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Heritage and environnement

Architectural heritage

Ancient ramparts : 15th century AD.

Gate : until 1760, it was the only gate into the village. Bellfry : early 19th century

The new gate : near the church, open in the ramparts in 1761

Church dedicated to saint Barthélemy
small primitive church, early 12th century ; enlarged over the years, first in the 17th century, then again in the 19th century.



The altarpiece dates from the late 17th century, it was bought after the church was enlarged, probably partly financed by the sale of a reliquary " the silver arm " of Placid Saint, in 1699.   



The castle, a feudal castle, was restored in the 17th century and destroyed during the French Revolution.  The main remains are the retaining walls (you can take photographs from the street of the castle and Raimbaut street) a wall with loopholes and a vaulted hall with gothic arches.  The current building is owned by the diocese, and dates from the 19th century. 

The chapel of Notre Dame de Pitié de Coste de Coa was built in 1635, with stones from the quarry of Coste de Coa, in accordance with a pledge taken during the plague of 1628-1631.

The Chapel of Notre Dame de la Brune, 19th century.

Great papal marker stone of Fontbonne.  It bears the coat of arms of Jules of Rovere, papal legate in 1476, who was to become Pope Jules II in 1503, and the patron of 2 great artists, Raphael and Michael-Angelo. 

 

Fountains

• La grande Font :  first public fountain of Vacqueyras, fed by the spring waters of Tombadou, probably 16th century. 
• The Raimbaut Fountain, built in 1866, at a time when Vacqueyras was extended towards the roads from Carpentras to Vaison.  Sculpture of Raimbaut, inaugurated in 1899, in presence of the Provencal poet Frederic Mistral. 

 

The bastides

• The dovecot : this « barn » belonged to a local lord. Houses outside the village ramparts were extremely rare in the past.

The cabanons, outside the village. They are a testimony to the time where farm work was carried out cith animal labour, and where shelter was sought near the fields.

The wells

Dry stone walls were often associated to the restanques, terrace cultures…

 

Natural heritage

 

Mediterranean vegetation « Espace botanique de Coste de Coa »

Tree species

• Le chêne du Tombadou (oak tree)
• Les platanes du Cours Stassart (Provence plane tree)
• Les amandiers (almond tree)
• Les cyprès (cyprus tree)
• les micocouliers
• les pins (pine tree)

The springs of Tombadou, la Ponche, Fontbonne

The Carpentras canal was inaugurated in 1857, it provides water to the plains of the Comtat from Mérindol on the Durance river, to Aygues. The main canal is 65 km long, and the secondary canals are almost as long.