Artists have always been drawn to Provence, inspired by its' striking beauty and the brilliance of its natural light which so illuminates this stunning part of France. For me, the artist who spectacularly showcases the radiance of the region, is Paul Cézanne. This year, Carrières des Lumières paid tribute to Cézanne. Its title says it all, “Cezanne Le Maître de la Provence”. The performance is an emotional encapsulation of the very essence of Provence and all that I love about it.

Carrières des Lumières: the art spectacle in a quarry

I've been fortunate to visit Carrières des Lumières almost every year since it opened in 2012. If you have not yet experienced its wonder, Carrières des Lumières (literally translated 'Caves of Light') is a musical, art extravaganza where the works of the Masters are splashed across the towering walls of a former bauxite quarry in Val d’Enfer.

The magic of Carrières des Lumières has now been transported across the globe in its dazzling Van Gogh production, Van Gogh La Nuit étoilée. But it began here, in Provence.

Carrières des Lumières is a short drive from St Rémy-de-Provence through a twisting, boulder strewn hillside between the pine trees where suddenly the magnificent ruins of a medieval château come into view. Hugging precariously to the craggy, limestone escarpment, it’s almost possible to hear the sounds of distant gunfire being fired from the ramparts over the perched village of Les Baux-de-Provence which tumbles down the hill below.

Carrières de Lumières is just a few hairpin turns further. Once inside the quarry's vast, cavernous space, one is immediately entranced. Invisible paintbrushes sweep more than 2000 digital images of artistic genius across the 7000 square meters of the quarry’s walls, floors and ceiling. And this year it is Cézanne’s brush strokes that hold the audience spellbound.

Vassily Kandinsky

The spectacle was accompanied by the work of Vassily Kandinsky (1866-1944).

Known as the founder of abstract art, Kandinsky was greatly influenced by Cézanne.

Born in Moscow, Kandinsky was also a poet and art theorist. In 1900 he settled in Munich studying painting and traveling across Europe with his partner Gabriele Münter. After meeting Cézanne, Monet and Matisse, Kandinsky's neo-impressionist art became replaced with landscapes. Subsequently he became interested in abstract art and his work constantly challenged conventional esthetical norms.

Forced to return to Moscow in 1914, Kandinsky witnessed the Russian revolution finally leaving Russia for good in 1921 with his wife Nina, to join the faculty of the Bauhaus in Weimer, Germany.

In 1933 Kandinsky fled Nazi Germany eventually settling in Neuilly-sur-Seine, west of Paris, where he spent the rest of his life. Here he became influenced by local surrealist painters. His palette of colours softened and small creatures and cellular shapes appeared in his work.

Paul Cézanne

Paul Cézanne was born in Aix-en-Provence in 1839. His father had grand ambitions for him. Having risen from humble beginnings as a hat maker, he'd become the owner of a bank where he expected his son to join him. He sent Paul to boarding school (1852-1858) where Paul was influenced by the future writer Emile Zola, forming a life-long friendship with him. In 1837 Paul joined the drawing academy in Aix and to the great disappointment of his father he abandoned his law degree and moved to Paris. Spending time with Zola he studied at the Académie Charles Suisse but traveled frequently back to Provence.

Cézanne was a prolific painter creating multiple versions of his work.

He produced numerous still lives, restoring the nobility of what at the time was regarded as a minor genre.

"With an apple I will amaze Paris" he is said to have exclaimed.

In 1866 Cézanne began a series of paintings of his Uncle. He used a technique where he applied thick layers of paint to model the face and modulate the color. It marked a turning point in his career. This unconventional style was rejected by the Salon in Paris who mockingly declared his portraits were painted 'not only with a knife, but rather with a pistol'.

In 1869 Cézanne met his mistress Hortense Fiquet and began working along side his friend, Camille Piassarro. Cézanne refined his technique painting the outdoors, capturing the beauty of forests, gardens, ponds, bathers and outdoor picnics.

Until the end of his life Cézanne painted the bathers in multiple settings, blending the human form into the landscape, concentrating his efforts on the body as a whole using them to structure space.

In 1874 Cézanne participated in his first impressionist exhibition.

In 1883 he met Monet and Renoir but they, like many others in their world failed to recognise his genius. In 1883 Cézanne married Hortense with whom he’d had a son in 1872. In 1888 Cézanne returned from Provence to Paris. In 1895 the art dealer Vollard exhibited 150 of Cézanne 's works including his oil painting the card players. The exhibition was a resounding success.

In 1901 Cézanne established his workshop on Lauves Hill in Aix-en-Provence which overlooked Mt Sainte-Victoire.

From 1902 until he died in 1906, Cézanne painted Mt Sainte-Victoire many times.

Like much of his work he painted it from several viewpoints,

studying the effect of light on his subjects.

Cézanne’s later works were predominantly of his native Provence where he found serenity painting scenes of every-day life, colourful houses, the local people, and landscapes. These landscapes illustrate how he regarded Provence, as the essence of nature.

These pieces offer a glimpse into Cézanne's inner struggles, the independence of his style and his unique relationship with nature.

Today Cézanne is regarded as the pioneer of modernity. His particular use of forms and color set him apart from the impressionists which later influenced later early 20th century avant guarde-artists.

Cézanne continued to exhibit his works until 1906, the year he died.

Paul Cézanne, le Mâitre de Provence.

Visiting Carrières de Lumières

Location: 800m from the enchanting perched village of Les Baux de Provence
Route de Maillane 13520 Les Baux de Provence
Tel: +33 4 90 54 37     Email: message@carrieres-lumieres.com
By road: Motorway A7 (exit Avignon), A9 (Nimes) and A54 (Baux-de-Provence) 10 minutes from St Remy-de-Provence, see the map below
Open: 9.00am -6.00pm, (later in summer months) 7 days a week from March – January Check website for details, re-opening March 2022
Admission: 14.50 Euros, family and other discounts available. Booking online advance is recommended

Tips for visiting Les Baux & Carrières de Lumières
Combine the entrance ticket with entrance to the Chateau ruins of Les Baux for a fascinating self-guided audio tour transporting you back to the time of knights and swash buckling heroes.

Don’t miss the video film of a helicopter ride over Provence, shown in the small chapel near the exit.

Eat elsewhere, in nearby St Remy-de-Provence, Maussane-les-Alpilles, Maussane-les-Alpilles or Arles, the Les Baux dining choices are disappointing.

If you have time, visit one of the many olive mills and wine domains in Valley Le Crau and the Roman road Via Aurelia below Les Baux on your departure.

The post Cézanne, Le Maître de la Provence at Carrières des Lumières appeared first on Shutters & Sunflowers.

Since opening in 2012 the stunning video art show at Carrières de Lumières has entranced millions. Situated just steps from the medieval perched village of Les Baux-de-Provence each year, the work of the Masters is splashed across the cavernous walls of this former bauxite quarry. This year, 'Van Gogh, La Nuit étoilée' pays tribute to one of the world’s greatest artists, Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890).

From a selection of about 500 paintings, Carrières de Lumières’ talented artistic directors Gianfranco Iannuzzi, Renato Gatto and Massimiliano Siccardi, showcase Van Gogh's incredible genius. His story is told across the quarry’s 7000 square meters of walls, many of which loom over 15 meters high. Starting from the sun-drenched wheat fields of Arles, to Paris and then back to Provence, from where Van Gogh strove tirelessly to capture the light and colours of this region which so bewitched him.

"Van Gogh is one of the most important painters that ever lived. The exhibition produced for Carrières de Lumières highlights the artist's unique approach. We realised it was important to show the thickness of the paint medium and the impact of colors, and focus on the decisiveness of the brushstrokes and use of line, all of which are so characteristic of Van Gogh's works" Gianfranco Iannuzzi

As in the preceding performances there is an enthralling accompanying exhibit. This year's 'Dreamed Japan Images of the Floating World' profiles art from the land of the rising sun which inspired Van Gogh profoundly.

Vincent Van Gogh's childhood

Born in Groot Zundert in the Netherlands in 1853, Vincent Van Gogh was the eldest of six children. Inspired by his father who as a pastor used imagery to illustrate his sermons, Van Gogh began painting as a young child. Difficult, shy and socially awkward he left school at 16 and went on to work at art galleries in the Hague, Brussels, London and Paris.,

Van Gogh the young artist

During his time in London and Brussels, distressed by the plight of the poor and sick, this troubled young man sought to find his soul in painting. His work from then reflects the sorrow he felt for the disenfranchised.

The Potato Eaters ~ Vincent Van Gogh

In 1880, at the age of 27 Van Gogh enrolled at Academie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Brussels. From here he began to paint in earnest, initially mostly landscapes and then scenes from every day life. After his father's death in 1885 his paintings became more liberated and he began 'to paint what I feel and feel what I paint.' (Vincent Van Gogh)

Van Gogh in Provence 1888 -1889

Wishing to escape hectic city life, in February 1888 Van Gogh moved to Arles, Provence. Initially he lived in a room at Café de la Gare before moving to the La Maison Jaune. Surrounded by the natural light and colours of Provence Van Gogh found the perfect place to develop his talents.

His use of bold colours and powerful brushstrokes demonstrates the dialogue he saw between light and shadows. Expressed dramatically in the multi-coloured petals of one of his most famous pieces, The Sunflowers, les Tournsoles, flowers which are still so synonomous with Provence and which he painted both in full bloom and dying.

'The Sunflowers' ~ a series of three paintings, 1888.

The sunflowers at Carrières de Lumières.

During his time in Arles Van Gogh became fascinated by the local people which he considered to be so different from elsewhere.

Turbulent Housemates by Van Gogh

From Arles he continued to develop his unique treatment of light, depicted most famously in Terrasse de café le soir, Le café de nuit, La Maison Jaune and La Chambre.

La Chambre ~ Vincent Van Gogh

Brilliantly capturing the beauty of Provence within which he'd immersed himself, Van Gogh's work also continued to reflect the intensity of his thinking and his inner torment. The turmoil he saw and then painted in nature perhaps mirrored his own anguish, illustrated in the sublime but ominous atmosphere of the sky in Nuit étoilée sur le Rhône (1888) and La Nuit étoilée (1889).

La Nuit étoilée ~ Vincent Van Gogh

His paintings of the olive and cypress trees (1889) also show this chaos he saw in natural beauty.

After a brief collaboration with Paul Gaugin, who joined him in Arles, Van Gogh's unbalanced mind led him to cut off his own ear.

He was treated locally and again several times afterwards suffering from insomnia and hallucinations. Finally in May 1889 he admitted himself to Saint-Paul-de-Mausole, an asylum for the mentally ill in nearby Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. He stayed there for a year still continuing to paint hoping to find solace in his work.

Van Gogh's paintings of the interior of Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum

Van Gogh's irises painted during his stay at the Saint-Rémy asylum

During his time at the asylum Van Gogh also completed a series of self portraits.

His omin0us stare and the use of robust brushstrokes and intense colors mirror his agonized emotional state.

In May 1890, his health still extremely fragile, Van Gogh left Saint-Rémy and moved to Auvers-sur-Oise where he lived over a café. From here he famously painted the local church.

L'église d'Auvers-sur-Oise, vue du chevet by Vincent Van Gogh

Carrières de Lumières' 'La Nuit étoilée' ends with one of Van Gogh's last works 'The Wheat Field with Crows' (1890). Immersed into major landscapes he tried to capture the order of nature painting a threatening sky which contrasted sharply with the gold hues of a wheat field.

Unable to reconcile his increasingly disturbed state of mind on 27 July 1890 Van Gogh tragically shot himself. He died two days later never understanding his own genius or the fame that his incredible work would achieve. His astounding talent in over 2000 works remain on display as part of priceless collections around the world, magnificently portrayed in this year's spectacle at Carrières de Lumières.

If you'd like to learn more about Van Gogh there are countless places you can visit, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam is a good place to start.

Visiting Carrières de Lumières
Location: 800m from the enchanting perched village of Les Baux de Provence
Route de Maillane 13520 Les Baux de Provence
Tel: +33 4 90 54 37     Email: message@carrieres-lumieres.com
By road: Motorway A7 (exit Avignon), A9 (Nimes) and A54 (Baux-de-Provence) 10 minutes from St Remy-de-Provence, see the map below
Open: 9.00am -6.00pm, (later in summer months) 7 days a week from March – January Check website for details, re-opening March 2020
Admission: 13 Euros, family and other discounts available. Booking online advance is recommended

Tips for visiting Les Baux & Carrières de Lumières
Combine the entrance ticket with entrance to the Chateau ruins of Les Baux for a fascinating self-guided audio tour transporting you back to the time of knights and swash buckling heroes.

Don’t miss the video film of a helicopter ride over Provence, shown in the small chapel near the exit.

Eat elsewhere, in nearby St Remy-de-Provence, Maussane-les-Alpilles, Maussane-les-Alpilles or Arles, the Les Baux dining choices are disappointing.

If you have time, visit one of the many olive mills and wine domains in  Valley Le Crau and the Roman road Via Aurelia below Les Baux on your departure.

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Yesterday was special, leaving our paintbrushes and plumbing issues behind, we drove towards the jagged hills of Les Alpilles through Le plaine de la Crau, winding our way through the lush valley floor of silvery, green olive trees and golden vineyards

Suddenly, dominating the sky-line, hugging precariously to the craggy, limestone hillside the magnificent ruins of a medieval château became visible.

Squinting in the bright winter sunshine, one could almost hear the distant shouts from its ramparts and imagine the clanking of armour and swishing of velvet gowns as the ghosts of a bygone age scurried between the shadows of the medieval buildings of this mystical place, the stunning perched village of Les Baux de Provence.

We twisted up the hairpins approaching the village and as it fell behind us we followed the road’s curving path downwards merely a few hundred meters further towards the hidden bauxite caves nestled just below. Our destination was Carrières de Lumières where we knew its video art extravaganza would transport us, this year into the world of the artists Bosch, Brueghel, Arcimboldo, ‘from the fantastic to the wonderful’.

A visit to Carrières de Lumières was something I had been looking forward to all year, I wasn’t disappointed. An enchanting visionary thrill, each years’ multi-media spectacle is as captivating as the last, where within this vast, cavernous space, utterly breathtaking in its own right,

the incredible geniuses of the maestros are splashed upon the towering space of the former bauxite quarry in Val d’Enfer. Transformed by art of the world’s Masters, it is an unforgettable and heart stirring experience.

This year was no exception, once again we were entranced, both by the brilliance of the artists and the modern technology as unseen paintbrushes swept over 2000 digital images of incredible artistic talent across the 7000 square meters of the quarry’s walls, floors and ceiling.

Miraculously, the stage of Carrières de Lumières was consumed by the fantastical creatures and allegorical figures of the fifteenth & sixteenth century artists Bosch, Brueghel and Arcimboldo.

Magically it was bought to life by an invisible conductor, skillfully orchestrating the music of Carmina Burana by Carl Orff, The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi and Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin as each scene faded in an ever-changing kaleidoscope of wonder.

Every year, no matter the artist, the length of time you stay or how many of the 30 minute performances you watch you will be spellbound.

Gazing in wonder you’ll be reluctant to tear yourself away

and you will leave enchanted but excited to return.

If you haven’t been yet hurry, there are just a few more weeks of Bosch, Brueghel and Arcimboldo’s fantastique et merveilleux performance, it ends January 7th.

We will then all wait, in eager anticipation for next years spectacle, 'Picasso et Les Modern Espagnols' it opens March 2018, I’ll be going won’t you!?

Visiting Carrières de Lumières

Location: 800m from the enchanting perched village of Les Baux de Provence
Route de Maillane 13520 Les Baux de Provence
Tel: +33 4 90 54 37     Email: message@carrieres-lumieres.com
By road: Motorway A7 (exit Avignon), A9 (Nimes) and A54 (Baux-de-Provence) 10 minutes from St Remy-de-Provence, see the map below
Open: 9.00am -6.00pm, (later in summer months) 7 days a week from March – January Check website for details, re-opening March 2018
Admission: 12 Euros, family and other discounts available.

Tips for visiting Les Baux & Carrières de Lumières

Combine the entrance ticket with entrance to the Chateau ruins of Les Baux for a fascinating self-guided audio tour transporting you back to the time of knights and swash buckling heroes.

Don’t miss the video film of a helicopter ride over Provence, shown in the small chapel near the exit.

Eat elsewhere, in nearby St Remy-de-Provence, Maussane-les-Alpilles, Maussane-les-Alpilles or Arles, the Les Baux dining choices are disappointing.

If you have time, visit one of the many olive mills and wine domains in  Valley Le Crau and the Roman road Via Aurelia below Les Baux on your departure.

The post Carrières de Lumières Bosch, Brueghel, Arcimboldo, ‘from the fantastic to the wonderful’ appeared first on Shutters & Sunflowers.

The incredible art of Russia's Marc Chagall at Carrières de Lumières has been a 2016 sensation! Yet another maestro’s talent splashed upon the towering walls and floor of the former bauxite quarry in Val d'Enfer, by Les Baux de Provence.  Set to a mystical, musical background, the spellbinding spectacle was breathtaking once again.

Even for the art philistines amongst us, this video extravaganza never fails to captivate and Marc Chagall at Carrières de Lumières was no exception. It is an enchanting visionary thrill, hard to tear yourself away from but one you'll leave excited to return to for the following year's stunning performance!

How to visit Carrières de Lumières

Located: 800m from the enchanting perched village of Les Baux de Provence
Route de Maillane 13520 Les Baux de Provence
Tel: +33 4 90 54 37     Email: message@carrieres-lumieres.com
By road: Motorway A7 (exit Avignon), A9(Nimes) and A54(Baux-de-Provence) 10 minutes from St Remy-de-Provence, see the map below
Open: 9.00am -6.00pm, (later in summer months) 7 days a week from March – January Check website for details, re-opening March 5th 2017
Admission: 12 Euros, family and other discounts available.

Marc Chagall at Carrières de Lumières 2016 ~ Midsummer's Night Dream

Tip: Combine the entrance ticket with entrance to the Chateau ruins of Les Baux for a fascinating self-guided audio tour which will transport you back to the time of knights and swash buckling heroes.

Les Baux de Provence

This ancient perched Provencal village, set high on a rocky escarpment above Les Alpilles is believed to date back to the times of Balthazar, one of the three wise men.

Owned by the Grimaldi family of Monaco, it is only a five minute stroll from Carrières de Lumières.
Wander its meandering cobbled streets and peek into its chapel, simple but serene.

Tip: The chateau tour is excellent, don’t miss the video film of a helicopter ride over Provence, shown in the small chapel near the exit.

Tip: Eat elsewhere, in nearby St Remy-de-Provence or Arles, the Les Baux dining choices are disappointing.

Tip: If you have time, visit one of the many olive mills and wine domains as you wind your way through the valley Le Crau and the Roman road Via Aurelia below Les Baux on your departure.

History of the quarries of Val d'Enfer, site for Carrières de Lumières

Located in the heart of Les Alpilles, the quarries of the Val d'Enfer have been known for their white colored limestone since the second century BC. In 1821 a red mineral used for the extraction of aluminium was discovered. It was named bauxite after the neighbouring village of Les Baux, it was mined industrially until 1935.

Mining in Val d'Enfer

Today the walls still reveal the intensive marks of the crocodile saw used to extract the stone.
This saw was operated by a single worker, with its large, trapezoid form its teeth only cut when the worker pulled the saw towards him. Easier to handle than a two man saw it was also cheaper, cutting about two meters of soft stone a day.

Val d'Enfer as a center for the arts

The magical atmosphere and cool temperatures of the site have inspired many. It has been the setting for Dante’s 'Divine Comedy', Gounod’s opera 'Mireille' and Cocteau's film 'The Testament of Orpheus'. In 1977 the combined vision of Cocteau and research of stage designer Joseph Svoboda led to the transformation of the walls into projection screens. In 2010 Culturespaces selected it for to become Carrières de Lumières, profiling the art of the Masters, it is an artistic sensation!

Carrières de Lumières 2016, Chagall ~ Midsummer's Night Dream

Next year Bosch, Brueghel, Arcimboldo, 'from the fantastic to the wonderful' ~ not to be missed on any trip to this part of Provence.

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Les Carrières de Lumières 2016 is open!
Located by the magical perched village of Les Baux-de-Provence,
Carrières de Lumières is an entrancing projected video art extravaganza.
Set deep within a disused bauxite cave
it profiles breathtaking works of art.
This year's Carrières de Lumières
features the artistic wonder of Marc Chagall.
Previous years have included Van Gogh, Gaugin, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.
You can view a vignette of my previous visits to Carrières de Lumières below.
Carrières de Lumières is an unforgettable, part of anyone’s visit to Provence,
make sure it is part of yours!

You can read more about Les Baux de Provence by clicking here

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Gazing out from the ramparts of Les Baux-de-Provence, high up on the Alpilles hills
visitors are treated to a vista of Provence that dreams are made of.

Acres of silvery, green olive groves splashed with sprawling vineyards,
interspersed with pines and scrub oaks
and in the early summer the occasional tuft of Provence’s most defining bloom, lavender.

If time is short, come for just the view, you won’t be disappointed

André Suarez, (1868-1948)

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SURROUNDING AREA  AND PDF GUIDES FOR NEARBY UZES AND LOURMARIN

The post Les Baux-de-Provence, a magical view from a fairy-tale village appeared first on Shutters & Sunflowers.

The Château des Baux,
nestled on a craggy limestone escarpment high in the Alpilles hills
is one of Provence’s most famous fortresses.
Château des Baux dates back to the tenth century,
although now in ruins you can learn its fascinating story
on a self guided audio tour exploring its tumbling ramparts,
guaranteed to take you on a magical journey back in time.

CLICK HERE FOR A DOWNLOADABLE GUIDE TO THE SURROUNDING AREA AND NEARBY LOURMARIN

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As you wander the meandering cobbled streets of Les Baux-de-Provence,
between the shadows of its medieval buildings, close your eyes.
You’ll hear the swish of long gowns and velvet cloaks hurrying passed you
and the distant clanking of armour by the chateau.
None of Provence’s perched villages are as atmospheric as Les Baux-de-Provence.
A magical place, where you’ll find yourself wishing ‘if only walls could talk’,
for to visit Les Baux is to journey back in time …….

The post Visit the beguiling perched village of Les Baux-de-Provence appeared first on Shutters & Sunflowers.

Of all the places to visit with James, Les Baux-de-Provence was a 'must'. My first visit there had actually been with him, on a freezing, windy, Monday in early March 2012. It was out of season and James hadn’t been able to tour the chateau or see the amazing Carrières de Lumières.

I have written about Les Baux previously, you can click here to read its history and despite this being my 4^th visit in just 9 months it was still wonderful to return.
Guided by 'Arabella', our somewhat erratic Sat Nav, we were taken on a stunning route across the plains of Les Alpilles. High limestone rocks flanked the chalky terrain which sprouted olive trees, scrub oaks and heathers.
Our twisting, turning route certainly
didn’t seem the fastest but it was beautiful. Finally we reached the lush valley below Les Baux and the village became visible high on its rocky outcrop above us. We were fortunate to see Les Baux with few other visitors and bathed in brilliant afternoon sunshine. James marveled out how so much had been discovered about the history of this magical spot, the tumbled ruins being bought to life by the informative audio tour.

From the Chateau we then visited the incredible  'Carrières de Lumières', the Quarries of light. A breathtaking, projected video show in the caves of a former bauxite quarry by Les Baux. This cavernous space is amazing enough in its own right but light up by the art spectacle of the work of the artists Vincent Van Gogh and Paul Gauguin, even the biggest of art philistines can not help but be entranced.

70 video cameras project the art of these two great men in a unique audio visual display. Both artists started their careers by painting northern French landscapes before spending nearly a year together in southern France in Arles, the Roman town a short distance from Les Baux.
As you stand and watch, you are totally immersed in this artistry. One scene fading into another on the walls all around you, on the floor and on the ceiling. Together with the evocative music your heart is stirred at such talent, both of the artists and the modern technology, which has created this drama! 

Finally we tore ourselves away and were treated to a golden, twilight journey, back through the valley floor below Les Baux, abundant with olive groves and vineyards

Download the Lourmarin Travel Guide and the surrounding area of The Luberon, Provence here, do let me know your recommendations !

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France, and especially southern France is famous for its perched villages, Les Baux-de-Provence is one such stone bastide, which clings, seemingly quite precariously, to the hillside. Mostly built in the Middle Ages on carefully chosen prominent rock faces, offering the best vantage point for protection from potential invaders.Once immersed in the enfold of ancient stone buildings and winding cobbled streets the modern day visitor cannot fail to be both impressed and charmed.

Les Baux-de-Provence, dated back to the tenth century. Nestled on a magnificent 804 feet high rocky escarpment, (in provençal, "bau" means 'rocky escarpment) standing high above the caves of the surrounding Alpilles hills it is utterly captivating. Les Baux' strategic position meant it was settled early, both by Celts and by Romans but the height of its power was in the early Middle Ages, when it was dominated by the fiercely ambitious princes of Les Baux, who controlled 79 towns and villages in the region. They claimed to be the descendants of Balthazar, one of the Three Wise Men, and the 16-pointed silver star which guided the kings to Bethlehem is still on the municipal flag.
 Small squares, shady pavement cafes and shops heavily festooned with local offerings, wine, olive oil, soap, tablecloths all purposefully arranged to allure and entice. Fragrant smells of lavender and cooking, the atmosphere is magical.

In 1642 the town was granted to the Grimaldi , of Monaco, as a French marquisate, the title of Marquis des Baux remains with them. The family have visited the tiny 12th century church, Saint Vincent's, a 'troglodyte building' i.e. it's partly carved into the rock. It is spellbinding in its quiet simplicity.

Having ambled through the winding streets there are the ruins of the once majestic chateaux to explore. With a little imagination, after a fine glass or three of vin rosé you are transported back to a bygone era. If you listen carefully you can hear the swish of arrows ascending from the elevated fortress walls. Swords clashing and men far below scream as they charge and the ram the guarded entrance way, dodging whatever is being hurled at them.

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