Vaison-la-Romaine is a town in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.

Vaison-la-Romaine is famous for its rich Roman ruins and mediaeval town and cathedral. It is also unusual in the way the antique, mediaeval and modern towns spanning 2,000 years of history lie close together.

The old town is split into two parts: the "upper city" or Colline du Château on a hill on one side of the Ouvèze, and on the opposite bank, the "lower city" centred on the Colline de la Villasse.

With four theatres and numerous exhibitions and galleries, Vaison-la-Romaine is also renowned for its art scene. Many writers, painters and actors live in the area.

The Roman ruins lie in the valley on the banks of the river Ouvèze which is crossed by a Roman bridge from the 1st century AD. The Roman ruins are located in two main areas: La Villasse and Puymin.

Several large and rich town houses have been excavated:

• the house of the Dolphin (area 2700 m²)
• the house of the Laurelled Apollo (area 2000 m²)
• the house of the Arbour (area 3000 m²)
• the house of the Peacock (area 1000 m²)
• The houses must have belonged to the Vocontii aristocracy who owned estates in the region.

A large number of finds originating from Vaison-la-Romaine are now dispersed among 25 museums worldwide, mostly in Europe and North America.

The mediaeval town is high on the rocky hill as attacks were frequent and the town retreated to a more defensible position.

The apse of the Church of St. Quenin, dedicated to Saint Quinidius, seems to date from the eighth century, one of the oldest in France. The cathedral dates from the 11th century, but the apse and the apsidal chapels are from the Merovingian period.

The town also has a famous open air market held on Tuesdays year round.

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