Cairanne is a typical Provençal village, built on top of a rocky cliff where the whole urban and economical activity is centered behind the ramparts. These ramparts were built around the XIVe century when pope Innocent VI in Avignon orders to fortify all the cities and castles in the Comtat Venaissin for their protection against external covetousness. Up to the middle of the XIXe century over five hundred people live behind the ramparts in a small space. Because of this large amount of inhabitants, the houses are three or four narrow storey houses. Some of them are leaning on the ramparts. From 1860 on, the inhabitants leave their steep slope and their narrow houses and move down the hill were they build a new urban area all along the road to Carpentras and Bollène. The modern openings in the ramparts take into account an old provençal tradition: only the Southern part protected from the mistral has been opened, the Northern side remains as it was.

Comtat Venaissin : it was the former name of this Provence area which belonged to the Popes until the French Revolution (1789)