Belfry Campanile-Lacoste-Luberon-2126~2013 04 26

Lacoste (; oc, La Còsta) 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 an ...

in southeastern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. Its population doubles in size during the height of the summer tourist season.

Geography

Lacoste is a picturesque old mountain village overlooking the village of

Bonnieux Bonnieux (; oc, Bonius) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. In 2019, it had a population of 1,206. In the plain below the village stands the notable Roman bridge the Pont Jul ...

and the Grand

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 ...

Mountains to the east, and flanked by 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.Bonnieux Bonnieux (; oc, Bonius) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. In 2019, it had a population of 1,206. In the plain below the village stands the notable Roman bridge the Pont Jul ...

to Lacoste (about a 45-minute walk).

Sights

The

vernacular architecture Vernacular architecture is building done outside any academic tradition, and without professional guidance. This category encompasses a wide range and variety of building types, with differing methods of construction, from around the world, bo ...

and cobblestone streets give the impression of a village where time has stood still. The oldest building in the town, the Maison Forte, dates back to the 9th century while the nearby Pont Julien remains one of the oldest standing examples of a working 1st century B.C. Roman bridge. Finnbar Mac Eoin, author of "Two Suitcases And A Dog" lives in Lacoste. He was the last person to drive across The Pont Julien before it closed to traffic in 2005. A plaque states, "We do not know who was the first person to cross, but an Irishman was the last".

History

Lacoste is best known for its most notorious resident, Donatien Alphonse Francois comte de Sade, the Marquis de Sade, who in the 18th century lived in the castle, Château de Lacoste, overlooking the village. Following a series of incidents involving local women and the police, the Marquis fled the country but was eventually imprisoned. His castle was partially destroyed in an uprising in 1779 and was later looted and plundered by locals. It was later bought by fashion designer

Pierre Cardin Pierre Cardin (, , ), born Pietro Costante Cardino (2 July 1922 – 29 December 2020), was an Italian-born naturalised-French fashion designer. He is known for what were his avant-garde style and Space Age designs. He preferred geometric sha ...

, who partially restored it and held cultural events there. During the first half of the 19th century the village saw a brief time of agricultural and economic prosperity from the Roman

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

quarries, but soon hit a slump in the second half of the century and a large portion of the upper village of Lacoste fell into disrepair and ruins. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the

French Resistance The French Resistance (french: La Résistance) was a collection of organisations that fought the German occupation of France during World War II, Nazi occupation of France and the Collaborationism, collaborationist Vichy France, Vichy régim ...

took their foothold in the steep

Mountains around Lacoste, and trenches and barbed wire still exist in the forested area in the valley, where resistance fighters prepared to square off with German troops.

Culture

Tony Perrottet of '' Slate'' said that Lacoste "always had a contrarian streak," citing the fact that Lacoste was a Protestant village surrounded by Catholic communities and that a Communist mayor had been in power for fifty years. There are two small cafes in town where locals and students go to socialize.

Arts

The Marquis fancied Lacoste as a destination for thespians, which has in some small part become true. In the 1990s, the ruins of the castle, along with an attached quarry, were bought by fashion designer

, and since 1994 musical and theatrical works have been performed there. Cardin founded ''L'Espace Cardin'' in the village of Lacoste as his business and ticketing office, and renovated the quarry into a massive outdoor performance area and stage. Annually, Cardin's festivalwww.festivaldelacoste.com
/ref> draws thousands during the month of July for world-class opera, theater, and music set in the quarried stage and coinciding with the

Festival d'Avignon The ''Festival d'Avignon'', or Avignon Festival, is an annual arts festival held in the French city of Avignon every summer in July in the courtyard of the Palais des Papes as well as in other locations of the city. Founded in 1947 by Jean Vila ...

, the renowned summer theater and performance festival in the nearby city of Avignon. Adding to the town's reputation as an artistic haven, The Lacoste School of the Arts was founded in Lacoste in 1970 by American art professor and painter, Bernard Pfriem. Under Pfriem's direction, notable artists came to Lacoste to teach and be inspired by the peace and tranquility of the rural environment, including

Benny Andrews Benny Andrews (November 13, 1930 – November 10, 2006) was an African-American artist, activist and educator. Born in Plainview, Georgia, Andrews earned a BFA in painting from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1958, and soon after m ...

, Denis Brihat,

Henri Cartier-Bresson Henri Cartier-Bresson (; 22 August 1908 – 3 August 2004) was a French humanist photographer considered a master of candid photography, and an early user of 35mm film. He pioneered the genre of street photography, and viewed photography as cap ...

, David Douglas Duncan, Nene Humphrey,

Gjon Mili Gjon Mili (November 28, 1904 – February 14, 1984) was an Albanian photographer from Korçë who developed his profession in America, best known for his work published in ''Life'', in which he photographed artists such as Pablo Picasso. Biogr ...

, and

Jean-Pierre Sudre Jean-Pierre Sudre (; September 27, 1921 – September 6, 1997) was a commercial photographer. Biography Sudre was born in Paris but later moved to the south of France. There he devoted his life to workshops of fine art photography. Photography ...

, and Maggie Siner among others. The expatriate American poet, Gustaf Sobin, often taught poetry to students at The Lacoste School of the Arts. Through Pfriem and Sobin's leadership, the school emerged to become one of the most respected art programs in France. Sarah Lawrence College, the

Cleveland Institute of Art The Cleveland Institute of Art, previously Cleveland School of Art, is a private college focused on art and design and located in Cleveland, Ohio. History The college was founded in 1882 as the Western Reserve School of Design for Women, at fir ...

, and

Bard College Bard College is a private liberal arts college in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. The campus overlooks the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains, and is within the Hudson River Historic District—a National Historic Landmark. Founded in 1860, ...

traded partnership with the school before the

Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is a private nonprofit art school with locations in Savannah, Georgia; Atlanta, Georgia; and Lacoste, France. Founded in 1978 to provide degrees in programs not yet offered in the southeast of the Uni ...

took control in 2002. Today the Savannah College of Art and Design hosts four quarters of classes for art students and professors from all corners of the globe, studying fine arts, writing, architecture, design, fashion, film, photography, sculpture, and theater, to name a few of the subjects. The 30+year history of the Lacoste School of the Arts has helped to infuse a multicultural and worldly artistic sense to the village. The Savannah College of Art and Design recently renovated Maison Basse at the base of the hill village, expanding the number of students who can study in Lacoste each quarter.

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