Château de Lourmarin

The story of the castle

In the 15th century, Foulques d’Agoult, who came from one of the oldest noble families in Provence, had a castle built on the remains of a fortress dating from the 12th century. In 1526, Louis d’Agoult-Montauban and his wife Blanche de Lévis-Montauban came to live in the castle. They had a Renaissance wing added to the building, also known as the new castle, in a surprisingly stylish unit.

At the end of the 16th century, the Château de Lourmarin became the property of the Créqui-Lesdiguière family, who also owned the Château de La Tour d’Aigues, located about fifteen kilometers away. Only the people in charge of administering the land occupied the Lourmarin building.

From the French Revolution onwards, the estate passed into the hands of multiple owners, more interested in managing the land than in the castle, which was gradually falling into ruin. By the end of the 19th century, the Château-neuf (new castle) had become a barn and was occupied by vagrants and travelers who came to take refuge there. In 1920, Robert Laurent-Vibert saved the castle, which was destined to become a stone quarry, by buying it at auction. For 5 years, this industrialist from Lyon, agrégé of history and member of the École française de Rome (French School of Rome), worked to restore the monument to its former appearance. Thanks to research carried out with the curator of the Méjanes library in Aix-en-Provence, he discovered documents that enabled him to restore the Château de Lourmarin as faithfully as possible. The work was led by Henri Pacon, a French architect and carried out by craftsmen from the village. At the death of Robert Laurent-Vibert in 1925, during a car accident, the castle was bequeathed to the Academy of Sciences, Agriculture, Arts and Letters of Aix-en-Provence, which created a foundation in his name in his memory.

In 1973, the building was classified as a Historical Monument and is subject to several protections.

Voir cette publication sur Instagram

Une publication partagée par Luberoncoeurdeprovence (@luberoncoeurdeprovence) le 3 Avril 2020 à 1 :56 PDT

Voir cette publication sur Instagram

Une publication partagée par Estelita (@_littlelita) le 2 Oct. 2019 à 2 :17 PDT

Architecture of the castle

By passing through a small entrance door, the visitor discovers a loggia from which he can admire the entire architecture of the Château-vieux. The galleries, which extend over three levels, bring lightness to the first floor. The rooms bordering the first floor were once used as a kitchen, a bakery, and a bakehouse storeroom. The lintel of the cellar door still bears an inscription dating from 1513: “Bois et t’en vas ” (“Drink and go”). Today, these halls are home to various exhibitions that take place throughout the year. The staircase, located in the hexagonal tower, gives access to the libraries of the Vibert Foundation, reserved for work and research, and to the Curator’s apartment. They also lead to the small oratory where portraits of the distinguished guests of the Château de Lourmarin can be admired.

In the Renaissance wing, the windows are decorated with pilasters topped with capitals sculpted in many styles: Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, Tuscan, and composite. The entire Château-neuf is furnished by Robert Laurent-Vibert’s collections. Furniture and objects from different periods are harmoniously combined in the building.

Robert Laurent-Vibert Foundation

When he stayed in Rome for his studies at the École Normale Supérieure Lettres in Paris, Robert Laurent-Vibert was housed in the Villa Medicis. When he bought the Château de Lourmarin, one of his wishes was to create a little Villa Medicis in Provence, in order to receive boarders during the summer.

Today, the Château de Lourmarin is home to a cultural foundation called “Fondation de Lourmarin Robert Laurent-Vibert”. It ensures the maintenance as well as the management of the castle while continuing to fulfill the missions that were given to it since its creation. In the summer, it welcomes young artists to the residence and throughout the year, concerts, conferences, and exhibitions are organized there. Over the decades, the castle has become a significant cultural and economic center in the south of the Luberon.

Voir cette publication sur Instagram

Une publication partagée par Estampes du Japon (@estampe_.du_japon) le 19 Juil. 2019 à 2 :13 PDT