Fontaine de Vaucluse

The village of Fountain of Vaucluse had the privilege to give its name to the department created in 1793 and it is the exceptional site of Vaucluse - " Vallis clausa ", who means the closed Valley, at the bottom of which appears mysteriously Sorgue which gave its name to the village (been attested from Xth s in the official texts).
A charming site, The Fountain of Vaucluse does not stop intriguing and attracting those who visits it.

The source of Fountain of Vaucluse
From the antique, the attendance of the site was very important; the recent archaeological discoveries give evidence of a major worship of waters. At the end of a profound green throat of Provence, at the foot of a great cliff sculptured by the erosion, springs the most beautiful river of the department: Sorgue of Vaucluse, a few hundred meters away from the picturesque village to which the valley gave its name.
With an average total flow of 630 millions of m3 a year, this source is the first one of Europe, and one of the most important at the world level, by its sold volume of water. it results from the emergence of an immense underground network.
Fresh and peaceful source in winter and in summer, bouillonnante and passionate in spring and in autumn, the Fountain, the real whim of the nature does not stop amazing.
The end of XIX ° century sees taking place the first attempt of dive in the conduit bathed in the Sorgue, (in the shape of vertical funnel 308 meters deep) and more than a century audacious explorations allow to understand better the mystery of its functioning. All year round, the secondary sources feed Sorgue and train a very beautiful stretch of water shaded by secular plane trees.
The intense beauty of this natural site knew how to move the heart of numerous writers and poets: Pétrarque, Boccace, Chateaubriand, Frédéric Mistral and René Char.
The access to the source is free and accessible every day of the year.

The story of the village of Fountain of Vaucluse
Fountain of Vaucluse is a small village where numerous discoveries wait you as the vestiges of the Castle of the Bishops of Cavaillon dating XIV ° century, the "church classified as Historic Monument" Notre-Dame and saint Véran of Provençal Romanic style dating XI ° century, built on the ruins of a temple heathen and sheltering in its crypt saint Véran's grave, for a column set up as 1804 to celebrate the 500è birthday of the birth of Pétrarque, the vestiges of a Roman channel built along the left bank of Sorgue. Numerous craftsmen will make you discover their know-how, in multiple domains (candy store), glass and crystal spun, woodcraft, pottery, jewels, cutlery industry, leather, art of stained-glass window making, photos on media without forgetting the workshops of painters and sculptors and numerous storekeepers.
You can also visit the Library Pétrarque museum, the museum " L' Appel de la Liberté ", the museum of history 1939-1945, the ecomuseum of the Christmas crib figure and Traditions of Provence, the ecomuseum of the abyss