La Tour d'Aigues, a Provençal village in southern Luberon and its Renaissance castle

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La Tour d'Aigues, a village of the Luberon

La Tour d'Aigues is a pretty village at the foot of the southern Luberon, built on a hill above the small river Eze. La Tour d'Aigues houses the ruins of a magnificent Renaissance castle. The church Notre-Dame-de-Romegas with thick walls and two medieval gates mark the entrance to the old village with shady winding streets that stay cool during hot summer days.

The village of La Tour d'Aigues appears in history in the 11th century under the name "Tual de Aquis", a keep was therefore built at this place, where you could watch the region. The village suffered from the depredations of Raymond de Turenne at the end of the 14th century and the Wars of Religion in the 16th century because of the Waldensian community. Through inheritance, the village passed to Jean-Louis-Nicolas de Bouliers who built (between 1550 and 1584) on the site of the medieval fortress the Château de La Tour d'Aigues, surely the most beautiful Renaissance castle in the region, inspired by castles of Île-de-France.

The Château de la Tour d'Aigues

The lordship and castle passed in the 18th century to the Bruny family, wealthy merchants from Marseilles. The new lords were repeatedly in conflict with the local population, a first fire caused major damage to the castle in 1780. It was burned again during the Revolution, looted and eventually abandoned.

Visitors can still admire the splendid facades, gilded by the sun they have the color of good bread. The gaping windows open to the sky and pretty terraces stand above the valley through which the Èze flows, and the monumental entrance, shaped like a triumphal arch, recalls the ancient Roman motifs of the triumphal arch in Orange. The General Council of Vaucluse began restoring the castle of La Tour d’Aigues and opened two museums there in 1985: an earthenware museum and a museum of the history of the Pays d’Aigues. Many events take place throughout the year, and a festival is held in the summer in the courtyard of the castle.

Photos of La Tour d'Aigues : slideshow

Information and Accommodation

Large choice of B&B near Lourmarin and La Tour d'Aigues on the portal of Provence B&B

Internet website of the village : latourdaigues.fr

Sights and activities

• Château de la Tour d'Aigues
• Notre-Dame-de-Romegas church
• Musée de la Faïence ( Museum of Earthenware)
• Feast of St. John in June
• Village festival in July
• Festival of Luberon in July / August
• Luberon Marathon in October
• The truffle fair and Christmas market in December

Coming to la Tour d'Aigues

GPS coordinates N 43°43'29'' - E 5°32'52''

La Tour d'Aigues is part of the Luberon Regional Park.

Location : altitude 270 meters, 3900 inhabitants, 5km from Grambois, 10 km from La Bastide des Jourdans, 8 miles from Cucuron, 10 miles from Lourmarin, 16 miles from Aix-en-Provence, 17 miles from Manosque, 45 miles from Avignon