One of Gordes’ best-known secrets is the presence of many prominent figures who have made the village their home.
Drawn by the site’s natural beauty and its exceptional light, a whole constellation of artists chose Gordes as a place to live or create.
The painter André Lhote was the first to discover Gordes in 1938. He owned a beautiful house and returned regularly until his death. Many other artists followed in his footsteps, starting with Marc Chagall, who hid in the Fontaine Basse district and painted there from 1940 to 1941 before departing for New York.
After the war, many young talents were captivated by this village suspended between sky and stone. In the ruins of Gordes, they found not only blue skies but also studio spaces that suited their modest means.
Among them were Jean Deyrolle, Serge Poliakoff, and Willy Ronis—his famous photograph "Le Nu Provençal" was taken in his house in Gordes—as well as photographers Isis and Hans Silvester…
Since then, many others have come, and Gordes’ reputation as a village of artists has steadily grown. It is especially thanks to Victor Vasarely that this image was cemented—his museum, named after him, was installed in the Château de Gordes for nearly 30 years and was inaugurated in 1970 by Madame Pompidou, wife of the French President, known for her love of modern art.
All these painters, sculptors, poets, and writers—whether Gordians for a moment or for a lifetime—helped shine a spotlight on the village far beyond France’s borders. And if today Gordes is considered one of Provence’s crown jewels, known across the world, it is undoubtedly thanks to them.
While Gordes has long attracted well-known artists, it has also welcomed figures connected to the broader history of France.
The De Pluvinel family, originally from the Drôme region, gave birth in 1552 to Antoine de Pluvinel, who served as the chief riding master to Henry III and Henry IV. He later became the deputy governor of the Dauphin Louis, the future Louis XIII, royal advisor, and director of a prestigious riding school. He documented his experience and teachings in a renowned treatise, “Instruction of a King in the Exercise of Horse Riding”, a prized work among collectors and equestrian art enthusiasts.
The Instruction of the King in the Exercise of Horse Riding (ed. 1625) – Book by Antoine de Pluvinel, engravings by Crispin de Passe / Public domain
Plaque at 192 Rue de Rivoli (Paris) © Wikimedia Commons / Mu / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)
Hôtel de Pluvinel – Gordes
Madame de Pluvinel, who lived in this former private mansion in Gordes, was the daughter of François Clary, a wealthy silk merchant from Marseille. She had two sisters who left their mark on history: the first, Julie Clary, became Queen of Naples and Spain as the wife of Joseph Bonaparte, elder brother of Napoleon. The second was Désirée Clary, who was briefly engaged to Napoleon Bonaparte on April 21, 1795. However, in October of that same year, General Bonaparte met Joséphine at Madame Tallien’s salon, and the engagement was broken off.
Her husband, Monsieur de Pluvinel, was a Provençal gentleman who remained faithful to old monarchical fashions—his hair styled in the royal bird shape and powdered white. They were said to be a devoted couple. Madame de Pluvinel wore beautiful dresses, gifts from her royal sisters, which she almost apologized for wearing in their modest home in Gordes.
But to whom do we truly owe the village’s renown? It wasn’t built in a day... To understand it, we must travel back in time to the Middle Ages, when a well-known local family built a castle.
Bertrand-Rambaud de Simiane, Baron of Gordes and Caseneuve © Unknown, 16th century / Public domain
According to old historians, this family "served the King and the Fatherland with great distinction on every occasion" and was admired for both courage and wisdom—as shown by a nickname found among the books of King René: “Wisdom of the Rambaulds of Simiane.”
It is one of the oldest and most illustrious families of Provence. In the early 12th century, it was Guirand d’Agoult who first adopted the name and arms of Simiane. His descendants were Lords of Apt until the 15th century. The fiefs of Caseneuve and Gordes were elevated to a barony and later a marquisate for them.
Among the most distinguished members of this family was Bertrand-Rambault de Simiane, the second of that name, who served as Maître des Requêtes at the King’s Council in 1548 and became President of the Grand Council in 1551. In 1556, King Henry II appointed him ambassador of France to the Papal Court in Rome. Bertrand-Rambauld de Simiane, the third of that name, was the first to permanently bear the title “Baron of Gordes,” under which he became known in history. His most celebrated act of bravery occurred in August 1572, when, as governor of the Dauphiné, he refused to carry out King Charles IX’s orders against Protestants during the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. He declared, “I am the King’s lieutenant, not his executioner.”
Coat of arms of the Simiane family, painting, Simiane Chapel in Gordes © Jean-Marc Rosier (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)
The Gordes branch of the family became extinct in 1738 with the death of Jacques II de Simiane, who left no heirs. The family counted among its members two lieutenant generals of the king and four bishops. Between 1526 and 1786, it also gave two knights to the Order of Malta.
The Simiane family motto was “sustentant Lilia turres,” which can be translated either as “The lily supports the towers” or “The towers support the lily.”
What if some of Gordes’ hidden secrets lay outside the village itself? Everyone knows the Abbey of Sénanque and the Village des Bories—two gems located just 4 km away—but have you heard of the Véroncle mills?
Industry in Gordes, both in the countryside and in the village, was significant until the early 20th century.
In the 18th century, spun wool and “cadis”—a type of coarse fabric used to make trousers for soldiers and sailors—were produced in local carding workshops. Entire families raised silkworms, and in some old attics you can still see the wall holes where drying racks were once hung to lay out mulberry leaves—the sole food of the “magnans.” Spinning mills, the last of which burned down in 1887, employed many workers. After the fire, they began traveling to L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and Fontaine-de-Vaucluse to find work, following a path still known today as the “Chemin des Fileuses” or “Spinners’ Path.”
Cabrier Watermill
Operation of a horizontal water wheel mill
Mills were once a major part of Gordes’ economic activity—wheat mills powered by water or wind, and olive mills known as "à sang," which relied on human or animal strength. An impressive hydraulic system, dating back to the 15th century, still exists in the Véroncle gorges. The Véroncle, a stream flowing between Murs and Gordes, supplied water to ten downstream grain mills. A canal carved into the rock channeled the water to the mill wheels, which, when turning, set the millstones in motion, producing flour. This flour was then transported along a mule path that wound through the valley. The millstones are still visible in many of the old mills.
Rural depopulation, the rise of industrialization, and several earthquakes—including one in 1886 and most notably the Lambesc earthquake on June 11, 1909—brought mill activity in the Véroncle valley to an abrupt end at the beginning of the 20th century.
Waterfalls – Gorges of the Véroncle © OT LCDP
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