LOURMARIN, ONE OF THE MOST PICTURESQUE VILLAGES IN PROVENCE

The village of Lourmarin is one of the loveliest in the region, and it comes as no surprise that it has been designated one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France.  Every time we’re in this part of Provence, we make a point of visiting Lourmarin, and this last time we stayed for a couple of nights so that we could better absorb the atmosphere, and see what the village was like out of the normal tourist visiting hours.  Despite being such a popular destination, Lourmarin has managed to maintain a lively community spirit and obvious sense of camaraderie among the locals.

Lourmarin lies at the foot of the Luberon Massif (mountain) in the heart of the Regional Natural Park of the Luberon, in the Department of Vaucluse, where a pass divides the Luberon from north to south.  Most of the villages of the Luberon are in the so-called Petit Luberon to the west.  The Massif here is low enough that you can walk up to the top without being a climber, and high enough to give fantastic views from the path that runs all along the top.  In the Luberon, you can find the bling of a “6-star palace” hotel in one village, and 10 minutes away the absolute authenticity of a quiet village whose ancient fountain gurgles away in a dusty square, with one small café and a boulangerie.

Lourmarin is located 35 kms north of Aix-en-Provence, just a short 35-40 min. drive or an hour’s bus ride.  58 kms from Avignon, it takes around 2 hrs. by bus, changing at Apt., or around 40 mins. by car.  Although not a typical perched, hill-top village—it’s on a plain with two slight hills (more like rises).  As you’ll discover, it’s one of the loveliest Luberon villages.  As soon as you arrive, you know you’ve found somewhere quite special, and it comes as no surprise to learn that it is designated as one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France (most beautiful villages).  As someone once remarked, it’s where café culture meets the timeless delights of a medieval Luberon village.

Lourmarin always has a lively atmosphere, especially on Fridays, which is market day.  Brightly coloured stalls overflow with fresh produce, flowers—especially enormous bunches of lavender during the harvesting season–local olives, cheeses, Provençal-themed table linen, pretty baskets and fashion.  From 8.00am, vendors’ white vans fill the car-park and market stalls set up in Place Henri Barthelemy, spilling out along the narrow streets.  Lourmarin’s organic market takes place on Tuesday evenings.

In the centre of the village where the roads converge, there are tables everywhere on the footpath, where you can join locals sitting in the sun enjoying a morning coffee, a relaxing drink at sundown after a busy day exploring, to a 5-course dinner at the end of the day.  The streets of the village meander round, past fountains and houses packed tightly side-by-side, rising up to the highest point of the village to the impressive belfry, built on the vestiges of a medieval moated château that once defined Lourmarin.

Lourmarin had been an important stop on the Marseille-Apt route since the 11^th century, located in the cleft that runs right through the Luberon mountain range.  It was also a popular stopping point for travellers on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.  The village was under the control of the Baux family, lords of the county of Forcalquier in the 10^th century, then in the 13^th century, it was integrated into the county of Provence.  During the Renaissance period, the population of the village increased following the emigration of the Vaudois of the Alps (Briançon, Embrun, and the valleys of Piedmont).

In April 1545, following the violent conflict between Catholics and Protestants, the troops of the French privateer, Paulin de la Garde, acting on behalf of King François 1, then Henri ll, and at the request of the first president of Provence, the village was set on fire.  Some of the survivors converted to Catholicism, while others, rather than convert to Roman Catholicism, subsequently left and headed back to Piedmont.

There was still a sizeable Protestant community in the 17^th century, but after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, some of the Huguenot winegrowers of the village fled to the Netherlands.  They then embarked on the ships of the Dutch East India Company for South Africa.  One of the Lourmarin winemakers, Jean Roy, emigrated to South Africa in 1688 and established one of the most famous vineyards in that country today, the L’Ormarins estate in Franschhoek.

A plague epidemic reduced the population by one-third in 1720.  However, in the 18^th and 19^th centuries, the village prospered due to the development of agriculture, vineyards, olive groves and silkworms.

The medieval Château de Lourmarin was built between 1480 and 1526 by Fouques d’Agoult, chamberlain of King Rene l of Anjou, and his successors on the ruins of the ancient 12^th century fort.  The Renaissance part of the château was built between 1526 and 1560, although the elegant galleries of stone and wood were built in the 15^th century, while the square tower, its chimneys decorated with caryatids, and high bays connected by vertical spans, and the fountains were constructed in the Renaissance style.

Although the château escaped destruction during the Revolution, it was badly neglected over the centuries by successive owners, and fell into partial ruin.  During the 1920s, Laurent Vibert, a Lyon-based industrialist and patron, bought the château and restored it entirely, based on archival documents.  It has been described as the “Little Villa Medici of Provence.”

The first part of the château you visit is the Loggia, and the medieval section, on 3 levels, is accessed by a spiral staircase.  In the courtyard itself are the vaulted cellars: an old prison, the kitchen and bakery where you can still see the oven.  There is an impressive double spiral staircase, and on each floor as you ascend, you will find the concert room, ladies’ bedchamber, reception room, salon, music room, gentlemen’s bedchamber, all of which are decorated in 18^th century Provençal style, with many treasures on display.  There’s beautiful woodwork and centuries old furniture, enormous fireplaces with intricate carving.

The château is aligned with the Academie des Arts et des Belles-Lettres in Aix-en-Provence, and these days welcomes young talents from the region, and organises a wide variety of cultural events throughout the year.  The château was classified as a Monument Historique in 1973, and it’s open for visits all year round.  Guided tours of the château and its art, including some engravings by Piranesi, are available.

In the village also check out the 15^th century belfry, the 11^th century Church of Saint André et Saint Trophime, with its splendid Renaissance vaults and majestic altarpiece dedicated to the patron saint, the alleyways and their ancient façades, the Protestant Temple and its clock tower, the fountains, and the numerous art galleries and antiques shops.

Lourmarin has had its share of famous residents, such as the writer Henri Bosco and Nobel Prize-winning author Albert Camus, who are now buried in the village cemetery.  There is a street in the village named after Camus.  The British writer Peter Mayle, who wrote the hugely popular “A Year in Provence”, once lived briefly in the village after returning from the Hamptons in the US, before moving to the neighbouring village of Vaugines.

Every part of this little village is full of Provençal life, with locals going about their daily activities and visitors strolling about enjoying the atmosphere.  The narrow streets that meander around the village’s heart are brimming with the most charming boutiques, antique shops, art galleries, casual restaurants and cafes serving good quality local food and local wines.

At the main intersection in the village, there are cafes spread out along the footpaths, where both visitors and locals gather at the bistro tables outside and enjoy sitting amongst friends and strangers in this charming setting.  This small village is the perfect location to spend a day or two simply relaxing and taking in the special atmosphere and hospitality of the Luberon.

“Lourmarin. The first evening after many so many years.  The first star over the Luberon, the immense silence, the top of the Cyprus tree that trembles in the breeze…”  Albert Camus

“Yes, one evening in Provence, one perfect hill, one whiff of salt are enough to show us that everything still lies before us…”    Albert Camus, writing about Lourmarin.