Culture and Fashion

In the heart of the Luberon National Park, the charming village of Lourmarin boasts a beautiful castle, which was almost destroyed in the 20th century.

By Jean-Dominique Dalloz - Photos José Nicolas - November 7, 2011

Robert Laurent-Vibert’s powerful car negotiates one of the bends coming out of the Lourmarin valley. After a long stretch lined with Plane trees, the village appears and displays its first houses to this wealthy industrialist from Lyon. He parks his car and perceives the outline of a beautiful castle, upon which the ravages of time have taken their toll. Learning that the edifice is to be sold to a local businessman and then destroyed in order to recuperate its stones, Robert Laurent-Vibert decides to do everything in his power to acquire the castle. It’s 1920 and

It’s 1920 and the industrialist, an art and history lover, has just saved the Lourmarin castle. Now as its new owner, he throws himself into the vast undertaking of rebuilding it. An enormous amount of work by local artisans will be required to restore the original luster of this complex architectural estate, which dates back to the 12th century.

The first Renaissance castle to be built in Provence , the Lourmarin estate offers a passionate reading of stylistic vocabularies of the time. Its Italian style loggia beautifully softens the defensive purpose of this most ancient part of the

fortress. The Renaissance wing possesses a beautifully elegant façade, overlooking an expansive terrace. The high point of a visit to this monument, which is open to the public, is the spiral staircase, a masterpiece unique in Provence. The steps are made from sculpted blocks of stone that, assembled together, create along the central axis a particularly remarkable double coil.

Until 1992, the foundation set up by Robert Laurent-Vibert was supported by one of the companies that he founded. This patronage ceased when an American group bought the company, but since then, the members of the foundation have spared no effort searching for the necessary financial resources to maintain the castle and to continue to welcome young resident artists each summer. A visit to the castle permits one to see that the Lourmarin benefactor’s ambition, which dates back almost a century, doesn’t fail those who continue to preserve and enjoy it today.

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The Lourmarin Castle
04.90.68.15.23
www.chateau-de-lourmarin.com