Gordes

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Gordes at sunset

The castle in Gordes

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Gordes

Gordes is a mountain village and commune in the Luberon area in the Vaucluse département in Provence, France. Population: 2,100 (Gordiens). It covers an area of 48.04 km², ranging in altitude from 115 m to 635 m above sea level.

Gordes is a great address of the North Luberon Valley. Other villages use the same postcode 84220 : Goult, Murs, Roussillon, Cabrières d'Avignon, Les Beaumettes, Saint Pantaléon. Located on "les Monts de Vaucluse", a group of Montagne and hills. The most famous montagne of this group is the Mont Ventoux, a prestigious road cycling destination dubbed the "Giant of Provence".

After an occupation by the Roman empire, we ear about "Vordao" at the 4th and 5th century. Then in 1031 as "castrum Gordone" and its castle.

Standing in the middle of the village, the castle destroyed and rebuilt in 1525 is an extraordinary Renaissance monument with great pieces of architecture like a fire place in the main room of the castle.

Once a week, on Tuesday morning, is market day. On market day all the merchants from the area set up booths and sell their wares. There is food, clothing, instruments, Provencial dishes, decorations, and much more. It is easy to spend hours there.

In the 2 bakeries you can buy bread or delicious pastries. Just looking at the display can make mouths water. There are no supermarkets, but a mini-market and lots of stores that specify in a certain item. Clothes, fruits and vegetables, bread and pastry, butchery, honey, Olive oil, tourist items, etc.

On the direct area of Gordes is the Sénanque Abbey (a Cistercian abbey still use by Monk) and the "village des bories". The "village des bories" is an extraordinary village only maid with "Bories" (also spelled "boris", borris" and "borries"), ovoid ancient houses only maid of stone.

No-one can talk about Gordes and Luberon without talking about its real estate business. The "Luberon Gold triangle" had been created using the Luberon as the base and Gordes as the top. This expression/concept had been many times re-used by journalists since then. The real estate business had been developed in the 80’s by Christian-Jacques Rosier, a famous figure of the area who create in the 70’s the oldest agency still in activity in the all north Luberon valley, Gordes Immobilier.

All the buildings in Gordes are made of stones and use terracotta tiles on roofs. No fences are aloud, only stone walls. All electricity and telephone cables had been put underground. Stone pavement on streets. A unique place full of charm !

Gordes is also famous for its artists (André Lhote, Marc Chagall, Philippe Ragueneau, Victor Vasarely, Victor Spahn, Walter Salles, Willy Ronis, etc.) and politics (including François Mitterrand).