Ménerbes

Menerbes is a commune with 1079 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the Vaucluse department in the Provence- Alpes- Côte d' Azur.

Geography

Menerbes is between the 42 km distant Avignon and 23 km away Apt, elongated on a ridge and visible from afar. Neighboring towns are Beaumettes, Oppède -le- Vieux and Lacoste. The municipality belongs to the Communauté de communes du Pont Julien, located in the Regional Natural Park of Luberon.

History

In Menerbes many ancient remains have been found, including the remains of a pottery workshop ( late 1st century), of Sylvanus age (late 2nd or 3rd century), a grave stone ( late 1st century ) and some Roman villas. Saint Castor of Apt played an important role in the history of the community. His founded at an unknown location monastery Manancha could have lain on the present territory of Menerbes. He also hid around the year 410 before the clergy and the people of Apt, who wanted to consecrate him bishop, in a cave in the Luberon, Menerbes may at.

In the Middle Ages the city was accessible through the two gates of Saint- Sauveur and Notre Dame, and was surmounted by a fortress from the 13th century. In the mid-13th century, the Carmelites founded a monastery. 1274 Menerbes was incorporated into the Comtat venaissin. During the Wars of Religion Menerbes was a stronghold of Protestantism, and in 1573 occupied until 1578 by the Huguenots. After the French Revolution - to 1801 - was Menerbes Chef -lieu of a canton.

In the 1990s, the city by the English writer Peter Mayle was (A Year in Provence and Toujours Provence) widely known of the place and the life in Provence described as loving, authentic in his novels that many tourists on the trail went, and among other things, identified his house, which moved him to give up his place of residence.

Culture and sights

• Abbey of Saint -Hilaire
• Church from the 14th century
• Chapel of Saint -Blaise from the 18th century
• Houses from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance
• Corkscrew Museum

Personalities

• Charles -Joseph Carmejane (* 1772 in Menerbes, † 1830), Brigadier General
• Clovis Hugues (* 1851 in Menerbes, † 1907), politician and poet
• Joe Downing ( b. 1925, † 2007 in Menerbes ), French -American painter

Dora Maar, the mistress of Pablo Picasso, owned a house in ménerbes.

Demography

Demographics

Age structure

22 percent of the population are 19 years old or younger. Nine percent of the population 75 years of age or older.