La Mirande Avignon

La Mirande in Avignon is famous for its intricately renovated interiors. No expenses were spared to carefully restore what had survived from the past and to replenish, where necessary, the features of the age of enlightenment for the revival of a nobleman’s townhouse in the 18th century, located in the heart of Provence.

In a brilliant endeavour, a secret private place was converted into a luxurious 5-star hotel without intruding on the soul of the building.

Each guestroom has all the luxury amenities you would expect, but invisible if modern technology is involved as the mirror televisions of the mantelpieces. Even some former servants’ quarters, downstairs, were preserved and contribute to the activities offered.

Twenty six exquisitely intimate bedrooms individually decorated with historic French cotton prints. La Rivière enchantée, La Roseraie, Le Grand Corail, Le Bambou, La Corne d’abondance, Le Perroquet, Le Singe savant…, the very names of the great cotton prints of the past are an invitation to travel.

A constant exoticism pervades the heritage of the rooms’ wall hangings, which have become historical monuments.

A heritage that takes us back through time to the 18th century, the century of Enchantment, when the Anglo-Chinese gardens made their appearance with their attendant literature full of the pleasures of love and nature. Those were the times when the diversity of landscapes and the great variety of art and knowledge were discovered.

The Jesuits described China and the Far East, and European high society was enthusiastic about the new forms of beauty from distant lands.

Indiennes, calico prints that were once imported from India but since 1760 produced by the Royal Manufacture at Jouy, near Versailles, were all the rage being reinterpreted and developed according to the canons of the time.

GARDENS
The garden of the hotel is a place of tranquillity in the city center of Avignon. It offers a unique setting at the foot of the Popes’ Palace.

Our gardener, Marc Leonetti, an unfailing lover of nature, has created a wonderful haphazardness where hedges, boxwoods, fruit trees, holm oaks, roses, laurels and the aromatic herbs, freshly picked for the chefs’ needs, stand side by side. All this vegetation is cultivated according to the precepts of organic farming.

On either side of the garden, you can enjoy the two terraces throughout the day, at sunrise with breakfast, at lunch or dinner within the gastronomic and bistro versions of the restaurant, in the afternoon around a cup of tea or a drink in the evening.

What could be more magical than enjoying this hidden place in the heart of the historic city center? Contemplating the impressive façade of the Popes’ Palace while enjoying a meal or a drink… You wouldn’t get any closer to the essence of Avignon’s history.

In the middle of Summer, when the heat of Provence warms the papal city up, the garden keeps its natural coolness, inviting our guests to take a bucolic break.

ROOMS & SUITES
26 exquisitely intimate bedrooms, individually decorated with historic French cotton prints. La Rivière enchantée, La Roseraie, Le Grand Corail, Le Bambou, La Corne d’abondance, Le Perroquet, Le Singe savant…, the very names of the great cotton prints of the past are an invitation to travel.

A reverie enhanced by the contrasting and omnipresent view of the austere and skyward façade of the Popes Palace, a gothic fortress from the early 14th century, attesting a lifestyle quite different from the Age of Enlightenment. Luxury, calm and pleasure in La Mirande hotel in Provence…

The interior design of the suite’s living room and main bedroom of 57m² represents the proportions and symmetries in vogue in the 18th century: authentic dado wood panelling, visual support for the fabric, reaching from the dado rail to the crown moulding ; matching silk-lined curtains ; vintage parquet floors, antique furniture, paintings, engravings and carpets; invisible mirror television integrated into a trumeau; six large antique windows with a splendid view through the period-appropriate old glass onto the neighboring Popes’ Palace.

The Belle Époque bathroom has a bathtub encased in Carrara Arabescato marble and a separate shower stall. Edwardian fittings and block-printed trompe l’oeil wallpaper imitating a drapery. The bathroom has its own large window with a view onto the garden and Popes’ Palace.

A connecting queen double room offers the possibility for a two-bedroom suite. A luxury hotel in Provence full of wonders. A timeless stay in a suite in the heart of Avignon.

Montgeoffroy is the name of this historic cotton print, the original still visible in a room of Château Montgeoffroy. Created around 1770 it is an “affordable” imitation of the famous and expensive French floral ikats also referred to as “Pompadour silk” with the characteristic shimmering pattern.

DINING
French food from sophisticated up-stairs gourmet restaurant to genuine downstairs table d’hôte in Avignon, a unique fine dining experience in the heart of Provence.

We are very pleased to receive in 2021, in the addition of the MICHELIN Star, the MICHELIN Green Star, emblem for sustainable gastronomy. We are also proud to receive the MICHELIN Plate for our new tavern-style restaurant, Le Mirage.

You cannot come closer to the essence of Avignon’s history than dining either in La Mirande’s most ancient room, where in the 14th century the cardinals treated the popes to dinner, or the restaurant’s garden adjacent to the impressive walls of the Pope’s Palace.

And you can alternate with the entertaining downstairs’ atmosphere of the guest table in the historical kitchen, also the venue of the cooking school that has welcomed some of the most renowned Chefs of Provence.

In the heart of Avignon, an exceptional table to be discovered. In the Michelin starred restaurant, Florent Pietravalle is creating a 6 or 9 course tasting menu, exploring the strong savours of Provence’s bountiful food supply.

An atmosphere with a unique decor; inside in the Cardinalice room or outside on the terrace and in the garden with a breathtaking view of the Popes’ Palace.

Alternative to the gourmet restaurant, Florent’s light and relaxed “à la carte” lunch and dinner menu, served 7 days a week in the garden room or on the adjacent terrace next to the Popes Palace.

Downstairs, in the convivial atmosphere of the former servants’ quarters and ancient kitchen, a stunning farm-to-table meal is prepared on the wood burning kitchen range in front of up to 14 peoples seated around the large kitchen table.

At MIRAGE, a contraction of Mirande and garage, a tavern-style restaurant, the team of La Table Haute and the Cooking classes, led by Chef Jeff Mouroux, serves a daily menu based on organic and local products.

Take the time for a drink or a cup of tea in the center of Avignon, next to the Popes’ Palace. Enjoy the lounges or the terrace to appreciate cocktails and other beverages on the bar side.

You can also go for a selection of teas and home-made pastries in the afternoon. During winter, tasting our traditional hot chocolate is a must.

COOKING & PASTRY CLASSES
The old kitchen installed in the middle of the mid-19th century to serve the needs of the Pamards, then one of the leading families in Avignon, is also the setting for the “Table Haute/Le Marmiton” cooking school.

Its resident chef and some of the region’s greatest chefs of Provence lead cooking & pastry classes for all culinary enthusiasts, from those looking for an introduction to the art of Provencal cooking to those wishing to enhance their knowledge of gastronomy.

The chefs of Provence gather in the historical kitchen of La Mirande in Avignon and cook on the old 19th century wood stove. Every gourmet apprentice appreciates these fun moments where cooking secrets are passed on in a place steeped in history.

Aprons, utensils and technical sheets are provided and the classes end around a meal with wine pairing suggestions of our sommelier. In keeping with La Mirande’s spirit of conviviality, novice chefs will have the pleasure of inviting friends to join them round the table and share in the meal they have prepared.

The cooking & pastry classes’ themes change according to the seasons and the chefs’ expertise inspired by the gastronomical heritage of Provence and the Mediterranean.

Our chef Florent Pietravalle gives you the opportunity to dive into the unique world of Michelin-starred gastronomy. An opportunity for you to discover gourmet cuisine on stage and behind the scenes during his “Immersion en cuisine étoilée”” class.

Séverine Sagnet, former chef of La Table Haute/ Le Marmiton in La Mirande, continues to share her passion for traditional gastronomy through her unusual “Gourmet Strolls”.

Séverine will take you through the city of Avignon and taste the sweets and goodies she likes at her favourite gourmet shops. You will go shopping at Les Halles market, choosing what you wish to prepare for lunch. Back at La Mirande, you will cook a 3-course menu and enjoy it with matching wines from Rasteau.

For the sweets-lovers, we suggest pastry classes: macaroons, profiteroles, logs… Renowned pastry chefs and chocolate makers reveal their recipes and cooking tricks related to their expertise.

Pastry classes for children aged 7 and over will awaken their taste buds and creativity. Choosing the right products and mixing textures should be taught at a very young age.

Chocolate, fondant and other delicious pastries are made in an atmosphere filled with games and laughter for educational and playful moments. From making the recipes… to the midafternoon snack… two hours of sweet delights!

La Mirande, a living historic monument
La Mirande, luxury hotel in Avignon, contributes actively to the cultural life of the city with organizing regularily concerts of chamber music, exhibitions, performances, art and craft markets, culinary events and theme festivities, themed parties.

Famous and lesser-known artists have left unforgettable memories. The great harpsichordist Gustav Leonhardt came regularly to give recitals, Véronique Gens came to sing Haydn’s lieder once and French melodies on another occasion.

Gary Hoffman and David Selig gave his 5 sonatas for cello and piano in one go on the eve of the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, Philippe Graffin, Natacha Kudritskaya, Claire Desert, Henri Demarquette, Amy Norrington… came more than once.

As part of Festival de Théâtre « In », Sophie Calle left her mark in room 20 of our luxury hotel, a performance from July 15th to 19th 2013, and Johnny Lebigot exhibited his plant/animal compositions, including an enchanting mobile that hung on the patio until the day a majestic chandelier with tassels and vine roots replaced it as part of an exhibition by the artist, Christine Ferrer.

Jean-Marc Ferrari is at the origin of the sound universe, the soundtrack of a visit or a stay at La Mirande in Avignon. The city hosts all over the year numerous events and exhibitions attracting tourists all over the world.

The hotel is ideally located in the heart of Provence to attend internationally renowned fairs and events such as Avignon Festival, Les Chorégies d’Orange, International Piano Festival of La Roque d’Anthéron.

Visit Avignon & the Popes’ Palace
a UNESCO world heritage site in Provence
Avignon is like the hub of a wheel to all the major attractions that Provence can offer. At the crossroads of Provence and Occitanie regions, near the Mediterranean, the Camargue, the Luberon and the Alpilles, Avignon is the ideal place to stay for a getaway and visit Provence.

There is the Popes’ Palace, so tall that you can see it from far away, an iimpressive cluster of towers, a citadel within the walled city, the attempt of the French crown to fix the papacy in Avignon for good, promoting Avignon to become the duration of a century (from 1309 to 1377) the capital of Christianity.

Almost all rooms at La Mirande offer a close and romantic view from different angles of this World Heritage monument, the world’s largest Gothic palace, the renown Popes’ Palace.

There are the ramparts build by the Popes in the 14th century still entirely encircling the old town, kept and restored through the ages because in modern times still useful as barrier against the floods from the Rhône.

There is the cathedral, Notre Dame des Doms with its amazing blend of Baroque and Romanesque architecture inside, the splendid view from its doorsteps’ esplanade and the beautiful public gardens of the Rocher des Doms some 30 meters above the river dominating the city and surrounding countryside with the famous Mont Ventoux in the distance.

And, “bien sûr”, there is the Pont d’Avignon (Le pont Saint-Bénézet), the broken bridge, only four arches left of twenty-two, build in 1234 and destroyed by a catastrophic flood in 1669. It is this bridge that the famous song “Sur le pont d’Avignon, on y danse, on y danse”.

Terroir, wine & gastronomy
There are many farmers’ markets in Avignon. You can meet some of them at Les Halles market every morning or at the market in the center of the city on Saturday morning.

Visit the Manguin distillery on l’Île de la Barthelasse (facing the Pont d’Avignon) and you will discover excellent spirits! From the Alpilles to the Luberon, explore many olive-oil farm properties.

De nombreux chefs talentueux œuvrent chaque jour et rendent hommage aux produits locaux et de saison et la région ne regroupe pas moins de 20 chefs étoilés en Provence.

Inaugurée Capitale des côtes du Rhône le 30 août 2014, Avignon regorge de sublimes vignobles tout autour ; Châteauneuf du Pape, Cairanne, Vacqueyras, Gigondas, Beaumes de Venise, Ventoux, Luberon…

There are many talented chefs paying tribute to local and seasonal produce. The region has no less than 20 Michelin-starred chefs in Provence. On August 30th 2014, Avignon was recognized as the capital of the Côtes du Rhône.

Avignon is surrounded by beautiful vineyards all around; Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Cairanne, Vacqueyras, Gigondas, Beaumes de Venise, Ventoux, Luberon…

Wine is also present in Avignon’s museums. “au pot de grès” still-life by Paul Cézanne and a drawing by Pablo Picasso illustrating a bottle of wine are displayed within Jacques Doucet’s collection in the Angladon museum.

Website: www.la-mirande.fr

Rooms: 26

Price: from 381 EUR per night