Lourmarin

Lourmarin is a commune with 1046 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the Vaucluse department in the Provence- Alpes- Côte d' Azur. It belongs to the district of the canton of Apt and Cadenet. It is classified as one of the plus beaux villages de France ( most beautiful villages in France ).

Geography

The town is located between Avignon ( 69 km) and Aix -en- Provence ( 41 km) at the passage from small to large Luberon in Provence. The municipality is part of the Luberon Regional Nature Park.

History

In the 12th century a fortress was built in the place, which was renewed in the 15th century by Fulk d' Agoult in Renaissance style, as a castle. Also in the 12th century entertained the monastery of Saint- André de Villeneuve- lès -Avignon in Lourmarin, a priory, which lasted until the beginning of the 14th century, and a parish church, which was destroyed in the 15th century. The profits from the lands that belonged to the priory were recruited from the Abbey.

At the end of the 15th century, many inhabitants migrated from the higher alpine valleys and settled in the plain. From this economically -related emigration also benefited Lourmarin. In 1470 Fulk III d' Agoult was a colony of Waldensians from Piedmont bring. They settled permanently in the village, and so Lourmarin was an important base of the Waldenses. Over the next thirty years, this movement dominated 24 villages in the region. They made the swampy lowlands to the south and finally the northern slopes of the Luberon arable. In April 1545, the village was inhabited by the Waldenses of the troops of the French naval officer Paulin de la Garde on the orders of the first president of the Parlements of Aix ( also known as the Parlement of Provence known ), Jean Maynier, Lord of Oppède, pillaged. After the massacre, in which about 3,000 Waldensian inhabitants of the region were killed, one of the survivors returned to the Piedmont, others went to the Central American province of Darién from. After the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 a part of the local Huguenots fled to the Spanish Netherlands, and finally go to the ships of the Dutch East India Company to South Africa where they joined the Boers. Still exists in South Africa a hamlet named Lormarin.

From 1920, the castle was renovated.

Demographics

Attractions

• Lourmarin The chateau from the 15th century. It has been repeatedly rebuilt and enlarged in later years. It is to concern the oldest Renaissance castle in Provence.
• The Church of Lourmarin
• The largest Protestant denomination (French Temple ) in the department of Vaucluse, built in 1806
• A windmill, which, however, the wings are missing
• Several wells in the castle park and in front of the church

Church of Lourmarin

Streets Scenery

Grave Henri Bosco

Community partnership

Lourmarin is twinned with Oetisheim in Baden- Württemberg, Germany and Żyrardów in Poland.

Personalities

• Albert Camus (1913-1960), French philosopher and writer, Nobel Prize for Literature, lived in the community in his house, which he had bought in 1958. His tomb can be visited in the cemetery of Lourmarin.
• Henri Bosco (1888-1976), French writer. He lived and owned a home in the community. He has rendered outstanding services for the conservation and restoration of the castle. His grave can be visited in the cemetery of Lourmarin.
• Peter Mayle ( born 1939 ), British writer, lives in the community.