Editing Carpentras (section)

===Classical antiquity===
[[File:Carpentras Stela, in CIS II 141 (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|The [[Carpentras Stela]], found in the town in 1704, was the first [[Canaanite and Aramaic inscriptions|Northwest Semitic (i.e. Canaanite or Aramaic) inscription]] published anywhere in modern times.<ref name="Gibson1975">{{cite book|last=Gibson|first=J. C. L.|title=Textbook of Syrian Semitic Inscriptions: II. Aramaic Inscriptions: Including Inscriptions in the Dialect of Zenjirli|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nXkHAQAAIAAJ|date=30 October 1975|publisher=OUP Oxford|isbn=978-0-19-813186-1|page=120|quote=The Carpentras stele: The famous funerary stele ([[Corpus Inscriptionum Semiticarum|CIS ii]] 141) was the first Syrian Semitic inscr. to become known in Europe, being discovered in the early 18 cent.; it measures 0.35 m high by 0.33m broad and is housed in a museum at Carpentras in southern France.}}</ref>]]

Carpentras was a commercial site used by [[Greece|Greek]] merchants in ancient times, and known to Romans at first as '''Carpentoracte Meminorum''', mentioned by [[Pliny the Elder|Pliny]], then renamed '''Forum Neronis''' ("Forum of Nero"); the city retains a [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] [[Arch of Carpentras|triumphal arch]], that has been enclosed by the bishops' palace, rebuilt in 1640, now a law court, and a [[machicolation|machicolated]] [[city gate]], the ''Porte d'Orange''.
[[File:Hotel dieu carpentras by JM Rosier.jpg|left|thumb|''Hôtel-Dieu'' in Carpentras.]]