Le Barroux (; ) is a village and commune in the

Vaucluse Vaucluse (; 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 (commonly shortened to PACA), also known as Région Sud, is one of the eighteen Regions of France, administrative regions of France, located at the far southeastern point of the Metropolitan France, mainland. The main P ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

in southeastern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. It had a population of 629 in 2017.

History

Its current name derives from the Latin ''Albaruffum''. Its castle was built in the 12th century to oppose Saracen and Italian incursions, and went through major overhauls in the 16th and 17th centuries. The castle was damaged during the French Revolution, was repaired in 1929 using private funds, was set on fire by German occupation troops in 1944 as a reprisal for acts of resistance, and restored again after 1960. In its chapel are 18th-century wall paintings that are registered as historical monuments. Its parish Church is dedicated to

Saint John the Baptist John the Baptist ( – ) was a Jewish preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as Saint John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, John the Immerser in some Baptist ...

. Outside the village is the traditionalist Roman Catholic

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

Abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christians, Christian monks and nun ...

named Sainte-Madeleine du Barroux, founded in 1978 by Dom

Gérard Calvet Dom Gérard Calvet (18 November 1927 – 28 February 2008) was a French Catholic abbot and founder of the Sainte-Madeleine du Barroux Monastery, Sainte Madeleine du Barroux abbey in Le Barroux, France. He was considered to be an important figure i ...

(1927–2008).

Charles, Prince of Wales Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, a ...

spent a week in the village in November 1990, convalescing after an operation.Christopher Wilson, "The Windsor Knot", Citadel Press, 2003, p.145. Le Barroux is sister town with the English village of Much Marcle in

Herefordshire Herefordshire ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the West Midlands (region), West Midlands of England, bordered by Shropshire to the north, Worcestershire to the east, Gloucestershire to the south-east, and the Welsh ...

Economy

*Agriculture. Vineyards around the village produce Côtes du Ventoux AOC wine. Other productions are olive oil, cherries and apricots. *Tourism. Visitors are attracted to the picturesque medieval village and castle and to the Benedictine abbey. Cyclists are attracted by the proximity of the

Mont Ventoux Mont Ventoux (; ) is a mountain in the Provence region of southern France, located some northeast of Carpentras, Vaucluse. On the north side, the mountain borders the department of Drôme. At , it is the highest mountain in the region and h ...

, a mountain often featured in the

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...

. Image:160926-Barroux-01.jpg, Le Barroux, south side Image:Abbaye du Barroux - abbatiale.jpg, Benedictine abbey Image:Château Le Barroux 2.JPG, Castle Image:Le Barroux 9.JPG, Parish Church

History

Economy

See also