Avignon is the prefecture of the Vaucluse department and the forty-fifth city of France by its population of almost 93,000 inhabitants (2019). Its territory of more than 16,000 acres (6,475 ha) extends in the plain, from 32 to 400 ft (10 to 122 m) above sea level, at the confluence of the Rhône and the Durance and at the limit of the Gard department to the west and the Bouches-du-Rhône department to the south. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city owes its international fame to its historic center that houses its ramparts, the Palais des Papes and the episcopal complex, the Rocher des Doms, and the Saint-Bénézet bridge. The historical and cultural heritage left by the establishment of the Popes from 1309 to 1423 and the performing arts festival in July attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.