I'm often asked why I called my blog 'Shutters and Sunflowers'. To me they are both so defining of Provence and indeed much of France. Throughout this beautiful country many of the buildings whether historic or recently built are adorned with shutters.

And in the summertime, everywhere but especially in Provence the fields are painted yellow, resplendent with golden carpets of smiling sunflowers. Somehow it wouldn't be Provence with out its dazzling, dancing tournesols and the shutters which adorn almost every window. But where did these shutters come from?

The history of shutters

It’s believed that the first shutters were designed by the ancient Greeks and made of marble. In times before there was glass, these marble shutters had fixed louvres and just as today were used for ventilation and light control. Over the years the concept was gradually developed. Marble was replaced with wood and the louvres became movable allowing the amount of light and air to be controlled.

In the Middle Ages, when windows were much smaller the shutters were hung inside. These interior shutters were pierced with holes and covered with translucent oiled parchment which allowed some light in and kept some of the draughts out. After the invention of glass in the 13th century windows became larger and building techniques more sophisticated. Interior shutters were designed to slide into apertures into the wood work beside the windows.

Exterior shutters first appeared around 1750. Normally painted white they were called contravents  or persiennes. They led to the decline of the balcony the existence of which would make the opening of shutters too difficult and shutters are not just for windows!

Stories about shutters

Some claim shutters that shutters were first used in France at the court of King Louis IV. Supposedly he introduced louvered shutters into his garden walls at his magnificent Palace of Versailles. The shutters were installed so only he could open them allowing him to watch unseen the beautiful ladies from court bathe in the gardens' numerous ponds.

Similarly in England, the story goes that when Lady Godiva road naked through the streets of Coventry, Tom would watch her unseen through his louvered shutters. Hence the term ‘Peeping Tom’!

Today only a few houses in England have shutters. In France however they are a distinguishing feature of French houses, an integral part of their charm.

Why French houses have shutters

As attractive as we might think shutters are, they have little to do with adornment but more with practicality. Restricting the amount of heat and light, shutters help keep rooms cool and prevent furniture from fading. During hot summer nights shutters make it possible for the inward opening windows to stay open keeping houses secure and minimizing unwanted insect visitors.

When outside temperatures soar it really does make a difference if you keep the shutters closed. Although it’s hard during the day to be in the dark behind closed shutters, I’m constantly amazed that when outside temperatures are sizzling if the shutters of our little house are kept fastened how cool the inside remains. Similarly on a hostile winters days especially when the Mistral is renting its wrath, closing the shutters helps keep the biting chill at bay.

Some insurers in France require you to close your shutters if you're going to be out for longer than two hours, failure to do so can invalidate your insurance, I’ll have to check our policy!

The design of the shutters of Provence

There are a myriad of different shutter styles. Like many shutters on village houses and farm properties ours are quite plain.

Some shutters are louvered and some are hinged so that only the lower half opens, our downstairs shutter is like this.

Shutters on listed building can prove to be a real headache for property owners. Les Bâtiments de France who protect historic properties can dictate not only the style but also the colour.

It is often a requirement to seek the permission of the local Maire if you want to change your shutters especially if your property is in a plus beaux village. 

In Lourmarin despite its plus beaux village status it doesn't currently seem to be a problem...

Whether the shutters have been adorning a window for centuries

such as these

or just a few years, Lourmarin boasts a varied array of shutters colours and styles.

The shutters of Provence truly are abundant in our enchanting little village. Next time I'll tell you a little about the sunflowers.

Download The Lourmarin Travel Guide to learn about what to see and do in Lourmarin and where you can see for yourself the shutters of Provence!

The post The Shutters of Provence appeared first on Shutters & Sunflowers.

What is it that consistently draws people to Provence and to the Luberon in particular? What precisely is Provence's appeal, that special ‘je ne sais quoi’ which make the region so captivating? Aside from its natural beauty, perhaps its enduring appeal is, that it remains one of the few places whose charms have not diminished with the passing of time. Simple pleasures of life, can still be found here and in abundance.

Provence, immersing yourself in simple pleasures

Provence is a place where lingering in the shade over a long, lazy, lunch, watching the world pass by  is part of life and in our over scheduled lives is perhaps the very essence of Provence's appeal!

It's where shopping means ambling through a brightly coloured market, filling your basket with freshly baked pastries, ripe local produce the soil still clinging to it, a medley of olives, honey and flowers.
Life seems kinder here, that in itself is so integral to Provence' appeal, where instead of rushing, one simply meanders, exploring the narrow streets, stopping every so often to admire a tall shuttered window or worn brass door handle, which you just know has a story to tell.

It’s a place where one wanders down tree lined avenues,

where bustling street cafés beckon, their only requirement being that you take your time over a coffee or glass of wine, inviting you to relax and soak up the ambience. Simple pleasures so integral to Provence's appeal, just as alluring today as they were when Van Gough, Gauguin, Cézanne captured it on their canvases.

Provence, a symphony for the senses

Provence is a place where is so much admire, to look at, to taste, to smell, to hear, simple but delightful sensory experiences which help to define Provence's appeal.

Sights of Provence

Provence and especially the Luberon, is visually stunning and the sense of the past is inescapable, in its enchanting perched villages, its tumbled down castles, abbeys and medieval chateaux.

Set against a backdrop of breathtaking scenery and a magical light, Provence has enticed artists here for centuries. This unique transcendent light has a sharply defining clarity which has the ability to become almost translucent, a painter's dream!

There is an ever-changing kaleidoscope, where streaming sun rays, intensify and illuminate the natural colours of the spectacular landscape.

Vibrant summer carpets of dancing yellow sunflowers and violet shades of lavender.

Endless, rolling fields of bright, green vineyards, olive groves and fruit orchards,

which evolve into a deep, rich, ocher glow before shedding their gowns to rest during winter.

Fragrances of Provence

And as the seasons change so do the natural fragrances, which in this part of the world have an intensity which perfumes the air like no where else. Lavender, verbena and olives, so defining of summer in Provence pervade, and then later the heady aroma of the vines, when lush crops of grapes drip like fat jewels, from ancient gnarly fists. Fragrances which giddily illustrate Provence's appeal!

The intoxicating scent of warm soil, of fermenting fruit and musty, aged oak barrels promising rich dark vintages, to be slowly sipped by the glow of a fire, the flavors of the earth, the fruit and wood smoke consuming you.

Tastes of Provence

Good food and eating in Provence really matters, it is a place of mouth watering tastes; the flaky, buttery texture of croissants which melt on your tongue; of ripe tomatoes whose exploding flavor instantly remind you of the summers of your childhood, of freshly cut grass, of not having to do anything.

Crusty, floury baguettes spread with soft, creamy cheese which oozes between your finger tips; small sweet strawberries, figs, nectarines and slices of chilled melon, a scrumptious regional bounty which are so much part of Provence's appeal.

And as you feast on all this deliciousness, your ears full of the lyrical melody of the French language and the chirping of crickets, you’ll probably wonder if anything has ever tasted as good.

Perhaps the very heart of Provence's appeal is  that is somewhere to find respite from the frenzied, interconnected world so many of us find ourselves consumed by, a place to enjoy the simple pleasures of life, as beguiling today, as they were many life times ago.

Experience some of this beautiful region of Provence yourself:
What to see in Uzès, Avignon, Lourmarin
Where to stay in Uzès, Avignon, Lourmarin 
Where to eat in Uzès, Avignon, Lourmarin 

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