Ancient Provence

No other region of France has preserved such traces of its ancient past. The Roman imprint was deeper and longer-lasting than in the rest of Gaul. As soon as they were installed in Provence, the Romans built the three communication axes: those of Aurelianus and Domitianus and the Agrippa route.

Transalpine Gaul quickly became integrated into the Roman world. It benefited greatly from the contributions of Roman Civilisation and thus profited from a pleasant urban way of life with aqueducts, thermal baths, theatres and arenas. Those in Nîmes could hold up to 20 000 people. Not surprisingly, it supported Cesar without qualms during the Gaul war.

Gallo-Roman civilisation saw its zenith in the 1st and 3rd centuries under the impulsive Emperor Augustus and later Antonin the Pious, originally from Nîmes. Most of the remarkably conserved monuments date from this period.

After Orange and its Triumph Arch and magnificent theatre, one ought to visit the impressive Gallo-Roman remains that are scattered over various sites at Vaison-la-Romaine. A triumph arch at Carpentras and the Roman walls of Avignon precede a visit to the ancient plateau at the gates of St Rémy and, on the other side of the road, the remains of the old city of Glanum.

Arles, with its amphitheatre, its ancient theatre, its mysterious cryptoportics, the Constantin thermal baths, the Alyscamps necropolis and an excellent museum is exceptionally rich with Roman remains.

The amphitheatre of Nîmes, the Maison Carrée, the temple of Diana in the garden of the Fountain and the Magne tower, the most imposing remain of the very long Roman wall, are the necessary stops in order to discover 'French Rome'.

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The villages perched in the mountains of the Pays d'Apt

Since the Middle Ages, numerous villages such as those of Bonnieux, Ménerbes, Oppède-le-Vieux and Gordes, have been built in the hills and fortified in such a way as to protect their inhabitants from various invaders. The strategic value of these towns lasted throughout the Middle Ages and part of the Renaissance, notably during the wars of religion. Perched in narrow places, they often offer magnificent views of the surrounding countryside. The harmony of the ochre colours and the architectural forms add to the bewitching charm of the place.

Perched on its hill, Bonnieux dominates the valley which it is necessary to enter from the south. It was an oppidum that has been occupied since the Neolithic age. From the terrace, a stairway leads to " the old church" which is surrounded by beautiful hundred-year-old cedars.

Ménerbes is one of the most famous villages perched in the Luberon. It is under the patronage of Minerva, the goddess of wisdom and the arts. Wandering through its streets to the Place de l'Horloge, which is dominated by the town belfry and its sombre forged iron campanile, is a pleasure. The citadel, which was taken by the Calvinists in 1573, played an important role in the wars of religion.

The "old village" of Oppède-le-Vieux carved into a rocky outcrop is known for the beauty of its dwellings, restored thanks to the intervention of artists and men of letters who work to preserve its authenticity.

Gordes is planted on a cliff at the point of the Vaucluse plateau. Historical fate made Gordes a frontier town until the Revolution, coming under a foreign diocese by a strange coincidence. The cobbled lanes edged with gutters made of two lines of stones, sometimes end with a stairway. They worm their way between the high old houses which are supported by the remains of the fortifications.

The villages of the Lubéron

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In the footsteps of Marcel Pagnol

Provence has been the source of inspiration for numerous writers, Frédéric Mistrla, Alphonse Daudet and, later, Marcel Pagnol. The latter also staged his films there and it is possible to visit the worlds of such characters as Angèle, César, Ugolin and Manon des Sources.

In Aubagne, where he was born, the memories of Pagnol are everywhere. One can see the house where he was born at number 16, Barthélémy Court, and visit "The Little World of Marcel Pagnol", an exhibition made up of ornamental figures bearing the effigy of popular characters born of the author's imagination.

Walking in the much-loved Garlaban massif one can see the countryside that one finds in Pagnol's films. The Ruissatel way leads to the Esplanade des Pins from which the view is particularly beautiful. There is also the Raimu Well, although the original has disappeared since the filming of "La Fille du Puisatier". However, sitting on the edge of this one, one has no difficulty imagining the great Raimu standing next to Fernandel all that time ago in 1940…At Eoures, one can see the shop where Schpountz was filmed.

Allauch is a typical village of Provence situated in the belt of hills that block off Marseilles, and the same distance away as Aubagne. It was in the neighbouring hills, where Pagnol particularly liked walking, that he set numerous films. There one can also find such mythical places as the caves of "Baume Sourne", "Pestiférés" and "Grosibou".

In La Treille, a little village perched on a hill, the fountain lets a thin trickle of very cold water run. Its here in the cemetery that Pagnol lies.

Marcel Pagnol tours

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