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Gordes Gòrda (Occitan) | |
|---|---|
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 Coat of arms | |
 Location of Gordes | |
  Gordes  Gordes | |
| Coordinates:43°54′43″N5°12′03″E / 43.9119°N 5.2008°E /43.9119; 5.2008 | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur |
| Department | Vaucluse |
| Arrondissement | Apt |
| Canton | Apt |
| Intercommunality | CA Luberon Monts de Vaucluse |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2020–2026) | Richard Kitaeff[1] |
Area 1 | 48.04 km2 (18.55 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[2] | 1,664 |
| • Density | 34.64/km2 (89.71/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 84050 /84220 |
| Elevation | 111–635 m (364–2,083 ft) (avg. 373 m or 1,224 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Gordes (French pronunciation:[ɡɔʁd];Occitan:Gòrda) is acommune in theVaucluse department in theProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azurregion in southeastern France. The residents are known asGordiens. The nearest big city isAvignon; smaller settlements nearby includeCavaillon,L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue andApt.
The town is one of the most visited villages in the Luberon Regional Natural Park. It is located on the outskirts of the Park in the Monts de Vaucluse, which faces the northern slope of the Luberon mountain.
Perched on a rock, the town is a member ofLes Plus Beaux Villages de France (The Most Beautiful Villages of France) Association due to its rich and varied heritage: two abbeys, a castle, many old hamlets, several hundreddry stone huts (bories), several windmills and water-mills, fountains, wash houses, and bories, a type of basin chiseled in rock.
According to the ranking of the most beautiful villages in the world published on 12 February 2023 on the website ofTravel + Leisure, an American travel magazine, Gordes is considered the "most beautiful village in the world," ahead of the Japanese village ofShirakawa-go andGiethoorn in theNetherlands.
The territory of Gordes occupies some of "Les Monts de Vaucluse", a group of mountains and hills, part in the valley of the Calavon (a local river) also called the "Luberon Valley".
Neighboring villages areVenasque andMurs to the north,Joucas andRoussillon to the east,Goult,Saint-Pantaléon,Beaumettes andOppède to the south andCabrières-d'Avignon andSaumane-de-Vaucluse to the west.
Located between two geographic areas, Gordes is one of the biggestcommunes of the area with 4,804 hectares. The north is defined by the southern edge of theVaucluse Mountains. The highest point of the commune (635 meters) is in this area, next tola Pouraque andles Trois Termes. The south of the commune is the Calavon valley, also called the Luberon Valley, and a few hills in the area. The lowest height of the commune, at 111 meters, is in the south in the area calledplan de l'Alba.
The village itself is located in the center of the commune, on a giant calcareous rock from the Vaucluse Mountains, dominating the valley.
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With a wide variation of the land, geology of the commune is divided into several distinct zones.
In the north, on theVaucluse Mountains, are soils dating mainly from the Upper Jurassic with Urgonian limestone and calcareous clay. There are also, in very low amounts and primarily localized over the Senanque Abbey, soils dating from the Eocene/Oligocene, composed of limestone, sand, and clay.
Geology to the south of the village is more complex. The plain of Gordes (southeast) is composed of soil dating from the Quaternary (fluvial deposits, colluvium and scree) and soils of the Late Jurassic period (calcareous clay and blue marl). The hills area of "les garrigues" (in the south) is composed of soil dating from the Cretaceous – Paleocene period (calcareous sandstone, calcareous lacustrine clay, colorful, white and ocher sands and some ferruginous) and from the Miocene period (molasses limestone, sand and marl). Finally, the soil of the territory down to the plain of Calavon with some slightly higher ground dating from the Miocene and one lower from the Quaternary.
Gordes has a Mediterranean climate characterised by relatively dry summers and cool, damp winters. The city is often subject to windy weather; the strongest wind is themistral.
In summer, high temperatures associated with a reduced amount of rain creates a drought of almost one or two months a year according to theGaussen Index (temperatures in Celsius degrees twice higher than rains in millimeters).[3]
The name "Gordes" derives from theCeltic word "Vordense". Vordense was pronouncedGordenses, thenGordae/Gordone, and finallyGòrda then translated into French "Gordes".[4]
Occupation by the Roman empire.[5] The area is full of evidence of their occupation especially the Roman road passing through Apt and Carpentras and crossing the valley. Gallo-Roman remains were found in "Bouisses" district (skeletons, amphorae, columns) or Gallo-Roman substructures in the hamlet of "les Gros".
In the 8th century, aBenedictine abbey known asSaint-Chaffret was founded by monks of the Abbey of Saint-Chaffre inMonastier-en-Velay on the site of an ancientcella (Roman temple) destroyed during theArab invasions.[6]
In 1031, a castle was built and the Latin word"castrum" was added to what thus became "Castrum Gordone". The castle was re-enforced in 1123 to become a "nobile castrum", the only one known among the many castles nearby.[7]
In 1148, theSénanque Abbey was established under the patronage of Alfant,Bishop of Cavaillon, andRamon Berenguer II, Count of Barcelona,Count of Provence, by Cistercian monks who came fromMazan Abbey in theArdèche.
After the death of King René of Provence, the territory of Provence was incorporated in 1481 into the kingdom of France as a "province royale française" (French royal province). An insurrection broke out in the former states of Agoult-Simiane and County of Forcalquier. Gordes is distinguished by a strong opposition to French centralism but will pay heavily for its claims of independence. A year later, with the wedding of his son, Jacques Raybaud de Simiane takes the title of "Baron de Gordes".
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During World War II, Gordes was an active resistance village and was later awarded a medal, theCroix de guerre 1939–1945.
On 21 August 1944, almost a week after the beginning of theOperation Dragoon on the Provençal coast, a German patrol was attacked by the resistance. The day after, 22 August, the village was subject to violent reprisals. The Germans forced the inhabitants to enter their homes, shooting those who were late or that were not cooperating, and started to shoot from the rock on the other side with a cannon and destroyed a dozen houses. On the other side of the village, the rest of the troops set fire to a chariot, pieces of wood and houses, blocking potential followers. More than twenty houses were destroyed. After the Liberation the resistance destroyed another part of the village, including the notarial house with all the archives. All this destruction brought the municipality the sad privilege to appear amongst three "stricken cities" of the Vaucluse department. By war's end, thirteen persons had been killed or executed in Gordes, twenty inhabitants had been shot by the enemy and five inhabitants were deported.
After a period of reconstruction, the village began to attract artists includingMarc Chagall andJean Deyrolle [fr], who discovered the village in 1947, and who attracted their artist friends includingSerge Poliakoff,Victor Vasarely andJean Dewasne [fr].[citation needed]
The primary ones are reported in 1696 in theArmorial Général de France and coming from the Gordes-Simiane family.
 | The arms of the Gordes family areblazoned : "de gueules à une gourde d'or". |
 | The arms of the Simiane family areblazoned : "d'or semé alterné de tours et de fleurs de lys d'azur". |
| In 1984, new arms are created : "Mantelé d'or à deux gourdes de gueules, et de gueules à une gourde d'or".
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Occitan:Gòrda in classical norm of provencal,Gordo in Mistralian norm
The commune of Gordes has numerous infrastructures of public utility like the "gendarmerie", the fire brigade, the post office, a tax office, a library, etc.
Annet-sur-Marne, France, since 1985.[8]| Tax | Communal part | Intercomunal part | Part for the department | Part for region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Housing tax | 6.56% | 0.00% | 7.55% | 0.00% |
| Property tax on built properties | 9.83% | 0.00% | 10.20% | 2.36% |
| Property tax on non-built properties | 38.51% | 0.00% | 28.96% | 8.85% |
| Business Tax | 00.00% | 19.99% | 13.00% | 3.84% |
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| Source: EHESS[10] and INSEE[11] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type of ground occupation | Percentage | Size (in hectares) |
|---|---|---|
| Urban zones | 9,19% | 451,34 |
| Agricultural zones | 34,43% | 1 690,74 |
| Natural Zones | 56,38% | 2 768,14 |
| Total | 100% | 4 910,22 |
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Located in the middle of the village, the castle, which was partially rebuilt inRenaissance style in 1525, is a major tourist attraction.
In the immediate vicinity of Gordes is theRomanesqueSénanque Abbey (Cistercian) and theVillage des Bories, a village of dry stone huts that is now a museum.
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All new buildings in Gordes are made of stone with terracotta roof tiles. No fences are allowed, only stone walls. All electrical and telephone cables are underground, except in some pre-existing installations on the borders of the commune. Some streets inside the village are paved with stone and are calledcalades.
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There are several ancient hamlets around the village, whose names are mostly based on the names of the local families (Gros, Imbert, Martin, Cortasse) or from the activities performed there (les bouillons, les bouilladoires).
The largest hamlet is les Imberts, in the valley 5 km to the southwest. Les Imberts church was built between 1785 and 1792; other buildings also have 18th century architectural details. Gordes' two football pitches are in Les Imberts: one for official matches and the other for training. Les Imberts has a nursery and a school and once had several small shops, but in 2011 it only had a petrol station.
Les Gros and les Martins are two former hamlets, which are close to each other, between les Imberts and the commune ofles Beaumettes.
The hamlets of les Sauvestres, les Pourquiers, les Marres and les Cortasses are in the plain to the south-east of Gordes. Some of the buildings in these hamlets date back hundreds of years.
As in many villages in the Vaucluse department, agriculture is important. Historically, almond trees were the most planted in the area, and though they are still present, olive trees have largely replaced them. Thus olive oil is important to local commerce. You can also find vineyards, with the production of table grapes or wine inAOC Ventoux.[12]
Tourism is a major part of the local economy of Gordes. Accommodating the tourist trade, there are a number of hotels,[13] bed and breakfasts, seasonal rentals, and restaurants.[14]
The main sights on the commune are the village itself, the castle, the Saint-Firmin Palace cellars, theSénanque Abbey and theVillage des Bories.[15] In the surrounding towns, other tourist locations may be found, such as theFontaine de Vaucluse,Roussillon orL'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, theLuberon area,Avignon or theMont Ventoux.
Gordes also has two centers of relaxation, numerous pools and ponds and miles of hiking trails.
Commercial activity is also important in the Gordes economy with various shops including several shops dedicated to tourists, selling souvenir and regional products (figurines, textiles, olive oil, honey, etc.). Moreover, a Provençal market is held every Tuesday morning around the castle.
Gordes also attracts artisans and traders in the real estate business like agents, architects, builders, landscapers, decorators and masons.
The main access to the village of Gordes is via the departmental road D2 then the departmental road D15, coming fromCavaillon. It is from the latter road, below the Bel-Air rock, that the most famous and photographed point of view of the village can be seen.
Gordes is located 38 kilometres east ofAvignon and its TGV station, 75 kilometres fromMarseille Provence Airport and 87 kilometres fromMarseille. The closest standard SNCF train stations are located inL'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue andCavaillon.
Market day occurs in Gordes once a week. On Tuesday mornings, merchants from the area set up booths and sell their wares. These typically include food, clothing, instruments, Provençale dishes, decorations, and handicrafts. Additionally, the village has two bakeries and a variety of shops.
The commune has a primary school, a nursery school and a day care centre.[16]
The village is home to several doctors, a pharmacy, a dentist and even a hospital but exclusively used for older people.[16]
The commune is equipped with various sporting facilities including two football/soccer fields, walking and cycling trails, pétanque and other recreational spaces.
Several important artists have lived or worked in Gordes, includingAndré Lhote,Marc Chagall,Pierre Chapo,Philippe Ragueneau,Victor Vasarely,Victor Spahn [fr],Walter Salles andWilly Ronis. PresidentFrançois Mitterrand had a holiday home in Gordes.[17]
The village of Gordes has a few art galleries and festivals. The biggest festival of Gordes is a music festival, but there is also a wine festival.[18]
The castle, stone houses, stone paved streets, views, etc. of Gordes have been an important source of inspiration for paintings or photography. for example, theProvençal Nude by Willy Ronis was made in the "fontaine basse" area of Gordes in 1949.
Gordes appears in several books including :
A photograph of Gordes was used on the cover of the 2017 Gollancz edition ofOrsinia, an edition combiningMalafrena andOrsinian Tales byUrsula K. Le Guin.[19]
Gordes has served as the setting for several movies or series including[20] :
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