Cavaillon is famous for its melons, especially for the Charentais—a very fragrant and sweet variety. The region is so protective of this treat that in the 1980s, it established a brotherhood named The Knights of the Order of the Melon, which controls the quality of the melons. Since almost all of the melons produced in Cavaillon are consumed locally, the best way to taste them is to visit the annual Feria du Melon.

Events and Activities

Besides the tastings, you can visit the melon market, the craft market, watch the abrivado, a procession of the bulls through the streets of the city, the procession of traditional provençal horse-drawn carts, or folk-dancing. Lots of restaurants offer a special melon menu or even cooking classes like the one in Le Prévôt where Jean-Jacques Prévôt, a leading Cavaillon chef, will teach you to cook melon beignets or hamburgers with melon, and foie gras.

Feria du Melon and Melon Season History

It is believed that the Cavaillon melon came to this region of France thanks to the popes who came to live in Avignon. In the 18th century, the horned melon was considered the food of the nobility, who could afford this rare delicacy. Melon could be seen on the tables of wealthy people, and it was also often a gift for other nobles.

In the 19th century, melons became more accessible and popular due to the advent of the railway. Melons, grown in the south of France, could now be transported all over the country. From the middle of the 19th century, the golden age of the Cavaillon melon began. Since then, the melon has become one of the symbols of the city of Cavaillon. The writer Alexandre Dumas even gave the city a copy of each of his books in exchange for a lifetime supply of 12 melons a year.