23 June 2012, in Valréas.
Since 1504 in the town of Valréas, every year on 23 June at nightfall, a little boy age 3 to 5, symbolising the very young Saint John the Baptist, King for a year, is crowned with great ceremony. On this occasion, in the former Papal town lit up by torchbearers, he leads a procession of some 400 participants in period costume: drummers, halberdiers, pontifical guards, viguiers... This is more than a parade or a simple historical reconstruction; it is a truly unique ceremony, half pagan and half Christian, whose roots go back to the very origin of Valréas.
Highlights
Extraordinary night of Petit Saint Jean
Published on Thursday 26 April 2012 - Festivals, events, exhibitions
Claudine, the cheese maker
Published on Thursday 26 April 2012 - Food
For cheese aficionados, Carpentras is a must. Claudine Vigier, voted best cheese maker in France in 2009, offers her Fromagerie du Comtat as a temple to our French cheese heritage.
In and around town, when it comes to cheese, Claudine Vigier is the reference. Smiling, she greets me behind her counter in her lovely little shop in the city centre...
Mosaic Academy workshops
Published on Thursday 26 April 2012 - Handcraft, decoration
Marie-Agnes Jacquet is an exceptional mosaicist and glass spinner, one of the very few in France to practise the art of micromosaic.
A former petit-point embroiderer trained in the schools of Ravenna and Rome, she has invented her own manner. Through this millennia-old art, she expresses the modern world and creates unexpected works: tags, toreador capes, handbags, sailor’s berets from the Titanic, table cloths... Sheer marvels: precious know-how, an ode to meticulous patience she loves to share...
A festival in two acts - The Lambert Collection in Avignon
Published on Thursday 26 April 2012 - Festivals, events, exhibitions
July to 18 November 2012
In November 2011, Yvon Lambert expressed the wish to donate nearly 585 works from his collection to the French State to make certain they remain inalienably with the city of Avignon, which has already held 450 of them on loan from the collector for 12 years. At the same time, the President of France and the Minister of Culture and Communication voiced their will to officialise this donation as soon as possible and locate it in the long term in Avignon where the Museum’s exhibition area should be doubled by the summer of 2015. With an estimated value exceeding €90m, this donation is the largest to the State since Picasso’s in 1974.
This summer, to celebrate the event, the Museum will present masterpieces from the Lambert Collection. The public will be able to discover or rediscover the great names in this collector’s unique collection kept in Avignon but rarely shown in Hôtel de Caumont.
Old mills converted into Demeures d’hôtes
Published on Thursday 26 April 2012 - Accommodation
Former oil or flour mills have always fascinated those who love old buildings and have brought them back to life to make them into lovely guest houses, or Demeures d’hôtes.
Here are three old structures given a new lease on life, and now offering serenity and well-being.
Our press kit "Wine" is online!
Published on Tuesday 6 March 2012 - Wine
“A day without wine is a day without sunshine” as the saying goes, and Vaucluse can rely on both !
Without any doubt, the history of vineyards, grown here for thousands of years, and the history of Vaucluse are inextricably intertwined.
Each in their time, the Greeks, the Romans, the Popes, the Jews - not to mention the mighty Rhône River, have all had a decisive influence on both.
Three appellations cover the area here – Côtes du Rhône, AOC Ventoux, and AOC Luberon. The Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines have attained international fame, but more than half of the villages in the Vaucluse make their living out of wine.
In June 2012, relive the splendours of the Palace as in the days of the Popes - Avignon
Published on Tuesday 28 February 2012 - Heritage
This summer, the Popes’ Palace, the largest Gothic palace in Europe, will offer a new multimedia tour with an innovative PDA audio guide system, dialoguing with 2D and 3D animated videos.
Visitors will relive the splendours of the Pontifical court as it was in the 14th century thanks to the commentaries illustrated with animations and reconstructions of the decorations in rooms: furniture, murals, wall hangings, miniatures...
The rollout of these devices for tours of this monument will be a first in Europe.
200 electric bikes to explore the Luberon Mountains and Monts de Vaucluse
Published on Tuesday 28 February 2012 - Outdoor activities
SUN-E-BIKE has just located in the Vaucluse.
Cyclists will be delighted: the slopes to reach perched villages will suddenly give way to make outings nothing but a pleasure.
This concept makes it possible to scour the countryside on side roads, without noise or pollution and any parking problems.
You can set out for a day or a half-day and, if need be, you can change the battery on the way, thanks to a network of partners.
Alterarosa - 8th edition of the special rose event at the Palace of the Popes - Avignon
Published on Friday 24 February 2012 - Festivals, events, exhibitions
17 to 20 May 2012.
Throughout the entire Ascension Holiday weekend, over 2000 rosebushes fill the Benedict XII Cloister with their fragrant blooms, and the general public has the chance to discover the great rose growers’ latest creations.
Our 2012 press kit is online!
Published on Friday 10 February 2012 - ADT Vaucluse Tourism News
By providing a regularly renewed selection of places to visit and people to meet, we wished for this 2012 edition to highlight such themes as culture, wine & food and cycling. These are all strong themes for tourist development in the Vaucluse, which contribute to the territory's identity and reputation.
Artworks from the winemaking professions - a collection at Château Turcan (Luberon)
Published on Friday 10 February 2012 - Wine
Privileging quality over quantity, Château Turcan, a family vintner’s estate founded in 1860, has only a small-scale production. It does have a large museum on winemaking !
Over 3,000 objects, some genuine works of art, representative of the know-how of vineyards and wine, are displayed on 1,300m² with, in particular a Carré des Pressoirs, with its wine presses suddenly make you feel Lilliputian.
Dark or white, yin and yang for the taste buds
Published on Thursday 9 February 2012 - Food
In Sault, La Maison Boyer is an institution. On the village square, this Nougaterie’s wooden façade displays the date of its foundation: 1887.
Four generations in the Boyer family have built this establishment’s renown.
Imagine: nougat selected for the delight of the National Assembly in Paris and the establishment has its own brand of Champagne - a Gobillard creation, no less!
Paper Art // Interaction
Published on Thursday 9 February 2012 - Festivals, events, exhibitions
25 February to 9 June 2012
Campredon - Art Centre at L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue
4 “paper” artists - Henri Laugier, Géraldine Gonzalez, Andreas Kocks and Maryline Pomian - present sculptures, collages, installations and other creations made exclusively with paper.
A material that is both rich and humble, paper gives rise to creations that may be strong, ephemeral, fragile, minimalist or sophisticated, but always sensuous...
Paper- triturated, transformed, metamorphosed - delivers its secrets in an invitation to an original, poetic exploration around shape and volume...
Avignon Festival 2012: from 7 to 28 July
Published on Monday 5 December 2011 - Festivals, events, exhibitions
It’s official - the first time in a long while the Avignon In and Off Festivals are to be held on the same dates.A quaint and eco-friendly guesthouse
Published on Thursday 1 December 2011 - Accommodation
"Couleur Lavande" in the Thor, which opened for business last year, is extremely proud to offer its guests a carefully preserved place where luxury and peace are synonymous with luxury and nature.
This beautiful spot has just been recognised for its ongoing environmental efforts by Clef Verte, which for 10 years now has been visiting and appraising tourist accommodation. The label is based on 130 highly selective criteria ranging from energy management to the use of bio organic and procurement from local providers.
The Mas du Haut Roussillac
Published on Thursday 1 December 2011 - Accommodation
The Mas du Haut-Roussilac, in the small Enclave between the Vaucluse and the Drôme departments began its life as a farm in 1836, and was lovingly restored over three years to become a charming guesthouse nestled in 4 hectares of wooded land.
It is surrounded by the Côtes du Rhône vineyard and countryside, a haven of peace with the flavour of the bastides of yesteryear and a modern twist.
Three Valentine breaks in Luberon: Love at first sight, Lovers, Romance
Published on Thursday 1 December 2011 - Accommodation
February 2012
To help you escape from it all and experience true romance away from the daily grind, the Bastide de Capelongue in the heart of the Luberon has come up with three romantic getaways. With an eye for detail, moments of well-being, tasty dishes prepared by an award winning chef, gorgeous décor, romantic walks through off-season Provence....a Valentine's break in Capelongue will delight the gourmand and romantic in you.
A Valentine’s Getaway in a Château
Published on Thursday 1 December 2011 - Accommodation
A whole square tower of a château, just for you. What could be better for a romantic getaway?
Just a stone’s throw from Avignon, the fully restored guest rooms of the Château de Vedène manage to perfectly combine a sense of history with modern facilities.
Cheval Passion (Horse Show) in Avignon
Published on Thursday 24 November 2011 - Festivals, events, exhibitions
18 to 24 January 2012
For 27 years, Cheval Passion has been the must-see winter event for lovers of horses and spectacle.
100,000 people attend this festival each year, which brings together over 1,200 horses and 250 exhibitors, presenting over 90 hours of shows and entertainment…
A veritable theatre of equestrian delights, the legendary Gala des Crinières d'Or is the stage for the most talented horses and riders on the scene today.
An eclectic and friendly equestrian event where cowboys ride alongside Grand Prix champions, the Republican Guard cavalry regiment puts on a grand spectacle and visitors will be delighted by high standard dressage shows...
Valentines couple sitting in tree (house) k.i.s.s.i.n.g...a romantic french hide out in Avignon
Published on Tuesday 1 November 2011 - Accommodation
Situated 5 metres off the ground and perched literally in a tree, “La Cabane Perchee” brings kissing under a tree to a its literal conclusion in a grown up romantic weekend break.
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