Apt (Vaucluse)

Apt (in Occitan Of Provence: At/Ate according to the traditional standard and the Norme mistralienne) is a common French, Sous-préfecture of the department of Vaucluse and the area Provence-Alp-Coast of Azure.

Its inhabitants is called Aptésiens or Aptois.

Currency

Faelicibus apta triumphis (Since the 14th century).

Geography

Apt is located on the old Domitienne way. Its center town, grouped around the cathedral Holy-Anne, occupied formerly an island.

35 km of Cavaillon, 38 km of Manosque, 53 km of Avignon (station TGV) and 780 km of Paris

Transport

Main road 100 more or less crosses the commune in its medium on a East-West axis.

In north, the secondary road 943 share in direction of Saint-Saturnin-the-Apt and the secondary road 22 share in direction of Rustrel.

In south-west, the secondary road 3 share in direction of Bonnieux and the secondary road 943, just like 113 which passes by Buoux, share in direction of the combe of Lourmarin. More in the east, the secondary road 48 share in direction of Saignon.

Passage du GR 9 and of many footpaths.

Coach station of Apt.

Cycle track.

Relief

The city was built in a valley between the Massif of Luberon and the Monts of Vaucluse.

Geology

Geologically, three types of grounds mainly are found:

In the plain where Apt developed grounds of quaternary composed of riverwashes, colluviums and fall.

In North, of the hills of the Eocene - Oligocene, left more in the south of the Mounts Vaucluse, composed primarily of limestones, marnes and sandstone. To note the presence of a flagstone of the Oligocene time , close to a stone quarry on the road of Worthy. This one includes/understands many prints of mammals and prehistoric birds.

In the south, first slopes of the solid mass of Luberon with grounds of the Miocène made up of molasses limestones, sands and of marnes.

The remainder, on the part in the west of the commune of Apt, at the beginning of the valley of Calavon, between Gargas and Apt, is a succession of grounds (Jurassic higher, Crétacé, Paléocène) with argillaceous limestones, marnes blue, limestones with Urgonien facies, argillaceous limestones, sands is clays of the Paléokarst…

Apt has a particular direction for the geologists since it is at the origin of the geological layer which one names the Aptien (Cretaceous inferior, between -125 My and -112 My.).

Hydrography

The city is crossed by the Calavon .

Five rivers: Calavon, Doa, Riaille, the Marguerite, Rimayon.

Climate

Station of reference weather: Apt (242m)

History

Several oppida pre-Romans was built on the heights of the city, in order to protect it and to maintain peace. Some of them are shaved by the Romains (like the oppidum of the hill of Pérréal).

A Roman colony is founded towards 50 av. J.C by Jules César under the name of Colonia Apta Julia . Under the Roman occupation, Apta Julia becomes one of the most important cities of the Narbonnese Province with approximately 10 000 inhabitants, grace in particular to his strategic site along the via dominitia .

Apt becomes one évéché at the 3rd century. and until its suppression by the Legal settlement of 1801 will remain it.

The city obtains fortifications as of the Top Moyen-âge.

10th with the 12th century, Co-seigniory of the bishops and lords of Agoult- Simiane, then consular administration as from the 13th century.

In 1365, the syndics aptésiens offer Candied fruits of Apt to the Pope Urbain V.

End 16th, the city is devastated by a flood of the Calavon and two epidemics of plague.

In 1660, the queen Anne of Austria comes in Apt to return its wishes to Sainte Anne.

At the 18th century, the earthenware of Apt is with its apogee.

1720, new epidemic of plague.

Apt took the party of the French Révolution in 1789.

Heraldic

Weapons of the town of Apt:

“Of mouths, with a sword of gold posed out of stake in its sleeve of sand, buckled of gold, the of the same snap, with this currency: FELICIBUS APTA TRIUMPHIS. ” (Malta-Brown, in illustrated France , volume V, 1884)

Administration

Demography

Economy

Resources and productions

Candied fruits : The conservation by crystallized appears in Provence with the Moyen-âge. To the 14th century, Aptésiens provide the Papal Court of Avignon.
Au 19th century, the Artisan S preserve Bigarreau X, Abricot S, Poire S, Figue S, plum S, Chinese, Mandarine S, melon S, angelica, Violette S, Pétale S of pink, Noix…
Vers 1830, success encourages more undertaking to reach the industrial stage: The first electric generating plant is created in 1864.
Aujourd'hui, the factories annually produce 15.000 tons of candied fruits and as many preparations for fresh dairy products (Yaourt S with the fruits…).

Earthenware of Apt : The country of Apt is the heir to a long tradition potière due to quality to her clays and ocher grounds:
Le first Four with Faïencerie was lit by César Moulin in 1728 with Castellet.:
Des craftsmen always perpetuates this activity. Fine Earthenware of different Apt site

Mines

Exploitation of gypsum and sulfur (hamlet of Tapets), of the limestone of Claparède (imitation of marble and hydraulic lime).

Ocher and clay mines.

Agriculture

Co-operative viticultural, of lavender and lavandin.

Many orchards: Cherry trees, olive-trees, etc

Companies of international width

Delta Plus Group : Principal employer of the city, the company Delta Plus Group is the French leader of the individual distribution of protective gears (EAR). The company founded in 1977 employs today 710.000 people in the whole world.

Blachère Illumination : Company of illumination considered on a European scale. It is in particular known to have lit the Eiffel Tower for the passage to the year 2000.

Eurosilicone : Manufacture of surgical implants.

Local life

Traditional market each Saturday morning.

Education

Nursery schools: the hill, cordeliers, the hive and rosemary.

Elementary schools: Henry Bosco, Jean Giono, Antoine of Saint Exupéry Private school of crowned heart

College and Public lycée " Charles de Gaulle"

Private college Jeanne d' Arc

Sports and leisures

Stages (football, athletics, etc)

Tennis, swimming pool.

Schools of horsemanship.

board with veil on the water level .

drive out, fishing.

Health

The Hospital of the Country of Apt has a full capacity of 196 beds & places which are distributed in the following way:

medicine: 39
surgery: 20
gynéco-obstetrics: 10
psychiatry: 4
average stay: 24
long stay: 65
lodging: 34

The old people's home the Madeleine on the heights of Apt has a capacity of 34 beds.

Worship

Christian catholic worship, churches and cemetery.

Famous characters

Holy Anne, owner of the city since 1373.
Antoine de Villon, Astrologer, Alchemist, born on February 24th 1589 in Apt.
Marc-Antoine Grossy (1604 - 1687), theologist
François Career (- 1664), cordelier, preacher of the king.
the family of Rémerville (nobility of Provence) of which François Joseph de Rémerville of Saint-Quentin, author in 1690 of what one calls the " Nobiliaire" town of Apt.
Claude Romain Roofing stone of Perret (1747-1793), revolutionary.
Joseph Aude (1760 - 1840), writer, author of a life of Buffon and famous Junior-Roussel

Delpech, painter.
Joseph-Jean Rivets, bibliographer.
Joseph-Elzéar-Christmas Sollier, sculptor, raises of David.
Bernard Faucon, photographer.
Bruno Garcia, actor (Lieutenant Rooney in Arsenic and old laces, put in scene by Thierry Harcourt).
Emmanuel Guigou, pilot of rally.
Michael Guigou, player of handball in the French national team, evolving/moving at the station of winger left and center-half.
Nicolas Ortiz, victorious of Coupe de France VTT descent and member the team of France during 3 years.
the Taillefer family, related to the world of VTT. The elder one, Christian, in addition was recordman of descent on snow in VTT.
Xavier Louis Vuitton, heir to the house of leather working of luxury Louis Vuitton has a field of wine there, Font Alba.

Tourist monuments and places

The heart of the city is old with several picturesque streets (like the street of the Merchants) and passages under vaults.

the cathedral Holy-Anne

Nave and Romance Bell-tower (of the 12th century).
Crypt S: The lower crypt is oldest, the higher crypt contains Relique S, and a Autel of the 5th century.
central Nave: 16th and 17th centuries.
Treasure of the cathedral including/understanding relics and mounting limousine, crowned goldsmithery, objects of worship and ornaments, collection of caps of marriage.

Old évéché
Door of Saignon
Vault of the Seminar (asylum).

Museums

Museum of history and archeology. The museum presents the history of the city and the country of Apt of the first century to our days. The building rises on the vestiges of the Théâtre Gallo-Roman. It includes/understands Gallo-Roman rooms, the room of the ex-votos, that of the Faïence S of Apt, that of the Hôpital.
Museum of the industrial adventure: Collections recalling the economic history of the country of Apt.
the house of the park of Luberon and its museum of paleontology.

On the commune

has 4 kilometers in the south, Château of Tourrettes, near of the hamlet to Tourrettes
Anciens mills to Are worth, mill of Mauragne and another ruined.
has Tayme, vestiges of square keep.
Several pigeon and old windmills.
Vault strengthened Saint-Saturnin de Bourganes on the rock of Cadafau.
Ruins of the vault of the Hermitage.
Vault of the Madeleine on the way domitienne.
votive Vault Our-Lady-of-the-Guard 1721.
Firm Gallo-Roman. 1st at the 3rd century after JC. It produced Vin and Olive oil.

With the surroundings, except commune

the Colorado Of Provence, in the North-East, between Rustrel and Gignac.
the Luberon and the Regional natural park of Luberon.
the Bridge Julien (MH) of Ier century after J. - C., on Calavon, with its 3 arches, length of 118 Mr.
the geological natural reserve of Gargas.
perched villages of Saignon, Bonnieux, Roussillon, Lacoste, Ménerbes, Joucas, Gordes, Reillanne, Saint-Martin-with-Castillon, Simiane-the-Rotunda, Oppède, Saint-Saturnin-the-Apt, Villars (Vaucluse), etc

Art and Culture

Festival of Jazz in summer.
Trestles of Night: festival of music and humor in July.
open Festival with corso flowered for Pentecost.
Regional natural park of Luberon.
Capital of the Candied fruits and the Ocher .
Festival of the cinemas of Africa of the Country of Apt.

Twinnings

See too

List of the Common bishops of Apt
of Vaucluse

References

Random links: