Gordes, classified among the most beautiful villages of France

Passionate about art and rural architecture or simply lovers of country landscapes, let yourself be carried away by the charm of the village of Gordes and its castle. The village of Gordes and its panoramic view of the valley is a small hamlet perched on top of a hill. Its stone color shines when daylight is at its peak.

The village can be proud of being one of the most beautiful villages in France, with its cobbled streets that insinuate itself between the tall houses, built on the rock, gripping against its flanks which breathe a thousand stories and legends.

Gordes is also proud of his superb castle built in his heart reminding us of a past rich in both conquests and suffering and now houses the Pol Mara Museum.

Gordes also preserves on its lands, the village of Bories, these curious constructions rounded out in dry stones, the abbey of Sénanque confined in its green valley, the mill of Bouillons and the cellars of the Palais Saint Firmin.

As far as the soul is concerned, Gordes was able to see the artistic spirit develop within him, with illustrious painters such as André Lhote, Marc Chagall, Jean Deyrolle, Victor Vasarely and Pol Mara. Found inspiration here.

This culture is still perpetuated today, during the summer season, numerous exhibitions in places full of history such as the chaplaincy of Saint-Jacques, the chapel of the Penitents Blancs. The commune of Gordes safeguards its heritage with rigor and love so that its success does not distort it.

Because, Gordes, is a tourist highlight because of its history, its exceptional geographical situation, its cultural activities of quality as well as the reputation of its restaurants and hotels. Gordes must remain authentic, preserving its Provencal traditions, while opening itself to host a tourism that knows how to love and respect it. Gordes has earned a reputation worldwide in respect of its past and its traditions, while being a very appreciated cultural center with many artistic manifestations.

TO SEE ABSOLUTELY

Château of Gordes
The medieval castle dominating Gordes participates in the great reputation of this village in the Northern Luberon. A fortress patiently restored. Dating from 1031, the castle has traveled over time and despite the ravages during the revolution, the fortress is now more resplendent than ever. Classified as a historical monument, it houses the Gordes tourist office and temporary art exhibitions.

Cellars of the Palais Saint-Firmin
In the heart of the Luberon, in the emblematic village of Gordes, the palace Saint-Firmin shelters an unusual place. The visit is unforgettable. Practical troglodyte spaces to gain space on the surface, the inhabitants dug the ground to look for space in the limestone of the Luberon. In 1961, the renovation work revealed an immense underground area. A real maze of cellars on seven levels, a chapel, fifty-five rooms, stairs, storage rooms, cisterns, bread oven, oil mills, water and oil tanks. The access is via the Rue du Belvédère, near the church, by a narrow caladée which descends towards the gardens of the palace Saint-Firmin. Visit is paying, audioguide available in several languages, groups and school.

Notre-dame de Senanque Abbey in Gordes with its lavender field
Founded in 1148, the Senanque Abbey is an exceptional witness to early Cistercian architecture. This XIIth century building stands out for its exceptional conservation. It is still inhabited today by Cistercian monks who have chosen it as a place of retreat. The abbey consists of several rooms open to visitors, including an abbey church characterized by medieval architecture realized in the purest Romanesque style. It is in the crypt of this church that is the tomb of Geoffrey of Venasque, protector of the abbey. A place of contemplation conducive to meditation and spirituality.

Stone village of the bories in Gordes
The village of Les Bories is a historic site located at the entrance of Gordes, in the Luberon. It is made up of ancient houses that date back to the Bronze Age and were completely reconstructed in the XVIIth century. This unusual historical testimony allows us to understand ancestral ways of life, inherited from centuries-old traditions. The village contains about thirty cabanas as well as old sheepfolds, bread ovens and installations which testify to an abundant activity passing through the work of the land and the breeding. The dwellings called "bories" were all constructed from stacked dry stones. The construction of these huts combines an incredible mastery of the technique of assembling stones and the economy of means. The most elaborate are the work of true builders. The technique of building these huts has not evolved since the neolithic, which makes dating difficult. Concerning the bories of Gordes, the oldest dating from the fourteenth century and the most recent of the nineteenth century.

Museum of the bouillon mill
Two museums in a park: the Bouillons mill is a Gallo-Roman site where olive oil was made from the 1st to the 20th century. Today we can still admire the vestiges of the Roman system of water catchment but also a press of the Greek type of the 16th century, 10 m long in oak, classified Historic Monument. Come learn everything about the manufacture and the various uses of olive oil over the centuries.

History museum of glass and stained glass in Gordes
The Museum of the History of Glass and Stained Glass traces the epic of glass, from its birth in the pottery kilns in Mesopotamia to the glass ceramic tiles of the Space Shuttle, through the stained glass windows Cathedrals and blown glass. Superb collections of objects will make you travel through 7000 years of history of the Humanity.

The church of Gordes
Of Romanesque origin (12th century), the church of Gordes was once dedicated to Notre-Dame. Rebuilt in the 18th century, it was consecrated for two centuries to its protector Saint Firmin (Bishop of Uzès). The Saint-Eloi chapel is dedicated to ironworkers and locksmiths, while that of Saint-Crespin corresponds to shoemakers. You can see rue des Clastres a shell, witness pilgrimages to Saint-Jacques.

The typical Calades
Provençal word, to designate lanes paved with stones laid on song, are one of the curiosities of the village.

The Saint-Jacques Aumonerie in Gordes
Lastly regarded as a chapel or a guards room, Saint-Jacques chaplaincy was in fact a hostel for pilgrims traveling to Santiago de Compostela. The capitals with floral decoration are very similar to those of Sénanque. One of them presents at his angles the illustration of the scallops.

The chapel of the white penitents of Gordes
The first mentions of the chapel were recorded in the municipal archives of 1667. It would have been for several years under the cupola of a brotherhood. The Rue des Tracapelles, meaning the street between the two chapels, is nowadays only represented by the Chapelle des Penitents Blancs and the chapel of the Porte de Savoie.