Orange

Orange, town in south-east France, in the Vaucluse department. Orange lies on the River Rhône 20 km (12 mi) north of Avignon, and is a centre of tourism and the market town for the surrounding agricultural area. Originally named Arausio, Orange was a thriving city and an important Roman colony during the reign of Augustus, and many of the town's Roman buildings are extremely well preserved. The highly decorated Triumphal Arch which still stands in Orange is one of the largest Roman arches ever constructed. The impressive Roman theatre, measuring over 100 m (330 ft) in diameter and cut into an adjoining hill, is probably the best preserved in the world and is used for open-air concerts and plays in summer. Both the amphitheatre and the triumphal arch were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. There is a Roman museum in the cathedral of Notre-Dame. Fortified during the Middle Ages, Orange passed to France with the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713. Population 28,800 (2005 estimate).