A golden statue of the Virgin Mary (weighing 4.5 tonnes) stands on the dome of Romanesque Cathédrale Notre Dame des Doms (built 1671–72), outstretched arms protecting the city. Next to the cathedral, the hilltop Rocher des Doms gardens provide knockout views of the Rhône, Mont Ventoux and Les Alpilles; there's also a playground . Opposite the palace, the much-photographed building dripping with carvings of fruit and heraldic beasts is the 17th-century former mint, Hôtel des Monnaies .
