The Buoux Fort

The Fort

Long before today´s village existed, layers of hundreds of years of life accumulated, one on top of another: La Baume des Peyrards, where Mousterian Man lived some sixty thousand years ago (Middle Paleolithic era); the Bronze Age cultural site of Le Chaos, with Neolithic Claparèdes above; the Oppidium dating from the Protohistoric era; up to the cliffs and the primitive village of Saint-Germain and its cave dwellers, witnesses of the strange Late Middle Ages…

On the isolated foundations of the Oppidium will be built an extraordinary stronghold of major importance in an intelligent, comprehensive strategic defense system designed to protect the valley of Apt, from the Valley of Lourmarin up to Sivergues and beyond.

A visit to the Fort should be made in the spirit of the intelligent exploration of vestiges that are the most extraordinary remains of medieval military architecture: the Baume, or natural cave, of the Fort; the Protohistory trail; the cunning defenses and the necessary water supply; vestiges of the medieval village; the concealed staircase; and finally, the 13th century fortress with its succession of walls, not to mention a few archeological mysteries and the exceptional panoramic view that spreads out before the visitor from the dizzy heights of the citadel.

A few historic details

Occupied since the Prehistoric and during the Protohistoric periods, the rocky spur on which the fort sits has long retained its military character.

Located at the junction of two vital routes of communication across the Luberon and forming part of a strategic complex of fortifications covering the vulnerable points of access to the Luberon, this immense block of molasse was very quickly chosen by Man as a refuge and defensive point. The finds made on the site permit it to be classified as an oppidum dating from the end of the Neolithic period and during the Protohistoric period. It became the "Castrum de Biolis" in the Middle Ages. This fortified site was already inhabited. Ramparts were built at the vulnerable point where the rock offers no natural protection. The fortress design and construction are the product of reflection, needs and technical skills that were probably far ahead of their time in the 13th century, when Provence was trying to reaffirm its might as a "Comté".

The fort was an obstacle that was practically invulnerable to any invasion attempt or attempt to penetrate its defenses; funneled through the valleys of the Roche d´Espeil, these would have failed at the foot of this huge monolithic structure.

Thanks to its cliffs, the Buoux Fort remained a vital point of defense for the region until the 16th century. It later became a Huguenot refuge, and the complex was dismantled on the orders of Louis XIV towards 1660. Three defensive boundary walls remain, with a Romanesque church, some cave dwellers´ clothing, buried houses, store rooms hewn in the rock, wells, a keep, a sacrificial stone (?) probably of Protohistoric origin, and a concealed staircase. All these items show that the life of the community must have been naturally harsh, poor and enclosed.

Restoration of the site

An important site restoration programme will be undertaken from 2007. It will be done in stages over a period of 10 years: archeological digs, restoration of the Fort, work reinsertion projects.

Led by the Architect-in-Chief of Historic Monuments, this programme receives financial support from the Ministry of Culture (through the Regional Department of Cultural Affairs of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d´Azur region) and the Vaucluse Conseil Général (the Cultural Department´s cultural and tourist heritage plan).

How to get there

In the "Vallon de l’Aiguebrun", 2km from the village of Buoux, follow signs to the "Hameau des Seguins".

Parking area at the bottom of the Fort. Take care to leave nothing in the car! From the parking area, a shady path will lead you to the steward´s house (visit departure point), where you will find the ticket and information office, a map of the site, guides, books and postcards.

Further information is available on the Buoux town-hall web site

Les visites

The Fort is owned by the commune of Buoux and has been a listed "Historic Monument" since 1986. Visits are paying, with special group rates for a minimum of 15 people.

Adults: € 3
Group > 15 pers.: € 2 per pers.
Young people < 18 years old: € 2
Children < 7 years old: free.

Open all year, from sunrise to sunset. Closed in rainy weather, snow, fog and other poor weather conditions.

Tel: +33 (0) 4 90 74 25 75