Camaret-sur-Aygues is a city of 4700 inhabitants, located 6 km east of Orange, in the Vaucluse.
Crossed to the north by a tributary of the Rhône coming down from the Alps, the Aygues, but also the Carpentras canal and various streams, the territory of the locality with an area of 17.5 km² is well irrigated and has allowed the development of an agriculture first based on market gardening, the production of olives, saffron and silkworms. From now on, the local economy is based on viticulture (production of Côtes-du-Rhône AOC) and agri-food (tomato canning).
The town has retained a circular plan and streets lined with plane trees, and traces of fortifications are visible. Dependent on the barony of Sérignan, Camaret-sur-Aigues suffered from the Wars of Religion but the population represented by two consuls was very early authorized to cultivate their own land.
Its historical heritage, its cultural vitality, its wine-growing riches make this town a stopover of interest near major tourist sites in the Rhône Valley and the Luberon.
The old road of the Princes of Orange connects the village to Vaison-la-Romaine. We found an old place of worship dating from about 2000 years BC on the Saint Martin hill, at the exit of the village. Tombs and various silos bear witness to the human presence at that time in Camaret-sur-Aygues. The Romans also occupied places in the temple district. The remains of a villa have been unearthed (Roman dishes).
In 876, Camaret-sur-Aygues was part of the Marquisate of Provence.
Then, around 1418, it was attached to the Barony of Sérignan.
Around 1563, the village was attacked by Calvinist troops from Montbrun taken over by Serbelloni, the Pope's legate, and his Italian troops. Thus Camaret-sur-Aygues will pass sometimes between the hands of the Huguenots, sometimes between those of the Catholics, until the end of the 16th century.
During the Revolution, the guillotine was very harsh in Camaret-sur-Aygues.
In the Middle Ages, the village was surrounded by ramparts and a 3 meter wide ditch into which the waters were introduced when an attack was feared.
Today, only a few vestiges remain. A belt lined with plane trees replaced the fortifications, one enters the center of the village by the large gate protected by a Ravelin, to the north by the Carbonel gate, to the east by the Bérengiers gate and to the west by the Jaubert gate.
Some figures in 2022:
4667 Camaretois.
794 families with children.
2021 dwellings.
76% of working people between 15 and 64 years old, i.e. 2,199 people.
245 companies registered all together.
Sport in Camaret: 27.2% of residents are licensed, compared to 23.5% in PACA.
2800 sunny hours per year, national average of 1973 hours per year.
Anecdote: The Plan de Dieu wine appellation to which Camaret is proud to belong derives its name from the Middle Ages when the region then filled with brigands and other people who were not very frequentable, needed to commend one's soul to God before to cross it.
Before strolling and enjoying the picturesque charm of the narrow streets of the historic heart of the town, a discovery of the heritage of the locality can begin with the Ravelin, a guardhouse composed of two towers, dating from the Middle Ages, remodeled in the 17th century and then rebuilt. in the 18th century and equipped with a campanile. It allowed the passage of carts. The building was used in the 20th century as a town hall and a prison.
Also worth seeing is the Bèque house, built in 1750 for a leader serving the barons of Sérignan. Pretty bastide with a richly decorated interior, the house housed a school and now the town library.
We will then linger at the level of the Sarrasine tower, 18 m high, which dates from the 13th century. A defensive building, the tower was transformed into a three-storey seigniorial residence.
From a religious point of view, the parish church of Saint-Andéol was built between 1763 and 1780 on the foundations of an old church that was mistreated during the Wars of Religion. It no longer has its rich original Baroque decorations inside, but its facade, in the classical style, remains remarkable. As for the nave, the stained glass windows of its high windows were restored in 1991. On the square, a sculpted fresco was inaugurated in 2001 which retraces the tragedies of the 20th century but a mirror symbolizes the hopes of a better world.
Next, see the restored Saint-Andéol chapel, which still has stones from the 7th century, but most of which dates from the 12th and 15th centuries, in a Romanesque style. The site now hosts exhibitions. And outside the village, let's finally mention the Saint-Coeur de Marie chapel, built in 1836.
A discovery tour of the town and its main heritage elements has been designed. It also allows, in summer, to walk through the shaded streets and alleys dotted with old houses and shops with the scents and colors of Provence. Information on +33 4 90 37 22 60.
To discover and then visit the surrounding landscapes, the vineyards such as the banks of the Aygues where a picnic area has been set up with didactic panels highlighting the fauna and the flora of the site, hiking or mountain biking circuits have been marked out. Some routes are confined to the town, others allow you to reach Orange or the major sites of the region, such as Vaison-la-Romaine and the Dentelles de Montmirail (for cyclists). Maps and information on +33 4 90 80 47 00.
In terms of sports and leisure, the courses of the Aygues, streams and canals, but also two ponds in the town, will delight fishing enthusiasts. Two associations can be contacted on +33 6 19 98 40 01 or +33 6 16 88 46 07 to find out which sites are suitable and which regulations to follow.
A city stadium is also available to visitors who also have the option of reserving a tennis court on +33 6 24 54 10 46.
On the cultural level, note that the library regularly schedules events literature and has a digital space. Information on +33 4 90 62 98 53.
- Le Ravelin: Many fortified villages had revelins (or ravelins) to defend the main entrance. This former guardhouse was originally made up of two towers. A vault was added in 1683, and allowed the installation of the clock. The Ravelin was the only passage for carts, the other gates of the village being too narrow. In 1696 the construction collapsed and was rebuilt in 1708. At the same time was built, between the gate and the rampart, the Town Hall, which remained so until the 1930s. In 1750, after a new collapse, a wrought iron campanile capable of supporting a bell was erected, which is now classified as a historical monument. At the beginning of the 20th century, one of the two towers of Ravelin was used as a prison for petty theft perpetrators.
- La Maison Bèque: Joseph Esprit Lambert, Farmer General of the Barony of Sérignan, built this house in 1750. The first part of the house housed the boys' school until 1960, while the second remained private until its purchase by the municipality. Plasterwork, mouldings, French ceiling as well as a superb suspended staircase with its period ramp: this residence has retained all the prestige of 18th century bastides. It is now devoted to cultural activities and houses, among other things, the library.
- Saint-Andéol church: This parish church was built between 1763 and 1780 on the foundations of an old church dating from the 16th century. The latter had been damaged during the Wars of Religion. The new church was blessed in 1780. In the past, the church had baroque ornamentation specific to the churches of the Comtat (frescoes, furniture in walnut, wrought iron, 18th century altar...), only an original ex-voto remains and authentic. It is in the sacristy, and was intended to be taken to the chapel of Notre-Dame de Santé, in Carpentras on July 3, 1791, in thanks to the Virgin for her protection during the siege of this city. Its facade, in the classic style, from the 18th century is beautifully laid out. 22 m long and 14.80 m high, the nave of this church is lit by high windows lined with stained glass, restored by Jacques Bourdeau in 1991.
- Place de l he church: The fresco by the artist Lievore: Inaugurated in 2001, this fresco is an original work by the contemporary sculptor Vincent Lievore. In addition to paying homage to the victims of war, the work represents a symbolic retrospective of the 20th century, beginning with the horror of world war and ending with peace and hope; hope symbolized by the mirror that will reflect what we and our children will make of the 21st century.
- The Sarrazine tower: Approximately 18 m high, built in Molasse limestone, this medieval tower dates approximately from the 13th and 14th centuries. We do not know exactly its origin. It would have had, at the start, a defensive role. Its architecture would have subsequently evolved, this tower would have become a stately residence. It is made up of three floors, each with its own characteristics. One can note on the first floor two crushed bays which presented a symbolic defensive character, a prestigious room with its 14th century fireplace was on the second floor. We notice the presence of a saber cut on the third floor, which remains uninterpreted until today. The roof, which acts as the fourth floor, was built with a slight inclination towards the south, to allow the flow of rainwater. In 1615 repairs were carried out and three centuries later the tower became the town's slaughterhouse.
- The Saint-Andéol chapel: The Caption: "Louis XI and his horse, passing through Camaret in 1447, are, according to legend, at the origin of the construction of this chapel. Arrived, on the commune of Camaret, the horse of Louis XI began to scratch the ground stubbornly and made it possible to discover a relic of Saint Andéol. The chapel was built to honor the relic." History: Built on the remains of a 7th century chapel, the Saint-Andéol chapel dates from the 12th century. Three successive ages stand out on the façade: The 6th and 7th centuries with their well-matched stones; the 12th and 15th centuries in the highest part of the building (including the steeple). Inside the chapel, the barrel vault with its ornaments testify to the beauty of Romanesque art. In 1583, mention is made of a cemetery around the chapel. A company of white penitents occupied the premises in the 17th and 18th centuries. The chapel was subsequently sold to Camarétoises families. In 1993, it was restored and furnished, the chapel then became a cultural space (exhibitions) and tourist information point. It remains a religious and consecrated building, Saint Andéol is commemorated there every year on the 1st Sunday of May.
- Saint-Coeur de Marie chapel: Built in 1836 by Mademoiselle Adélaide Reboul, this chapel was bequeathed to the Catholics in 1860. This chapel is located outside the village and is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. Until around 1960, the parishioners of Camaret met there every evening in August for the recitation of the rosary.
- Place des Félibres: These places that we used to call "place de la Poste" are steeped in history. Fine connoisseurs of the past of Camares know that it was here that the old hospital of the commune was located, the existence of which is attested by the archives from the 16th century and which then became, at the end of the 19th century, a hospice for old people which will operate until the first half of the last century with a reputation as a quality establishment, run by devoted nuns. In 1914, a local historian, Constant Latour, could write on this subject: "Let those impatient to inherit avoid placing their old people in the Camaret hospice; it would be the ruin of their covetousness. They would become centenarians there". These buildings then housed a communal school that some Camarétois knew. Some buildings are the last witnesses of these ancient occupations. It is therefore an understatement to say that the town hall took the time to think about and mature this redevelopment project to keep this place an authenticity, an identity and a rooted Camares and Provençal. At the beginning of the renovation of this square in 2021, the town hall of Camaret wanted to consult, well in advance, the architect of the buildings of France. Accompanied by their architect, the discussions were arduous and the negotiations difficult. Finally, with a few concessions from the town hall, this Provençal square project was able to come to fruition. This square is now a place of meeting and conviviality for Camarétoises and Camarétois of all generations. The municipality regularly organizes events and festivities there in the summer. But this place is also intended to welcome tourists. From the outset, the town hall worked with the Community of Communes Aygues Ouvèze in Provence so that these places are the means of highlighting our tourist assets and our local productions. This is how the idea of the House of Wines and Local Products and a bike room was born. This place, by its history, by the quality of the work and the developments which have just been carried out there, by the place of tourist reception and development of our local wine and agricultural productions, is rooted in the Provençal identity.. This is why the City Council approved the proposal that had been made by Mayor Philippe de Beauregard to name this new communal space: Place des Félibres. The Félibrige movement was founded in 1854, on May 11, the feast of Sainte Estelle, by seven young poets and writers from Provence: Frédéric Mistral, Joseph Roumanille, Théodore Aubanel, Jean Brunet, Paul Géra, Anselme Mathieu and Alphonse Tavan. The founders want to make it a literary movement, an academy, a philosophy, a militant school at the service of the culture and the language of Provence and the language of Oc as Mistral had taken the resolution very young (quote): " I took the resolution: firstly to revive, to revive in Provence the feeling of belonging which I saw being annihilated under the false and unnatural education of all the schools; secondly, to bring about this resurrection by the restoration of the language nature and history of the country, against which the schools are all waging war to the death, thirdly, to restore the vogue to Provençal by the influx and the flame of divine poetry". The inauguration of this Place des Félibres took place on July 13, 2021 in the presence of more than 400 people.
