Considering that we had been travelling to Provence for so
many years, I couldn’t believe that we had never visited
Fontaine de Vaucluse! Particularly since it is soooo close to Isle sur la Sorgue, which we never miss
on each visit... And double-especially, since a Belgian couple highly recommended it after spending a whole day there. They were also
guests at Mas Pichony (where we stayed a number of times in the days BMdeP
– Before we purchased
Maison des Pelerins). But that was before
our last Provence vacation, in October of last year.
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| The "Secret" of the Fontaine |
As we drove into the
village, it was clear why so many people speak so highly of it – after about a
10 km ride along the D25 through pretty farmland and orchards, until you cross
the Sorgue River upstream and enter the deep valley where kayaking and canoeing is a popular activity.
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| An elegant bridge over the D25, across the Sorgue as it flows from Fontaine de Vaucluse |
A little further along the valley brings you
into the shady, tree lined streets of this picturesque village. As you would
expect, there are lots of Cafés and Restaurants lining the riverbanks where
visitors can take in the view while they enjoy a drink or a meal. In all of this it is not very different from
many beautiful little villages in Provence.
I was prepared for a beautiful village and lovely scenery.
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| Looking towards the town's square from one of the riverside restaurants |
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| The Town Square is shaded with towering Plane trees and surrounded with interesting shops, restaurants and the Santon Museum |
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| Always helpful - an information map of the town helps visitors get their bearings |
What I wasn’t prepared for were the many
different aspects of this village in a “closed valley”, or Vaucluse (which lends its name to this whole Department in Provence – the Vaucluse). We were completely taken with the dramatic
landscape of a 240 meter cliff that towers over the village and at the foot of
which a “spring” – the biggest spring in France, and the fifth largest in the
world (having an annual flow of 630 million cubic metres of water) bursts to life, creating the Sorgue River.
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| As you walk along the banks of the river towards the source, you see the towering cliffs at the end of the valley, and the Archbishop's Palace from varying angles - sometimes straight up towering cliffs, sometimes dotted with caves and sometimes covered by large trees. |
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This view of the cliffs shows the entrance to a large cave
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An 800 meter walkway on the banks of the river allows visitors to walk all the way, past smaller springs and waterfalls all the way to “the source”.
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| Along the river bank - tall trees shade visitors and stall holders who offer a variety of souvenirs and refreshments |
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| Smaller springs pop up out of the rocks all the way along the river |
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| Peace and serenity along this stretch of the river where you often see visitors sitting down and just taking it all in |
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| A small waterfall adds interest and beauty to this river along the way |
October was a very pleasant
time to visit – the weather was sunny and warm, but we were there at the end of
“the secheresse” a very dry summer, and
while the smaller springs were still gushing, the main “source” was not
flowing, which gave us a wonderful opportunity to gauge the enormous opening in
the cliffs where I can only imagine what it must look like on a day when up to
1.8 million cubic meters gushes through!
On the way, up there we passed a number of people enjoying the beautiful
surroundings while fishing or simply sitting on one of the benches pondering
this amazing and slightly mysterious place where so much water just comes
gushing out of the ground.
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| "The Source" - during the Spring and early Summer this large cave (Spring) in the rock gushes millions of cubic meters of water pushing it out all the way along the river |
I guess they and we
were not the first people to have been taken by the beauty and mystery of this
closed valley – as far back as 1337, Francesco Petrarch – Italian Priest turned
Poet settled in Fontaine de Vaucluse
close to his good friend Philippe de Cabassolle, Bishop of Cavaillon
whose Medieval Palace is perched high on the cliff overlooking the
village.
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| The Archbishop's Palace as seen from the town's square |
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| This "Panneau" gives visitors information about the Archbishop's Palace on the hill |
The ruins of this Palace can
still be seen from the village and if you like hiking, you can walk up there.
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| Along the River walk, this Plaque pays tribute to Petrarch (notice that his name in French is Francois Petrarque) |
Petrarch who, with his family, came to Avignon
(when he was young), following the Papal
Court of Clement V during the Avignon Papacy,
left the priesthood after laying eyes on a woman who is known as “Laura”
and who became the subject of many of his writings – even though they had no
contact. It is said that Laura was a
married woman.
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| Through the Iron Gates to the Petrarch Museum |
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| The Petrarch Museum - once inside the Iron Gated courtyard |
Much of his work was done
in Fontaine de Vaucluse which he found to be an inspiring place. As far back as the 16th Century,
many literary scholars and well known personalities visited this village to pay
tribute to Petrarch – so it has been a well visited site for a very long time.
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| The Old Water Wheel marks the entrance to the Old Paper Mill |
During the 15th
Century, local entrepreneurs began to harness the power of the water rushing
from the spring, building water wheels that powered mills and, at that time Fontaine had a thriving paper mill
and was quite an industrial force. It
continued to operate and provide the region with locally made paper until mills
operated by electricity rendered this method of production obsolete.
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| Here is the explanation of the reconstitution of the Old Paper Mill |
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| Heavy wooden mallets worked the wood chips or other source materials into a pulp - the first stage in producing paper |
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| A history of paper production and the equipment used in the process |
Today, visitors to Fontaine can take a walk
back in time through the lovely Old Paper Mill and see just what went into the early
production of paper in the early days of industrialism, as well as buying some of the fare of this mill.
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| Small and large caves in the cliffs above the town made an ideal place for the Resistance fighters to take shelter |
As time passed on and World War II brought
occupation and great hardship to the citizens of France. Its location at the
base of a steep cliff, made Fontaine an
ideal spot for the operations of the local Resistance, known as the Maquis – where
hiding in the inhospitable cliffs above the village made it less than likely that
they would be discovered. It’s difficult
to comprehend the impact of the occupation on the lives of villagers (right
throughout France), but we do get a glimpse into what their world was like.
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| The Musee d'Histoire tells the story of another time when life was not so easy for the inhabitants of this area |
The Musée d’Histoire, which occupies one of the old Paper Mills was
opened in 1990 – and is dedicated to the what they called “the Dark Years” of occupation - after the
humiliation of defeat when the Resistance Movement became active. I have just
finished reading “The Citadel” by Kate Mosse which dealt with the same subject
matter, although it was set in the Languedoc – an excellent book that reminds us that not so long ago, these villages and towns underwent and withstood
extremely harsh times.
Just these three aspects of a very old town at the end of a closed valley in Provence are enough to stir interest and make you ponder Fontaine and its mysterious past – but there is a lot more to see and do here ..
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| Artisnal Glass Blowers turn out truly unique pieces |
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| Colorful boats lined up at a boat rental company - Canoe Evasion (just outside the town on the D25), |
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| Learn about the history of the Provencal tradition of Santon making decorating with Santons |
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| You're never short of charming riverside cafes to stop along the way for a cool drink or a meal |
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| This area is very popular with Bicyclists |
... kayaking
and canoeing, a santon museum, great hiking and rock climbing, lots of
wonderful picnic spots, the Petrarch Museum, a 12
th Century
Romanesque church…but if you are just looking for some quiet time..
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| Going with the flow .... |
... buy a
Gelato at one of the shops on the river bank, find a seat under a Plane tree - enjoy your ice cream and let yourself
go with the flow!
