La Tour-d'Aigues (; oc, La Torre d'Egues) 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 Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

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 ...

Geography

The town is located at the south of the Grand Luberon, away from

Pertuis Pertuis (; oc, Pertús) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. Located south of the Luberon, this town is also near Aix-en-Provence, a famous town. Pertuis has existed since at ...

. It is the capital town of the Pays d'Aigues.

Climate

La Tour d'Aigues is under the influence of the

mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

characterised by hot and dry summers and mild winters.

History

Middle Ages

The town belonged to the counts of Forcalquier until the end of the 12th century, when it passed to the Sabran family through marriage, and later to the Agoults. La Tour d'Aigues was partly destroyed in 1390 when facing the assault of Raymond VIII de Turenne. In addition to this, epidemics emptied the town of its population. This crisis allowed Fouquet d'Agoult to acquire new territories: le Tourel, la Bastidonne, Saint-Martin-de-la-Brasque and Cabrière d'Aigues. The Templars also had an establishment at La Tour d'Aigues.

Renaissance

Raymond d'Agoult, Fouquet d'Agoult's son, died without an heir in 1505. His sister Jeanne, wife of Antoine de Bolliers, viscount of Reillane, inherited La Tour d'Aigues. They brought farmers from their lands in Piémont to enrich the land. The town then passed on to the d'Agoult de Sault in 1584. It then belonged to the Lesdiguières, to a certain Villeroy in 1617, and, finally, to the Brunys in 1719 who were unpopular rich merchants from Marseille. La Tour d'Aigues faced a devastating plague in 1630 and 1631.

Early Modern Period

When the Villeroys went bankrupt, they were forced to sell the Renaissance castle built by Nicolas de Bolliers in 1550 to Jean-Baptiste Bruny. His son, Jérôme Bruny, turned the castle into a museum.

Culture

Museums and sights

*Parc naturel régional du Luberon *The Renaissance castle, entirely renovated in the 16th and 17th century. It burnt down before the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

Catherine de Médicis Catherine de' Medici ( it, Caterina de' Medici, ; french: Catherine de Médicis, ; 13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Florentine noblewoman born into the Medici family. She was Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to King H ...

is said to have visited it in 1579. *The Eglise Notre-Dame de Romégas which dates back to the 13th century. *The Maison d'Estienne du Bourguet built from 1658 to 1671 with 17th-century murals. *The Museum of earthenware in the cellars of the castle.

Notable people

* Victor d'Hupay

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tourdaigues Communes of Vaucluse