Palais du Roure

The Palais du Roure, at 3 Rue du Collège du Roure in Avignon, is a historic mansion in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France, set in the old town about three minutes on foot from the Palais des Papes. The building dates from the 15th century, when it belonged to the Baroncelli family, and is closely tied to Provençal culture. In the early 20th century it was bought by the Marquis Folco de Baroncelli-Javon, the poet and bull-breeder who helped revive Camargue traditions, and later by the American scholar Jeanne de Flandreysy, who made it a centre of Provençal studies. Today it houses the Fondation Flandreysy-Le Roure, a research institution devoted to Provençal language, literature and folk heritage. Visitors see period rooms, a library of manuscripts and books connected to the Félibrige literary movement of Frédéric Mistral, collections of costumes, documents, photographs and objects relating to Camargue and Provençal life, and an interior courtyard with a monumental stone entrance. Visits are often organised as guided tours or on set afternoons, since the building doubles as a working foundation. The visit lasts about an hour. Entrance costs about EUR 5, and the house usually opens on Tuesday to Saturday afternoons, so confirming times in advance is wise. The location in a quiet street makes it one of the calmest cultural stops in the centre, and it combines naturally with the cathedral and the Petit Palais nearby.