Perched
village, fixed on the first buttresses of the
mounts of Vaucluse and dominating a vast planted
plain of olive-tree and almond trees, Gordes is
one of the most visited sites of Luberon (classified
since 1985 among one of the most beautiful villages
of France).
The houses seem to be based literally in the rock
while the top of the village where the church
and the castle tronent deserves well its nickname
of Acropolis of Provence.
History:
The inhabitants of the first oppidum, Vordenses
(the name of Gordes in is a deformation) went
down to settle in the valley under Roman colonization.
They however regained their rocks during the
cruel invasions.
The castle of the village was the property
of the famous family of Agoult de Simiane which
did one of them the their defenses advanced
on the valley of the Rhone.
During the wars of religion the city was besieged
by the baron of the Adrets who will encounter
a wild resistance of the Gordian ones. Thereafter,
Bertrand Rambault de Simiane or Bertrand de
Gordes (first baron de Gordes), respectful just
catholic chief of his enemies, will be characterized
by his refusal to apply the royal instructions
of the Saint Barthelemy towards the Protestants.
After the agitation of the wars of religion,
Gordes will become a small calm borough with
however an important industrial development:
cut stone with fire, fillage, carding, tanning
of skins, flour mills, all that established
along a brook whose sources were lost at the
time of the earthquake of 1889. The artisants,
private of water gave up little by little these
activities. Other jolts at the end of 19th and
the beginning of 20th caused many dégats
in the village.
Formerly small lost borough of the Mounts of
Vaucluse, Gordes is now the high place of tourism
in Luberon, but the excessive frequentation
of which it is victim does not deteriorate of
anything the beauty and the charm place. |
