TOURISME CULTURE MENERBES Village de Menerbes un des plus beaux village de France

The Agency Real Estate Immobilière du Luberon is located in the beautiful village of Menerbes Lionel HOUANT offer you to discover
Menerbes
Department of Vaucluse
Population: 1157 inhabitants (2006)

The old village of Menerbes lies on a spur of elongated shaped vessel, as already noted Nostradamus, with its bow and stern. Menerbes, whose name recalls that of Minerva, the Roman goddess with the golden helmet, was inhabited since the Palaeolithic (Soubeyras shelter) and Calcolithic (dolmen Pichouno unique in Vaucluse).

In Roman times, several areas at the bottom of the village, were interspersed with "villae" which was found many relics. Before the invasions of the fifth century, the hermit Castor Mananca founded his monastery, and one can see even today, the cave at the foot of Luberon.

Menerbes Provence and the Middle Ages
Access to the city of Menerbes, riddled with underground was done by two doors Saint Sauveur and Notre Dame, which appear in the form of two golden keys in the arms of Menerbes, the Papal city.
The story is related to Ménerbes Papal which it was built from 1274.

To the west, there is a panoramic view of the Luberon and the Vaucluse mountains, from the old cemetery near the church of the fourteenth century, richly decorated (primitive altar). Former Hospice and the Belfry with its bell tower, brighten the small plot of the Town of Menerbes.

Ménerbes and seat fifteen months
One of the great moments in the history of Menerbes is the XVIth century, during the wars of religion. The city, taken by surprise by the Huguenots after the betrayal of a priest, was occupied from 1573 to end 1578, and sustained a siege of fifteen months from the Catholic troops belonging to the Pope and the King of France, one against ten. Came out of the besieged Ménerbes with the honors of war, drums beating and banners flying. Ménerbes still retain the homes, mostly private, give the old look great Ménerbes: Castellet (fortress rebuilt after shelling Catholic qu'habita sixteenth century painter Nicolas de Stael from 1953 to 1954), the Carmejane (home of General Baron d'Empire Carmejane who became famous at the Battle of Valmy and the siege of Mainz), the Hotei Tingry (where he lived before the Revolution Count Rantzau, who fled Denmark), Citadel (built after the siege, for the defense of Ménerbes), the home of General Robert Empire, became the property of Picasso. Note again the Clock Tower, topped by a bell tower, the chapel of St. Blaise and the monument of Clovis Hugues, politician and delicate Provencal poet of the last century, born at Moulin de Castellet.

TelIe is Menerbes, where spent so many illustrious men, and which today houses in a quiet light a host of painters, musicians, artists, theater or cinema, writers, that integrate a rural dispersed smoothly in old local farms.

Markets
- Bread, wine and cheese

Menerbes organizes a friendly market bread wine and cheese each year around Easter

- The flower

in May

- The flea

In October

- The Truffle Market

Between Christmas and New Year's Day a great moment not to be missed around the star gourmets: the truffle

Monuments
- The Abbey of Saint-Hilaire

In rural Provence, facing the Luberon, this former convent has been developed around 1250 from a pre-existing religious site for some troglodyte by Carmelite Order beggar based on the slopes of Mount Carmel in Palestine, who migrated to 1244 in Marseille, in the cave hermitage Aygalades.

Saint-Hilaire is a unique architectural ensemble that evokes Gothic forms while retaining a memory novel, where successive Priors were able to maintain the work that has accompanied the development of the monastic community perfectly consistent with their rule of life and local radiation .

- The Hotel d'Astier de Montfaucon

This beautiful building belongs to the municipality since 1752. Transformed in the 19th and hospice school boy in the 20th century.
It was inscribed in 1996 on the list of Historical Monuments and dedicated to local products.

Today is the Truffle and Wines of Provence House.

Lounges, gardens, possibility of seminars, exhibitions and wine classes are held.

It is also the headquarters of the Brotherhood of Luberon wines and Tourism Point.

- The Citadel

Built in its current state after the siege of Menerbes.
Existed since the Middle Ages fortifications, dwellings and the famous tower Cornille which was destroyed during the siege.
His composure and the ridge of the village gave a good reason for Nostradamus to describe Ménerbes "ship in the sea of vines."

Governors were appointed by the Popes until the Revolution and the annexation of the Papal States by France in 1793.

The Citadel is a private residence and is not open.

- The Campanile

The campanile of Menerbes overcomes a 15th century building in the shape of a square tower, which housed the town hall until 1977.

- Le Castellet

The original construction was medieval. Outpost during the siege of Menerbes, the small castle retains remnants of the time when it was a fortress.
He allowed its occupants an astonishing resistance.

The house where lived Nicolas de Staël, is still owned by his family.

Private site. Not be visited.

Museums
- The Corkscrew Museum

Within the 40-hectare vineyard of Domaine de la Citadelle - Over 1,000 corkscrews are exposed
Model corkscrews 17th to today - Several unique pieces - Open to the public since 1993



A view
- The dolmen Pitchoune

Little visible edge of the D3, but real vestige of a period: 2000 BC.

It was discovered in the 19th century and identified in 1850 by Father Andrew.

This is the only existing dolmen Vaucluse.

Useful addresses
City of Menerbes, Place de l'Horloge, 84560 Ménerbes
Tel. 04 90 72 22 05