)
Full site protection.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The Jardin du Rocher des Doms, in total, with its landscaping and grids, including the former West Reservoir (today the Jeanne-Laurent area), the East Reservoir and the Flemish Court of the Petit Palais, all located in Place du Palais, on plots No. 163, No. 852 and No. 853 of the DK section of the cadastre and a portion of the rue des Escaliers, a non-cadastre public domain, as shown in pink on the plan annexed to the decree: classification by decree of 24 January 2024
Key figures
Jean-Pierre Barillet-Deschamps - Landscape
Designer of the English garden.
Eugène Pascal - Architect
Collaborator in site development.
Origin and history
The Jardin du Rocher des Doms is a public green space of 3 hectares, built in the 3rd quarter of the 19th century on the rock of the Doms, in the historic center of Avignon. Ranked a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the nearby Popes' Palace, it dominates the city at 30 meters high. This English garden, surrounded by walls, incorporates a variety of landscape elements: vineyards (cote-du-Rhône vines), centuries-old trees, lake, fountains, and statues of local personalities. An esplanade offers an exceptional panorama of the Rhône, the Pont Saint-Bénézet, Villeneuve-lès-Avignon and the surrounding mountains (Ventoux, Luberon, Alpilles).
The site, occupied since Neolithic, once housed a Gallo-Roman oppidum and a medieval castle. In the 19th century, a water reservoir (1830) was built to feed Avignon, before the garden was set up on its top. Neighbor of the Popes' Palaces, Notre-Dame-des-Doms Cathedral and the Petit Palais Museum, it becomes an emblematic place of the city. Ranked a remarkable garden in 2003 and historic monument in 2024, it also includes a monument to the deaths of the First World War and relaxation areas for visitors.
Designed by landscape architect Jean-Pierre Barillet-Deschamps and architect Eugène Pascal, the garden combines natural and historical heritage. Its facilities (rocks, basins, restaurant-buvette) make it a cultural and recreational space. Owned by the commune of Avignon, it symbolizes the landscaped and architectural heritage of Provence, while offering a preserved setting in the heart of a classified city.
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