Gordes

Gordes ( Gòrda in Of Provence according to the traditional Standard and Gordo according to the Standard mistralienne) is a common French located in the department of Vaucluse, area Provence-Alp-Coast of Azure. It belongs to the most visited villages Regional natural park of Luberon.

Perched on a rock, the village is classified among the most beautiful villages of France thanks to its rich inheritance and varié : two Abbey S, of very many old hamlets, several Mill S with water and wind and several hundreds of dry stone huts or Borie S.

Its inhabitants is called the Gordiens .

Geography

Situation

Gordes is located in the center of the Département of Vaucluse, on the southern side of the Monts of Vaucluse, dominating the top of a rock piton the valley of the Calavon and facing the mountain of Luberon.

The commune of Gordes is bordering on those of Venasque and Murs in north, Joucas and Roussillon, in the east, Goult, Saint-Pantaléon, Beaumettes and Oppède in the south and Cabrières-in Avignon and Saumane-of-Vaucluse in the west. It is halfway located road leading of Cavaillon to Saint-Saturnin-the-Apt.

Topography

Located at horse between two geographical units, Gordes is one of the most extended communes of the area with 4804 [[hectare]] S. the north of the commune is formed by the Monts of Vaucluse. It is there that the culminating point of the commune is at 635 meters of altitude, near the “Pouraque” and of the “Three Terms”. The south of the commune is formed of the plain of the Calavon (known as also “Northern valley Luberon”) and of the hills of the sector known as of the “Scrubland” where is the point low of the commune 111 meters from altitude, in the south-west of the municipality, the level of the “plan of Alba”.

The village of Gordes is as for him in extreme cases between these two reliefs, on a headland Calcaire of the mounts of Vaucluse, dominating the plain of Calavon of 120 meters while culminating with 370 meters of altitude.

Hydrography

Gordes is partly located on the Monts of Vaucluse, known to be rich in water (Fountain-of-Vaucluse is with a few kilometers in the west only). Several rivers traverse the commune, as well surfaces some as under ground.

The two principal surface rivers of Gordes played a central role in the life and the establishment of the sites. The Sénancole, located at the west of the commune, is at the origin of the choice of the site of the Abbaye of Sénanque. The Véroncle, located at the east of the commune, allowed by a system of Barrage S and channels to direct water until Moulin S in order to actuate Meule S and to develop the economic activity of the sector. But the many modernization and the earthquakes (whose that of November 14th, 1887 which destroyed, inter alia, the principal stopping) were right of this activity. The river is since partly underground. Véroncle joined in edge is commune, coming from Joucas towards Goult, the Carlet which, like the Roubine, is thrown in the Imergue.

The underground rivers of Gordes are numerous. Some, as in the “small valley” in the north of the village, had even been channeled to make it possible greater quantities of water to arrive towards the places of life.

Geology

With a strong variation of the relief, the Géologie of the grounds of the commune is divided into several distinct zones.

Thus, there exists in north, on the Monts of Vaucluse, of the grounds dating mainly from the Jurassic superior composed of Calcaire S with facies Urgonien and of limestones Argile ux. One also finds, in very small proportion and very localized above Sénanque, a ground dating from the Eocene - Oligocène composed of limestones, Sable S and clays.

Geology in the south of the village is more complex with the plain under Gordes (south-eastern) made up of grounds dating from the Quaternaire (riverwashes, colluviums and fall) and of grounds from the Jurassic superior Crétacé (argillaceous limestones and marnes blue aptiens)   ; hills of the sector of “the scrubland” (in the south of the village) made up of grounds dating from the Paleocene cretaceous (sandy limestones, water limestones, multi-coloured clayey sands, white sands and ochers like some ferruginous armours) and from the Miocène (molasses limestones, sands and marnes)   ; finally ground of the territory going down towards the plain from the Calavon with a part slightly more in height dating from the miocene (molasses limestones, sands and marnes) and lower of quaternary (riverwashes, colluviums and fall).

Climate

Gordes is located in the zone of influence of the Mediterranean Climat.

Directed in the south and undergoing the effects of the Mistral which blows almost a third of the year in the Vaucluse, the village profits from a particularly high Ensoleillement with approximately 300 days per annum (298 days in 2006) with a low number of days Nuage ux or rainy (forty days cloudy and 26 days rainy in 2006.

These figures show a very strong pluviometry in July 2006 with 88,5 mm of precipitations (the average over twenty years was only of 26 mm) due to a rather exceptional succession of storms. The distribution of the rains was strongly unequal on the commune as the statements of table Ci-dessous  show it;:

Protected areas, fauna, flora

The majority of natural spaces, which occupy more half of the commune, are formed of Mediterranean forests and in particular of the Chênaie S located in the Monts of Vaucluse. These natural spaces are mainly protected by their classification in natural Zone from ecological, faunistic and floristic interest (ZNIEFF) of type 1 (1861 [[hectare]] S) and of type 2 (29475 hectares) or in Secteur of major biological value (SVBM) of 703,523 hectares in “Sénancole” and of 235,195 hectares in the sectors of Combe de Véroncle and the wood of Audibert.

The fauna is it also protected like large the Rapace S from the Luberon (stopped protection of biotope of April 25th, 1990).

A zone of nature and silence of a surface of 1861 hectares is also in force.

History

Origins

The origin of Gordes is related to the Celtic tribe Vordenses which set up a defensive Oppidum for Cavaillon at the top of the rock where currently the village is. The name of Gordes would come from Vordense which transformed into Gordenses then Gordae and finally Gordes .

There remain still several traces of important the Roman occupation like the passage of the Roman Voie of Carpentras to the valley of Apt to the district of the “Cousins”, the vestiges Gallo-Roman of the district of Bouisses (Squelette S, Amphore S, columns) or the Gallo-Roman substructions with the hamlet of Large.

At the 8th century, the Abbaye bénédictine of Saint-Chaffret is based by monks of the abbey of Saint-Chaffre of Monastier-in-Velay on the remainders of old a concealed destroyed during the Arab invasions .

Middle Ages

Since the 11th century, the impressive mass of sound castle crown the village of Gordes. Guillaume d' Agoult, one of the first ancestors of this powerful feudal family which covered Fortification S all the surrounding villages, dated November 30th, 1031 mentions it in a charter (original text contained in the cartulaire of Saint-Victor of Marseilles). Its successors reinforce it until making of it in 1123 a nobile castrum , only thus named among the very many neighbouring castles. Besieged in vain by the baron of the Adrets during the wars of religion, it is the Fief marquis de Simiane then Duc S of Soubise and at the 18th century of the princes de Condé.

At the 13th century, Gordes rejoins the Maison of Savoy while being put under the protection of Béatrix of Savoy following an estrangement with the Royaume of France. This one will establish a garrison there (quoted in 1258).

In the middle of the 14th century, just like in the surrounding villages, the first ramparts are drawn up with the foot of the houses. It is one of the repercussions of the fear generated by the Guerre One hundred Year old. François Joseph de Rémerville of Saint-Quentin describes in 1690 the village in these termes : “Gordes, large closed borough of walls”.

Following the death of the king Rene, the county of Provence is incorporated in the kingdom of France under the name of “French royal province” in 1481. An insurrection bursts in the old states of Agoult-Simiane and the old county of Forcalquier. Gordes is characterized by a strong opposition to the French centralism but pay heavily its claims from independence. One year later, for the marriage of his/her son, Jacques Raybaud de Simiane takes the title of “Baron de Gordes”. Thereafter, the whole of its descent keeps this title without no known text speaking about a transformation of the seigniory into baronnie.

Rebirth

In 1544, the Of Vaud ones set fire to the monastery of Sénanque, Abbaye founded cistercian in 1148 at the time of the movement of spiritual rebirth and nun which touches the area with and 13th centuries. Gordes is one of the first villages to accept the Protestant Réforme, choice very at the time dared considering the proximity of Avignon. In 1615, Gordes is set up in marquisat by Louis XIII in favor of Guillaume de Gordes Simiane.

In 1709, several documents attest of one very hard winter which penalized strongly the population by destroying harvests (of which the olive-trees), pots of storage, stone tanks, etc In 1720, the Peste arrives at Marseilles, the following year, it strikes already all the Provence and arrives in Comtat Venaissin.

Modernization

In second half of the 18th century, the maintenance of the ramparts which surround the borough is little by little abandoned. One of the Cimetière S is transferred apart from the enclosure in 1755 to its current site but he is solemnly blessed only on May 27th, 1855.

Following the decree of June 25th, 1793, the Département of Vaucluse is created on August 12th, 1793. It is then consisted of the districts of Avignon and Carpentras but also of those of Apt (of which Gordes forms part) and of Orange, which belonged to the Rhone delta, as well as Canton of Sault, which belonged to the Low-Alps.

End of the 18th century to second half of the 19th century, the economic activity around Gordes is strong and the commune then is well populated.

In the field of the agricultural production, one notes the culture of the garance, the Oléiculture or the culture of the Figue S and the Amande S. There is also the breeding of worms to silk being useful for the craft industry.

In the field of the artisanal production, there is the work of the Cuir by tanners and very many shoe-makers. At the time, a shoe was a single model for the two feet and it is the idea (found and exploited elsewhere) that one could differentiate the form from the shoe put on the right of that put on the left which made lose the military market at the village and involved the fall of this activity. One notes also the weaving of the Soie whose Gordes was an important center with two spinning mills. Lastly, several wool carding houses as well as the clothes industry of “cadis” (coarse woolen articles and cloths).

Concerning the production of raw materials, it is above all for its stones that Gordes is known. Two varieties made its renommée : the “molasse” which was used in the construction and the “stone of Gordes” resistant to fire and used for the Four S and the Cheminée S. There were also mines of Fer, a mine of coal on the hill of Castlings and even a mine of Soufre to the bottom of the village.

The fatty Tuesday of 1886, the spinning mill of low Fountain is destroyed by a fire. This economic catastrophe obliges the “ropemaking machines” to find work elsewhere. They will have to make more than three hours of walk to join Fountain-of-Vaucluse. The way that they borrowed since is called the “way of the ropemaking machines”.

End of the 19th century at the beginning of the 20th century, several earthquakes occurs in Luberon. That of November 14th, 1887 shakes even the Clocher and destroyed several houses like a whole branch of industry gordienne while making underground Véroncle and thus depriving of energy its five Moulin S. That of 1909 still destroys other houses. Moreover, the cold rigorous ones of 1890 and 1892 damage the agricultural productions deeply.

In 1914, one counts eighteen windmills on the commune. Those gradually replaced old the water mills.

Second world war

During the Second world war, Gordes is an important place of Résistance, which will be worth at the village to receive the Military Cross with money star.

August 21st, 1944, one week after the unloading on the coasts of Provence, a patrol having been hung hard by the maquis, the village as of the following day is victim of violent reprisals.

The August 22nd, the Germans make return in the houses the rare inhabitants who could not put themselves at the shelter, drawing on those which are delayed; then, having installed guns opposite on the rock of Bel Air, they bombard the village, destroying there a dozen houses, while several others are dynamited then burnt, mainly at the entries of the city to block the crossroads and to thus slow down possible prosecutors. On the whole, twenty buildings were destroyed by reprisals or acts of war.

The militia had also been active in Gordes and of many buildings, by calling upon this reason, plundered and were set fire to with the Libération, of which the house of the notary Villevieille which contained the notarial Archives village. All this destruction was worth with the commune the unhappy privilege to appear among the three “disaster victims cities” of the department of Vaucluse.

On the whole, thirteen people are killed or carried out during the Second world war and it is the intervention of a monk of the Abbaye of Sénanque near Kommandantur which makes it possible to avoid maltreatment even more serious. Twenty inhabitants fell under the enemy balls and five of them were taken along out of foreign ground.

Following these tragic hours, the city is quoted with the order of division, on November 11th, 1948. The Military Cross with money star is allotted to him with the quotation suivante : “Martyrdom City which was under the Occupation one of the most active centers of Resistance”.

Nowadays

Since the Post-war period and the necessary period of rebuilding, the village attracts more and more artists whose Marc Chagall or Jean Deyrolle which discovers the village in 1947 and involves many his/her friends there (Serge Poliakoff, Vasarely, Dewasne, etc).

More recently, the main activities are related to the Tourisme (of which hotel trade, the santons, the fabrics, art, etc) and with the Immobilier (sale, construction, decoration, etc).

Several galleries of exposures are also installed in the village.

Demography

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TextData= fontsize: S pos: (30,20) text: town hall source of Gordes

According to an investigation of the Diocese of Cavaillon realized in 1597 and qualifying Gordes of “important village”, the population of the time was of: 3000 inhabitants whereas that of Cavaillon was only of: 4000 inhabitants at the same time. This figure of: 3000 inhabitants seems to be close to the median value until the years 1860-1870, beginning of the depopulation of the sector.

The common one has economic concern more and more. Fire destroyed the spinning mill low Fountain, old the water mills cannot function more, the inventions (the garance is replaced by synthetic dyes with the Aniline) and the rigors climatic harm the artisanal and agricultural activities of the commune. The places start to be deserted to the surroundings from 1920.

Beyond this period, the population grows again until the beginning of the Second world war which makes fall this one.

Since the end of the Second world war, the population increases with a stronger progression between 1982 and 1990, corresponding to the result of a long work of valorization of the local real estate, with new a Plan of occupation of the grounds in 1984 (always into force) supporting the conservation of the quality of the site, with the development of the Autoroute S and on arrival of TGV.

Differentiation enters the commune and the borough

Whereas the village included/understood: 1100 inhabitants on a total population of: 2805 (that is to say 39%) in 1866, only twenty years later, in 1886, year of the fire of the spinning mill of low Fountain, the proportion was reduced to 651 for: 2010 (that is to say 32%) on the commune.

A quarter century years later in 1911, it is of 366 on: 1360 are 27% only. People give up the borough which offers work less and less. The hamlets are depopulated less quickly because the agricultural activity is facilitated by the proximity of the cultivable grounds and the creation of several circles making it possible to provide an employment to the inhabitants. In spite of that, the commune is emptied little by little.

In 1954, the proportion is of 232 on: 1075 are only 21%. The Second world war made dégâts : in the borough, the houses which were not destroyed by the Bombardement S were it for tax reasons (withdrawal of the roof to avoid the Taxe of dwelling) and for lack of maintenance. But gradually, of people are caught affection for the particular shape of the borough and this one is repopulated. In 1962, one counts 397 inhabitants in the borough for: 1363 in the commune, are a return towards the 29%. This proportion further increased since with a widening of the limits of the borough as well as the rebuilding of the old destroyed houses and the creation of news.

Population pyramid

The Population pyramid of the commune shows that Gordes is a city definitely older than the French average and than the share of the young adults does not cease moving back. If the share of the children did not vary between the two Recensement S of 1990 and 1999 while remaining largely under the average of the country (12,4% boys and 11,4% girls of less than fifteen years compared with 18,8% and 16,9% in France), the share of the adults from 15 to 44 years, it so lower than the national average from three to seven points, on the other hand moved back from two to four points lasting the same period. The reprocessed are surreprésentés, adding up 28% of the population compared with 18,2% in France contrary to the provided education for young people who account for only 16,5% of Gordian compared with 25% with the national scales.

The sections from the 45 to 95 years or more remain surreprésentées compared to the national average at a rate of eight additional points for the section from the 60 to 74 years (20,8% of the men and 20,5% of the women with Gordes against respectively 12,9% and 14,3% in France) and the double of the national average for the most 75 years (11,3% and 13,9% compared with respectively 5,7% and 9,6% in France).

Environment

Several containers make it possible Gordian to make a recycling.

A truck passes twice per month to carry out the collecting of the " free; encombrants" (diagrids, electric household appliances, pieces of furniture…), however the commune does not have its own processing center of waste.

The dechetery nearest is the dechetery of Coustellet.

Administration

Gordes is the chief town of a adding up canton of eight communes: 5889 inhabitants in 1999. The canton belongs to the second district of Vaucluse.

Gordes belongs to the jurisdiction of authority of Apt and great authority as well as trade of Avignon.

The municipal council is composed of nineteen members, proportionally with the many inhabitants.

Mayors

Political tendencies

Politically, Gordes has been clearly a preserving commune, the voters having continuously voted very mainly with right with all the elections for several decades. The municipal elections are gained since 1983 by Maurice Chabert (RPR then UMP).

With the European referendum on the treated of Maastricht (poll of September 20th, 1992), on: 1601 registered voters: 1267 voted, which represents a participation of 79,14%, that is to say a Abstention from 20,86%. There was a light victory of the yes with 632 votes (51,09%) against 605 votes (48,91%) which decided for the not , thirty votes (2,37%) being white or null.

At the European Election of 2004, Francoise Grossetête (UMP) arrived at the head with 28,15%, followed by Michel Rocard (PS) with 23,20%, Thierry Cornillet (UDF) with 13,66%, Jean-Marie Le Pen (FN) with 10,60%, Jean-Luc Bennahmias (ecology) with 7,18% and Patrick Louis (MPF) with 6,36%  ; no other candidate not exceeding the threshold of the 2,5%.

With the referendum on the European constitution (poll of May 29th, 2005), on: 1676 registered voters: 1316 voted, which represents a participation of 78,52% of the total, that is to say an abstention from 21,48%. There was a victory of the yes with 716 votes (55,85%), 566 votes (44,15%) being pronounced against and 34 (2,58%) being blank votes or null.

With the presidential election of 2007, the first turn saw dissociating definitely at the head Nicolas Sarkozy (UMP) with 47,27%, followed by Ségolène Royal (PS) with 16,56%, Francois Bayrou (UDF) with 16,12%, Jean-Marie Le Pen (FN) with 10,60% and Philippe de Villiers (MPF) with 2,35%, no other candidate not exceeding the threshold of the 2%. The second turn saw arriving largely at the head Nicolas Sarkozy with 70,48% (national  result;: 53,06%) against 29,52% for Ségolène Royal (national  result;: 46,94%).

To the legislative elections of June 2007, the voters of the commune, which belongs to the Second district of Vaucluse, largely contributed to make elect Jean-Claude Bouchet (UMP) with 69,86% of the voices compared with 55,6% on the scale of the district.

Municipal budget

The municipal Budget of operation for 2007 envisages 3094417.09 [[euro]] S of expenditure for 3565394.00 euros of receipts, that is to say a surplus of operation of 470976.91 euros.

The three principal expenditures are the “loads in general matter” (753800 euros), the “other loads of current management” (654219 euros) and the “expenses financial” (550000 euros). The principal station of receipts relates to the Impôt S and the Taxe S with 1961933 euros; this station includes/understands, inter alia, the local taxes (Taxe of dwelling, Real estate tax, Professional tax, Taxe of removal of the household refuse) but also the visitor's taxes (seasonal hirings, Hôtel lery, rooms of hosts, etc), the taxes of Parking, etc Suivent then the stations “produced of the services of the field” with 711600 euros, the “equipments and subsidies” for 504316 euros and the “other products of current management” with 336145 euros, the remainder of the stations not exceeding the 20000 euros. Several public building sites are in forecast of which important renovation work of roadway on various ways (be 2007 at the beginning of 2008), a rebuilding and construction schedule of some walls retaining and an installation of carparks of unballasting at the exit of Gordes, on the road of Murs.

Twinnings

Gordes is twinned with the Ass-on-Marne (Département of Seine-et-Marne) since 1985. It is around a common character, the painter Victor Vasarely, citizen of honor of the two villages, that these communes decided to be twinned in 1985. The ceremony proceeded in the room of honor of the Château of Gordes (see article opposite).

Economy

The principal economic activity of Gordes is the tourism. With nine Hotel S (whose several four stars), very many rooms of hosts (covering the whole of the ranges of price), several estate agencies making of the seasonal hiring, the lodgings and a Camp-site, the commune has a strong capacity of reception.

The marketing activity is also important with varied trade of proximity and several product sales and regional souvenir shops (let us santons, fabrics, Olive oil, Miel, etc). In addition, a market of Provence is held every Tuesday morning around the castle.

Gordes also has two centers of relieving, of many swimming pools and basins like several kilometers of ways of Randonnée (GR. 9, Véroncle, etc). One also finds in the village of and the place art galleries of exposure.

The commune of Gordes also attracts craftsmen and tradesmen of the trades of the Immobilier  : agents, Architect S, manufacturers, Landscape designer S, decorators, Mason S.

The village is characterized by an important representation of the craftsmen, tradesmen and heads of undertaking, which do not constitute less than 18,1% of the Active population of the commune against 6,4% on average national. In addition, Gordes counted a Unemployment rate of 10,4% in 1999 against 12,9% in France. The average revenue by household was the same year superior with the average of the country with 19158 per annum [[euro]] S against 15027 euros per annum in France.

The tax pressure on the private individuals of the commune is faible : the Taxe of dwelling rose in 2006 with 5,90% for which it is necessary to add the departmental rate of 7,20%. The Real estate tax as for it amounts to 8,85% the same year. The communal share remained stable since 2001 for both. Fiduciaire S also settled in the commune.

Lastly, a traditional agricultural activity always was presents in the commune : Orchard S (olive-trees, Almond tree S, Cherry tree S), Oak grove S with truffle vocation , lavandin and Vine S (Raisin of table and tank of which production in AOC Coasts of Ventoux ).

Town planning

The commune of Gordes accommodates many infrastructures of Public service  : schools (a crib and two school S), a hospital for elderly, of the rooms for the many clubs and associations of the commune, the places of worship (a church and a temple protesting), a post office, a gendarmerie, a center of the taxes and a Library.

The distribution of the grounds of the commune is the following one (data for a total of):

The natural zones are mainly formed by the Mediterranean forests covering the Monts of Vaucluse. The agricultural zones are made of Verger S of fruit-bearing (olive-trees, Amandier S, etc), of the fields of lavandin, the Vigne S (AOC Côtes of Ventoux) and of the Chênaie S truffle located in natural zones.

Housing

Gordes counted: 1641 residences in 1999. Old but also new constructions are much more present than the French average  : in 1999, 13,0% of the main homes went back to 1990 and more against 10,4% in France and 38,1% went back to before 1949 against 32,9% in France. On the other hand, the commune knows an important deficit of constructions of the Années 1950 with the Années 1970 which is explained by the Rural migration, compensated since by the construction of second home in particular.

The main homes represent: 901 residences is 54,9% of the park, distributed to 98,5% in houses and 1,5% in apartments (respectively 56,8% and 43,2% in Metropolitan France). The owners of their residences constitute 65,6% of the inhabitants against 20,6% which are only tenants (respectively 54,7% and 40,7% in Metropolitan France). The commune does not count any housing HLM in addition.

In 1968, one counted 599 main homes for 159 second home. In 1982, the proportion is of 605 main homes for 394 second home, that is to say in fourteen years an about equivalent number (more one point only) of main homes whereas one has an increase in almost twice and half the number of second home.

Structure

The construction standards are very strict on the whole of the commune. The stone is omnipresent and very new construction must respect implementation of it the traditional in addition to burying the electric lines and telephone. This obligation to build out of stone, just like the use of tiles channel for the roofs, the strong limitation height, the respect of certain standards of paraseismic Construction, etc, apply even within the framework of agricultural buildings.

Walls and low walls, by tradition, are always made local stones. They are known as “dry stone” when they are without mortar or with “sharp joints” when they are without apparent joints. Sometimes, the stones of the higher line are posed on the section in order to stabilize last bases (certain walls exceed sometimes the two meters in height) but also to differentiate a wall in edge from property of a simple wall and to thus delimit the pieces. Lastly, this device made it possible to draw aside certain animals like the Loup S, now disappeared, because the stones thus posed are more cutting than with the horizontal one.

Transport

The principal access road of Gordes is the secondary road D2 then the secondary road D15, coming from Cavaillon. It is of this road, over the rock Beautiful-Air, which one can observe most known and more photographed of the points of view on the village.

Gordes is located at 38 kilometers in the east of Avignon and its station TGV, with 75 kilometers of the Aéroport of Marseilles Provence and with 87 kilometers of Marseilles. The Gare S the SNCF closest are with It Isle-on-the-Sorgue and Cavaillon.

Culture and inheritance

The Town hall and the village organize each year of many cultural activities (photographic contests, fairs, tastings, etc) as well as the festival “the Evenings of summer” (Théâtre, Jazz and varieties) each first fortnight of August to the “Terraces of Gordes”.

Places and monuments

In the village

Gordes, whose village is classified among the most beautiful villages of France, is very rich in places and monuments of exception.

The most outstanding monument remains the castle of which the most visible part is of Renaissance style. Set up in the center of the village, this imposing building, rebuilt in 1525, was classified historic building on July 4th, 1931 and currently shelters a Musée of painting devoted to pol. Mara, artist Belgian, as well as the Tourist office. Inside, several Cheminée S, including one going back to 1541, decorates the rooms.

On the place in the south of the castle, a fountain, already quoted in 1342, was for a long time the only water point of the high part of the village.

Still more in the south, while going down towards the view-point, the church Saint-Firmin is held built on the bases of an old church of the 13th century, rebuilt at the 18th century and devoted to Firmin saint. The square tower, which probably dates from the 14th century, is used as Clocher, undoubtedly old a Beffroi, and has the effect of having an external staircase which does not carry out no share, proof that another building was formerly coupled for him. With its foot the door of old a Prison is.

At side, accessible by the street from the furnace, the Palate Saint-Firmin (old Hotel Gaudin-of-Lancer), his hollow gardens and its (underground rooms troglodytes, cisterns, staircases, mills with oil, etc) is registered with the inventory of the historic buildings since March 4th, 1998.

Several streets in Calade (word of Provence to indicate paved stone lanes) start from this place to the south of the castle to join the remainders of old the Fortification S of which the Door of Savoy in the past Portal de Costubague , already quoted in 1540, the Pluvinal Hotel and the Pluvinal vault, religious building of the 17th century which owes its name with its proximity with the Pluvinal Hotel, the house André Lhote, whose frontages are registered with the inventory of the historic buildings since October 28th, 1949, and the chaplaincy Saint-Jacob, old fashionable country inn for the pilgrims going to Saint-Jacques-with-Compostelle of which the capitals to floral decoration are very similar to those of Sénanque. One of them presents to its angles the illustration scallops. One dates the building from XIVe or XVe century in spite of the presence of three bays of Romance invoice.

Low, with the foot of the village, in the district known as of “low Fountain”, are old laundrettes, a old Moulin and several Chapelle S of which the “vault of in bottom” dug in the rock.

Since the place in the north, where the War memorial the is, one reaches the Simiane Hotel, old hospital for elderly become administrative and cultural center of Gordes and sheltering the Town hall, the municipal Bibliothèque as well as a very beautiful showroom of art, and to the vault of the penitent white, already mentioned in the municipal files of 1667 and which was then beside the Porte of Frache of which there does not remain any trace.

In the commune

In a small valley in the west of the village, at the edge of the Sénancole, is the Abbaye cistercian of Sénanque, founded on June 23rd, 1148 on the initiative of the bishop of Cavaillon by monks cistercians coming from Mazan-l' Abbaye in the Ardèche. The abbey is classified historic building since April 10th, 1921.

With the foot of the village, in the plain of Gordes, with approximately a kilometer in the south, are the remainders of the abbey bénédictine of Saint-Chaffret. A document of 1738 allots the foundation of the village to him. With three kilometers in the west of the village, the Village of the bories has been an old grouping of dry stone huts with agricultural vocation and mainly seasonal use made up for three decades in museum of outdoor, historic building since October 17th, 1977. Whether they are insulated or with other constructions like the unit known as " the Three Soldiers " , the Borie S are numerous on the commune of Gordes, and some (with the locality “Saint-Eyries” and the “Rescalets Tops”) have summers classified with the general Inventory of the cultural heritage.

With less than one kilometer in the east of the village, with the locality “the Cousins”, are thirteen Tombe S rupestral of trapezoidal form , directed North-South and cut with same the rock.

With a few kilometers of the village, always on the commune, one finds the Moulin S of Véroncle, ruins of old water mills located in a throat dug in limestone by Véroncle at the east of the village, between Murs and the bottom of Gordes. These mills used the force of water to activate a Meule. The first mill was built in 1506 and the last ceased functioning in 1910. Several channels, conduits, grinding stones, tanks with water, etc, are still in place. A course of hiking of fourteen kilometers was created to allow them redécouverte by the public.

One finds finally many oratorical (Saint-Pons XVIIe, of the Virgin XVIIe, Saint-Fabien-and-Saint-Sebastien XVIIIe, Notre-Dame XIXe).

Hamlets of Gordes

Around the village many old hamlets are. Their names come mainly from the families (Large, Imbert, Martin, Cortasse, etc) occupying the places or from the practiced activity (the bubbles, bouilladoires).

Imberts is largest of the old hamlets of Gordes. It is located in the plain directly at the feet of the Monts of Vaucluse, at the west of the commune and in edge of that of Cabrières-in Avignon, at the old border between the Provence and the Comtat Venaissin. This one has its clean church, built between 1785 and 1792 after - rare fact for only one and even commune - the old church of the hamlet of Imberts had reached the statute of parish in 1777 without in so far as there is administrative separation with the village. In addition to this church, one finds some elements and frontages of XVIIIe. It is in this hamlet that both are football stadiums of Gordes, for the official matches and for the drive, the crib, a school and trade.

the Large and Martins are two old Protestant hamlets rather close one to the other, between Imberts and the commune of the Beaumettes. The hamlet of Large has a Protestant temple of the XIXe century. Its heart is composed of an old small island surrounded by a corolla of houses being used to him as protection. With the hamlet of Martins, one of the houses has a loophole covering the main street carrying out in the middle it hamlet in order to protect them from the possible attacks of the catholic .

Beside Martins, between Gordes and Beaumettes, the two hamlets of the Bouilladoires and the Bouillons are, which hold their name owing to the fact that one formerly made there boil the skins. With the Bubbles, two places are with relever : the museum of the Stained glass and the history of the Glass, born from the personal collection of Frederique Durand and recalling the history from glass and exhibitor of many works, and the mill of the Bubbles, mill with olives build in 1762 which functioned until in 1920, classified historic building since August 29th, 1984 grace in particular to its press in state. It is a mill using a “press with blood”, because of the fact that neither water, nor the wind but an living being (for example a Mulet) actuates the mechanism.

In the plain in the south-east of the village, the Sauvestres , the Pourquiers , the Marres or the Cortasses (which holds its name of a family which remained with Joucas as of before 1432 and which had many grounds there) are other hamlets of Gordes with in their heart of the buildings whose origins go back sometimes to several hundred years.

Heraldic

Gordes in arts

The clear stone-built houses and the lanes in Calade S of Gordes were a source of inspiration for many painters and photographers (in particular Marc Chagall, Jean Deyrolle and Willy Ronis).

The Château of Gordes sheltered until in 1996 a didactic Musée including/understanding nearly 500 original works of Victor Vasarely. It has had for summer replaced by works of pol. Mara.

; Literature

; Cinema Several films were made in Gordes, notamment :

Personalities related to the commune

One also finds many personalities of the business world and finance.

Appendices

Related articles

External bonds

  • Gordes on the site of the National Geographical Institute
  • Gordes on the site of INSEE

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