Occitan Occitan may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain.
* Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France.
* Occitan language
Occitan (; o ...
) is a
commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
in the
Vaucluse
Vaucluse (; oc, Vauclusa, label= Provençal or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.department in the
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (; or , ; commonly shortened to PACA; en, Provence-Alps-French Riviera, italic=yes; also branded as Région Sud) is one of the eighteen administrative regions of France, the far southeastern on the mainland. Its pref ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
in southeastern
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
. The town is located on the perimeter of the
Parc naturel régional du Luberon
The Luberon ( or ; Provençal: ''Leberon'' or ''Leberoun'' ) is a massif in central Provence in Southern France, part of the French Prealps. It has a maximum elevation of and an area of about . It is composed of three mountain ranges (from we ...
.
Geography
Located between two of the "most beautiful villages in France,"
Gordes
Gordes (; oc, Gòrda) is a commune in the Vaucluse département in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. The residents are known as ''Gordiens.'' The nearest big city is Avignon; smaller cities nearby include Cavaillo ...
and Roussillon, Joucas is a small hilltop village of
Monts de Vaucluse
The Vaucluse Mountains (French: ''Monts de Vaucluse'') are a mountain range of the French Prealps located in the departement of Vaucluse, between the Luberon Massif and Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux (; oc, Ventor, label= Provençal ) is a mountai ...
. From the village one can see the surrounding plain and ochre hills of Roussillon. Like other hilltop villages in the region, the village location was selected in part due to the good views, which allowed inhabitants to see enemies approaching from far away.
Population
Tourism
Like all municipalities in the
Luberon
The Luberon ( or ; Provençal: ''Leberon'' or ''Leberoun'' ) is a massif in central Provence in Southern France, part of the French Prealps. It has a maximum elevation of and an area of about . It is composed of three mountain ranges (from w ...
, tourism plays a role, directly or indirectly, in the local economy. There are several main types of tourism in the Luberon. Historical and cultural tourism relies on the rich heritage of the hilltop villages. Vacation tourism has resulted in the significant development of cottages, hotels and rentals, a large concentration of pools, and activities such as the Provençal markets. Finally, green tourism benefits from the many hiking trails and protected lands in the Luberon and surroundings. Tourism (hotels, guest houses and restaurants, including a starred Michelin) is an important part of the Joucas economy.
Places to see
image:Joucas - église.JPG, Joucas church
image:Joucas - autel église.JPG, inside the church
image:Joucas - Lavoir.JPG, Old wash house
See also
*
Communes of the Vaucluse department
The following is a list of the 151 communes of the Vaucluse department of France.
The communes cooperate in the following intercommunalities (as of 2022):Luberon
The Luberon ( or ; Provençal: ''Leberon'' or ''Leberoun'' ) is a massif in central Provence in Southern France, part of the French Prealps. It has a maximum elevation of and an area of about . It is composed of three mountain ranges (from w ...