I’ve found a great lantern to put above the front door.
I dont want the gite to look too posh, but I wanted to have a nice enough light fitting so that people dont think I haven’t spent some money on the place!
First impressions count.
A little undecided, I narrowed the choice between wrought iron in a black painted finish and a more traditional one in copper.
Many searches later, I found just what I wanted on Leboncoin.

I picked it up yesterday and to say I am pleased is an understatement. Completely undamaged, and in its original condition, it was sold to me ‘dans son jus’.
This means it hasn’t been touched, modified or cleaned by the previous owner.

I wanted to know where he got it from, and the story didn’t disappoint. I didn’t want to hear he found it at a vide-greniers (car boot sale).

He told me that he was a retired electrician and during the 1980’s he had been working in the centre of Avignon on a street-lighting replacement scheme.
Many workers were throwing these old lanterns away by the dozen, but others decided they were theirs to keep!

He kept his and 30 years later he put it up for sale.

I’ve done some checking and found that these copper lanterns were all over the centre of Avignon – especially around the town hall, and the streets leading into the centre.
The replacement scheme maybe took a lot down, but there are still many still hanging as the picture below shows.
This is the up-to-date GoogleMaps 2016 image of the Hotel de Ville (Town Hall) in Avignon and one of the lanterns hangs on a nice volute in front.