Fontaine-de-Vaucluse FRANCE 🇫🇷 A Guided Walk 🤩 A Gem in Provence [4k]

📌 Location: Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, Provence, South of France

🇬🇧 Bonjour! Welcome to Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, a riverside village in the heart of the Vaucluse département.
Nestled in a remote valley of Provence, the enchanting village of Fontaine-de-Vaucluse is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered.
This picturesque locale, renowned for its crystal-clear Sorgue River emanating from a mysterious spring, is steeped in history and legend.
With its origins tracing back to the early 11th century, the village boasts a rich tapestry of cultural and natural attractions, including the ancient paper mills, the serene Gardens of Petrarch, and the remnants of a medieval castle perched atop the village, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding valley.
Join me as we embark on a journey through the cobbled streets of Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, exploring its historic sites and uncovering the tales of Petrarch’s love for Laura, which have left an indelible mark on this idyllic Provençal village.
Welcome to a place where history and legend intertwine, inviting you to step back in time and experience the beauty and mystery of Fontaine-de-Vaucluse.

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🎦 Filmed in high-quality 4K in Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, 25 October 2023.
Turn on optional [CC] English (United Kingdom) captions to follow the commentaries.

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🌐 Learn more about FONTAINE-DE-VAUCLUSE on the blog!
– Fontaine-de-Vaucluse in Provence: What to see and do: https://frenchmoments.eu/fontaine-de-vaucluse/
– Chasing Autumn in Provence: A Traveller’s Tale: https://frenchmoments.eu/autumn-in-provence/

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✅ Chapter Markers
00:00 Intro
00:38 Church
01:55 Place de la Colonne
03:41 Waterwheel
07:15 Chemin de la Fontaine
15:32 Source of the Sorgue
16:32 Looking for the “other source”
18:11 On the way to Petrarch
19:40 Petrarch’s Garden
25:00 Calades
27:01 Ascent to the castle
29:30 Castle of the Cavaillon’s Bishops
33:15 Final words

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@FrenchMoments

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📝 Follow along using the transcript!
My commentary during the visit is delivered in English, accented with a touch of my French accent 😉.
To ensure you can easily follow the names of the places we explore and understand the historical dates, I recommend turning on the subtitles!
Click on the TRANSCRIPT button below ⬇️

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” Fontaine-de-Vaucluse FRANCE 🇫🇷 A Guided Walk 🤩 A Gem in Provence [4k] : https://youtu.be/nPJ9uCMxEu0 ”

Bonjour, I’m Pierre from French Moments 
and in this video, I will guide you on a   walking tour of Fontaine-de-Vaucluse in Provence.
We’ll follow the course of the River Sorgue to its source, visit the heart of the village and then 
climb up to the castle of the bishops of Cavaillon. If you enjoyed this video,
please hit the Like button! It really supports the channel and helps   us bring more amazing content to you.
Also, if you haven’t already, click on the subscribe button and turn on the notification 
bell so you never miss out on our latest videos. To kick off our tour, here is the fountain statue 
depicting Saint Véran slaying the Coulobre, the legendary dragon of Vaucluse.
We’ll delve into this legend later as   we continue our tour of Fontaine-de-Vaucluse. Now, let’s take a look at the village church. This church is among the oldest 
in Provence, showcasing the Romanesque style of the 11th century.
It houses Carolingian frieze fragments dating back to the 7th century and 
the sarcophagus of Saint-Véran.  The church was built on the site of an ancient 
sanctuary dedicated to a pagan water god. Indeed, traces of the ancient 
temple can be found inside.  A striking Roman column adorns 
the south side of the choir. Now, let’s head to the heart of the 
village, the Place de la Colonne.  Fontaine-de-Vaucluse is quite small, so 
touring the village doesn’t take long. That’s why we’ll venture beyond the 
village centre to explore the surroundings. Here’s the charming Place de la Colonne, 
beautifully shaded by magnificent plane trees. We’ll take a stroll around it.   You might hear some background noise captured by my camera.
That’s the sound of the Sorgue River. You’ll need to get used to this sound as we’ll 
stay close to the water for much of our discovery. This is the pink facade of the town hall.
Although Fontaine-de-Vaucluse is not a town, it bears the inscription “Hôtel 
de Ville” (or town hall).  Indeed, the commune has fewer 
than 600 permanent residents. The letters RF stand for “République 
française” or “French Republic”. So, why is this square 
named “Place de la Colonne”?  Well, it’s because of the column that 
rises in the roundabout’s centre. The column was erected in 1804 to commemorate 
the 500th anniversary of Petrarch’s birth. I’ll have the chance to tell you more 
about Petrarch later in our tour. The monument was initially placed 
near the source of the Sorgue River.  It remained there for 25 years before 
being moved to the village square. What I love about this square 
are the large plane trees that   provide shade during the hot summer days.
You have to look up to admire their foliage. Let’s now head to the riverbank.
Having mentioned it so much,   I’m sure I’ve piqued your curiosity! And here is the Sorgue River. Look at these colours!
They are particularly vivid under the sunlight. It’s an aquatic plant, the lesser 
water parsnip, that gives the river its   magnificent emerald green colour. Let’s walk along the bridge. And move closer to the waterwheel.  The Sorgue has been used for its hydraulic energy and power since the early 16th century.
The natural energy of the Sorgue’s flowing waters was once the driving force behind the 
establishment of numerous industrial activities. At one point, there were up to 
7 paper mills in the village.  Since then, many factories have 
been destroyed, and the buildings have either disappeared or been repurposed.
The last paper mill closed its doors in 1968, and the village’s prosperity has 
since relied on tourism and crafts. This waterwheel is one of the two 
waterwheels that can be seen in the village. We’ll pass by the second one later. We’ll retrace our steps back
to the village square. On the left is the Tourist office where you can get a map of 
the village and other tourist information. Here is the downstream of 
the Sorgue and its locks. You might notice that the 
village isn’t very crowded.  If you come in the summer or on sunny 
weekends, expect a large crowd of visitors. To film this video, I visited Fontaine-de-Vaucluse 
at the end of October, early in the morning. This explains why the trees are starting 
to take on beautiful autumn colours. And if you visit in the summer, more 
flowers will add to the site’s charm. Parking in the village is limited.
Despite the low tourist turnout, I had to park my car in the Les Vergnes 
car park, 300 metres from the centre. There is a charge for all car parks, and I advise 
parking your car as soon as you find a spot. Now, we will follow the Chemin de la Fontaine to 
discover the famous source of the Sorgue River. The source isn’t far, situated at the 
end of a shaded path 800 metres away. The first part of the path is lined with 
shops on one side and the river on the other. It’s an easy, accessible walk for everyone, 
with only the last few metres being pebbly. I’ll be pressing on, but feel free to use the 
benches for a break under the plane trees. To the right is the entrance 
to the Ecomusée du Gouffre.  It hosts the Underground 
World of Norbert Casteret. This museum includes a display of speleology 
equipment, reconstructions of various speleological sites, and an impressive collection 
of crystallisations collected by Norbert Casteret, one of the pioneers of modern speleology. If you’re watching this on YouTube and
you’ve been to this part of Provence, I’d love to hear about your experiences
in Fontaine-de-Vaucluse! Drop a comment below and tell
us what you loved about it. Here is the castle of the Cavaillon bishops, perched on a rocky spur 
above Fontaine-de-Vaucluse. I’ll take you to visit it 
later in this guided walk. And here’s the second waterwheel of 
the village, which I mentioned earlier. It’s the “Moulin du Papier” or Paper Mill 
that still manufactures paper today using traditional techniques from the 16th century.  The paper mill is open for tours, and you’ll 
learn all about the paper-making process. The Sorgue is a short river of 30 km, entirely 
contained within the Vaucluse département. It splits into several branches upstream of 
l’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, one of which passes through the city of Avignon and the surrounding 
countryside before flowing into the Rhône. The name of the commune comes from the Latin 
“Vallis Clausa”, meaning the enclosed valley. In Provençal dialect, it’s 
called Vauclusa or Vaucluso. This gave its name to the Vaucluse 
département when it was created in 1793. Until 1946, the commune was called Vaucluse.
That year, it officially changed its name to Fontaine-de-Vaucluse to avoid 
confusion with the département’s name. We’ll join the riverbank to 
contemplate the colours of the Sorgue. It’s a spot I’m particularly fond of, especially 
early in the morning when there’s no one around. As we walk the last metres before reaching 
the source, let’s talk about the famous   legend of Saint-Véran and the Coulobre.
The legend says that in the 6th century, Saint-Véran settled as a 
hermit in this remote valley.  The source was the lair of a 
terrifying dragon, the Coulobre. Saint-Véran chased the dragon away, which fled 
to the Alps, near the village of Saint-Véran. This miracle, which saved the valley’s 
inhabitants, made Saint-Véran famous, and he agreed to become the bishop of Cavaillon.
It’s interesting to note that other similar legends exist in France, such as the Graoully 
defeated by Saint Clement in Metz, or the Gargouille slain by Saint Romain in Rouen. We’re approaching the source. I hadn’t planned on visiting Fontaine-de-Vaucluse 
this week, but after a few days of rain, I thought that perhaps it would raise the water level.
Because every time I’ve come here, I’ve never seen the source full of water.
In fact, I always came at the wrong time. Normally, you should visit in winter 
or early spring, after heavy rainfall. So, suspense… Here is the source. Well, it’s dry! I shouldn’t be surprised because the water 
level depends on the weather, rainfall, or even snowmelt over the past year.
But it doesn’t matter because the   natural site is still impressive. But today, I didn’t want to leave   without discovering where the
river’s water comes from if it’s not coming from the dry source. To be sure, let’s go down 
this path to the riverbank.  As I said, this source is fed by rainwater 
infiltrations from the higher terrain layers, from Mont Ventoux to the Montagne 
de Lure and the Monts de Vaucluse.  These waters gather at a low point 
to form a very abundant source. In hydrogeology, this type of source 
is called a “vauclusian spring”. The Fontaine de Vaucluse is the 
largest vauclusian spring in   France and one of the five largest in the world.
The depth of the cave system remains a mystery. In 1989, the remote-controlled 
mini-submarine Le Spélénaute reached its deepest point at 315 metres. So, here’s the river. Let’s now see where the water comes from. There, I found it! The water has made its way from the underground 
corridor of the source to spill out here. At least, I’ve seen the source 
of the Sorgue in autumn! Here we are, 200 metres further on.  It’s incredible to see how wide the river 
is here, yet so close to the source. Here we are back in the village 
centre, on the Place de la Colonne.  For our next visit, I invite you to follow me to a 
charming and secret place in Fontaine-de-Vaucluse. These are the Gardens of Petrarch.
To find it, first, we must cross the Sorgue River. Now, we are on Avenue François Pétrarque, 
which is on the road leading to Gordes. We will take this tunnel that transports 
us into the world of Petrarch. This is the Passage Arquà Petrarcha, the name of 
the Italian village where Petrarch died in 1374. From 1339, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse was 
the favoured residence of Petrarch. Here is the Petrarch Museum, located on the 
site of his house – or at least of his garden. Francesco Petrarch is among the first 
great authors of Italian literature. Petrarch is remembered for 
the perfection of his poetry,   which versifies his love for Laura de Sade. It is here that the eternal lover 
of Laura regularly came to listen   to “the hoarse voice of the waters”. The poet explained that this was his favourite residence.
Here’s what he wrote: “The very illustrious source of the Sorgue, 
long famous in itself, has become even more celebrated by my long stay and my songs.” In Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, his servant Raymond Monet taught him the art of fishing for trouts, 
cultivating his garden, and hunting game. The poet left the village for good in March 1353.
He donated his house to the sons of his servant, who had just died, to offer hospitality 
to his friends visiting the place. On Christmas Day of that year, a band of looters 
entered the village and pillaged and burned it. Petrarch’s house was burned down.
The remote valley fell into oblivion after this attack and Petrarch’s departure. Considered a wild place, it was little  frequented in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was not until the end of the 18th century that the source and the valley were rediscovered. Let’s turn back and cross the tunnel again. For the final leg of our 
exploration of Fontaine-de-Vaucluse,   we’re going to climb up to the castle.
To do this, we’ll first navigate the village’s calades, starting with 
the calade François Pétrarque. We enter a very picturesque and lesser-known 
part of the village to tourists. The calades are narrow, cobblestoned 
pathways made of large limestone pebbles. We can see the chimney of the old paper mills. It’s important to know that the municipality of Fontaine-de-Vaucluse declines all responsibility 
for accidents during the climb and visit to the castle (and well, I do, too!).
You see, the path is quite   rocky and can be very slippery after rain. As this is my first time climbing to the castle, I’m not entirely sure where I’m supposed to go.
Sometimes, the trail isn’t very obvious, and you wonder where it leads. I’m going to be quiet now as I climb   up to the perched castle, and I’ll leave 
you in the company of the chirping birds. Here we are at the entrance to the castle.
Before entering the fortress,   let’s catch our breath and enjoy 
the beautiful view of the village. A first fortress was built here around 1030, 
likely at the same time as the village church. A donation deed mentions it in 1034, but the ruins 
we see today date from the early 12th century. Let’s look at the view from this 
small opening, which is a gunport. The opening in the curtain 
wall is not an old entrance.  It is actually the result of a collapse. And today, it allows us to contemplate 
Fontaine-de-Vaucluse and its valley. In the 14th century, the castle became the 
summer residence of Philippe de Cabassolle, the bishop of Cavaillon at the time.
Petrarch, who retired to Fontaine-de-Vaucluse from 1337 to 1353, became his 
friend and often visited him. The castle was declared a ruin in the 17th 
century, and today, the truncated walls no longer have battlements or machicolations. Since the site is only partially secured, one must be very careful.
There’s always a risk of slipping, falling, or getting hit by a stone. Here we are at the top of the castle. The castle is perched on the large rocky 
spur that encircles the source of the Sorgue. The plunging view of the village and 
the valley is absolutely magnificent. We recognise the Chemin de la Sorgue that we 
followed earlier on our way to the source. And in the distance, we can see the 
Comtadine Plain towards l’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. Thank you for watching this video.
I truly enjoyed having you join me on my   stroll in Fontaine-de-Vaucluse in Provence.
I’ll see you soon for other adventures. A bientôt!