The village of Venasque in the Vaucluse department appeared as Vindasca in the 6th century, castro Venasca or Vendasca in the 10th century, and Vennasca at the beginning of the 11th century. The name's etymology is of Celto-Ligurian origin and combines the Celtic prefix wind (white) with the Ligurian suffix asca (rock). The village extends on a white rock visible from afar and, in particular, from the city of Carpentras, located in the plain 6.8 mi (11 km) northwest of Venasque.