Barbentane (; oc, Barbentana) is a commune of the

Bouches-du-Rhône Bouches-du-Rhône ( , , ; oc, Bocas de Ròse ; "Mouths of the Rhône") is a department in Southern France. It borders Vaucluse to the north, Gard to the west and Var to the east. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the south. Its prefecture and l ...

department in the

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (; or , ; commonly shortened to PACA; en, Provence-Alps-French Riviera, italic=yes; also branded as Région Sud) is one of the eighteen administrative regions of France, the far southeastern on the mainland. Its prefe ...

region of southern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Barbentanais'' or ''Barbentanaises'' in French.

Geography

Barbentane is located at the northernmost point of the

department immediately south-west of

Avignon Avignon (, ; ; oc, Avinhon, label=Provençal or , ; la, Avenio) is the prefecture of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river Rhône, the commune ha ...

near a rocky plateau and stretching a few kilometres across a flat low area and low hills where the urban area is located. The northern border of the commune is the departmental border between Bouches-du-Rhône and

Vaucluse Vaucluse (; oc, Vauclusa, label=Provençal or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.Gard. Access to the commune is by the D35 road from

Rognonas Rognonas (; oc, Ronhonaç) is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France. Population See also * Communes of the Bouches-du-Rhône department The following is a list of the 119 communes of the Bouches-du-Rhône dep ...

in the east, which passes through the commune and the town and continues west, then south-west, to

Boulbon Boulbon (; oc, Borbon) is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France. The Baroque composer and serpent player Guillaume Poitevin (1646–1706) was born in Boulbon. Population See also * Communes of the Bouches-du-R ...

. The D570N from

Graveson Graveson (; oc, Graveson) is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France. Population See also * Communes of the Bouches-du-Rhône department The following is a list of the 119 communes of the Bouches-du-Rhône depa ...

in the south-east passes along the eastern border of the commune then goes east to Rognonas. The D34 goes east from the town to join the D570N. The D77D goes south-east from the town and also joins the D5470N. The D35E goes south from the village to join the D81 in the south. The main railway line from

to the south passes through the east of the commune with the Barbentane-Rognonas Station east of the town. Apart from the town there are also the districts of La Chinquine, Carrière, Le Grand Roumette, Cambageon, Fontgisclar, La Bruyère, Bragalance, and Mas de Basette. The slopes in the south of the commune are forested while the rest of the commune is mostly farmland, with an urban area containing a significantly sized town at the base of the slopes.Google Maps
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Hydrography

The north-western tip of the commune is the confluence of the

Durance The Durance (; ''Durença'' in the Occitan classical norm or ''Durènço'' in the Mistralian norm) is a major river in Southeastern France. A left tributary of the Rhône, it is long. Its drainage basin is .Rhône The Rhône ( , ; wae, Rotten ; frp, Rôno ; oc, Ròse ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea. At Ar ...

river, which forms the western border. The ''Canal des Alpines'' comes from the east and passes through the commune to continue south-west, parallel to the Rhône.

Geology

From a geological point of view there are two components of the commune's surface area: * to the north and east, facing the present town, is a large plain which dates from the recent Quaternary period. It consists of modern alluvium from the

Rhône The Rhône ( , ; wae, Rotten ; frp, Rôno ; oc, Ròse ) is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and southeastern France before discharging into the Mediterranean Sea. At Ar ...

and the

Durance The Durance (; ''Durença'' in the Occitan classical norm or ''Durènço'' in the Mistralian norm) is a major river in Southeastern France. A left tributary of the Rhône, it is long. Its drainage basin is .water table The water table is the upper surface of the zone of saturation. The zone of saturation is where the pores and fractures of the ground are saturated with water. It can also be simply explained as the depth below which the ground is saturated. Th ...

is located at one metre deep under very rich and intensely cultivated land which has neither pebbles nor gravel; * to the west and south the Montagnette massif was formed by two uprisings. The first dates from the

Neocomian In geology, Neocomian was a name given to the lowest stage of the Cretaceous system. It is generally considered to encompass the interval now covered by the Berriasian, Valanginian and Hauterivian, from approximately 145 to 130 Ma. It was intr ...

period (70 million years ago) and the other is

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recent" ...

(10 million years ago). This ''Montagnette'' hilly area has an area of about 6000 hectares, of which 2/3 are covered with

Aleppo pine ''Pinus halepensis'', commonly known as the Aleppo pine, also known as the Jerusalem pine, is a pine native to the Mediterranean region. Description ''Pinus halepensis'' is a small to medium-sized tree, tall, with a trunk diameter up to , excep ...

s. About a quarter of the area is in the commune of Barbentane but the highest point, at 167m, is in the commune of

at ''Mount Raous'', about 800m west of

Frigolet Abbey Frigolet Abbey Frigolet Abbey — The Pontifical Shrine of Our Lady of Good Remedy and Saint Joseph (french: Abbaye Saint-Michel de Frigolet) is a grand Premonstratensian monastery complex in southern France. It is located in the territorial ...

Toponymy

The first written evidence of Barbentane dates from the 9th century. Despite its late appearance this ancient name probably indicates a water source at the foot of a rocky rise: in Ligurian the syllable ''ar'' refers to water and ''tan'' to a cliff; and the prefixes ''barva'' or ''borvo'' are widespread throughout Europe. The etymology of Barbentane would be closer to spa towns such as

La Bourboule La Bourboule (; Auvergnat: ''La Borbola'') is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes in central France. Population See also *Communes of the Puy-de-Dôme department The following is a list of the 464 communes of ...

, Barbotan-les-Thermes, etc. Until the end of the 19th century the spelling was ''Barbantane'' with an "a" but the name is now consistently always spelled with an e instead, as Barbentane. Barbentane is called ''Barbentana'' according to the classical norm of

Occitan Occitan may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain. * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France. * Occitan language Occitan (; ...

and ''Barbentano'' according to the

Mistralian norm The Mistralian norm is a linguistic norm for the Occitan language. It was first used in a published work by Joseph Roumanille in 1853, and then by Frédéric Mistral in 1854. Its aim is to make Provençal Occitan orthography more logical, relying ...

History

Prehistory and Antiquity

Originally there were three separate occupied sites on the territory. The oldest is ''Fretta'' which disappeared in the 6th century but whose name has survived in the form of ''Frigolet''. The other two sites of ''Bellinto'' and ''Barbentane'' are much better-known. In 1957 excavations near the site of Fretta, a Chasséen human bone was discovered in a burial pit (right

parietal bone The parietal bones () are two bones in the skull which, when joined at a fibrous joint, form the sides and roof of the cranium. In humans, each bone is roughly quadrilateral in form, and has two surfaces, four borders, and four angles. It is named ...

from the

5th millennium BC The 5th millennium BC spanned the years 5000 BC to 4001 BC (c. 7 ka to c. 6 ka). It is impossible to precisely date events that happened around the time of this millennium and all dates mentioned here are estimates mostly based on geological an ...

) amongst various flints and animal bones (near Carrière district). The

Ligurians The Ligures (singular Ligur; Italian: liguri; English: Ligurians) were an ancient people after whom Liguria, a region of present-day north-western Italy, is named. Ancient Liguria corresponded more or less to the current Italian regi ...

were the oldest people in the area who retained their name. Over time they associated with the

Celts The Celts (, see pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples () are. "CELTS location: Greater Europe time period: Second millennium B.C.E. to present ancestry: Celtic a collection of Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancien ...

which resulted in the Celto-Ligurians. The name ''Bellinto'' came from these Celto-Ligurians (''Bel'' meaning "ferry" and ''linto'' meaning "flat-bottomed boat") for the place where a ferry was permitted to cross the

Durance The Durance (; ''Durença'' in the Occitan classical norm or ''Durènço'' in the Mistralian norm) is a major river in Southeastern France. A left tributary of the Rhône, it is long. Its drainage basin is .Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture ...

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

. Well before that date, however, Bellinto already existed and it is likely that the most illustrious of its occupants during this period was

Gaius Marius Gaius Marius (; – 13 January 86 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. Victor of the Cimbric and Jugurthine wars, he held the office of consul an unprecedented seven times during his career. He was also noted for his important refor ...

. This Roman general established his camp in the Montagnette before going to crush the

Cimbri The Cimbri (Greek Κίμβροι, ''Kímbroi''; Latin ''Cimbri'') were an ancient tribe in Europe. Ancient authors described them variously as a Celtic people (or Gaulish), Germanic people, or even Cimmerian. Several ancient sources indicate ...

and the

Teutons The Teutons ( la, Teutones, , grc, Τεύτονες) were an ancient northern European tribe mentioned by Roman authors. The Teutons are best known for their participation, together with the Cimbri and other groups, in the Cimbrian War with t ...

on the plain of

Pourrières Pourrières (; oc, Porrièras) is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. Population Personalities It is the home town of the French poet Germain Nouveau. Jacqueline Eymar, clas ...

(near

Aix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence (, , ; oc, label=Provençal, Ais de Provença in classical norm, or in Mistralian norm, ; la, Aquae Sextiae), or simply Aix ( medieval Occitan: ''Aics''), is a city and commune in southern France, about north of Marseille. ...

) in 102 BC. This came at the time of the

Pax Romana The Pax Romana (Latin for 'Roman peace') is a roughly 200-year-long timespan of Roman history which is identified as a period and as a golden age of increased as well as sustained Roman imperialism, relative peace and order, prosperous stability ...

which lasted for four centuries and of which many vestiges remain (

sarcophagi A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a box-like funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek ...

and foundations in the upper village, etc.)

Middle Ages

Dessin de la Tour Anglica Archives de Vaucluse

A time of peace was followed the successive invasions of the Alemanni, the

Vandals The Vandals were a Germanic people who first inhabited what is now southern Poland. They established Vandal kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean islands, and North Africa in the fifth century. The Vandals migrated to the area be ...

, the

Visigoths The Visigoths (; la, Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, Wisi) were an early Germanic people who, along with the Ostrogoths, constituted the two major political entities of the Goths within the Roman Empire in late antiquity, or what is ...

, the Burgundians, the

Ostrogoths The Ostrogoths ( la, Ostrogothi, Austrogothi) were a Roman-era Germanic people. In the 5th century, they followed the Visigoths in creating one of the two great Gothic kingdoms within the Roman Empire, based upon the large Gothic populations who ...

, the

Franks The Franks ( la, Franci or ) were a group of Germanic peoples whose name was first mentioned in 3rd-century Roman sources, and associated with tribes between the Lower Rhine and the Ems River, on the edge of the Roman Empire.H. Schutz: Tools, ...

, the

Lombards The Lombards () or Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the '' History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 an ...

, the

Normans The Normans ( Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Franks and Gallo-Romans. T ...

, and the

Saracens upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia Pe ...

. The first known mention of a lord, in 1133, concerned Guillaume de Barbentane whose direct descendants until Marquis ''Henry de Puget de Cabassole du Réal de Barbentane'' were always from Barbentane. Guillaume lived in the ''Maison des Chevaliers'' (Knight's House), completed in 1178. As a borderland, Barbentane was alternately a fief of the

Kingdom of France The Kingdom of France ( fro, Reaume de France; frm, Royaulme de France; french: link=yes, Royaume de France) is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the medieval and early modern period ...

and of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...

. It also benefited as a place of passage: a ferry crossing of the

around 1450. The

Papacy The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

settled in Avignon in the 14th century and helped to clarify the situation. As well as all the benefits gained from the situation, including relief from or outright exemption from charges and taxes, the commune benefited from architectural attention and embellishments to the village. Enhanced fortifications and expansion of the church date from the same era as the Maison des Chevaliers and the construction of the Tour Anglica (Angelica Tower) in 1364-1365. This tower was named after Bishop Anglic de Grimoard, the brother of

Pope Urban V Pope Urban V ( la, Urbanus V; 1310 – 19 December 1370), born Guillaume de Grimoard, was the head of the Catholic Church from 28 September 1362 until his death in December 1370 and was also a member of the Order of Saint Benedict. He was the o ...

and built for the modest sum of 4,000

florin The Florentine florin was a gold coin struck from 1252 to 1533 with no significant change in its design or metal content standard during that time. It had 54 grains (3.499 grams, 0.113 troy ounce) of nominally pure or 'fine' gold with a purch ...

French Revolution

During the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

the priest of Barbentane, who was a

Juror A jury is a sworn body of people (jurors) convened to hear evidence and render an impartial verdict (a finding of fact on a question) officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Juries developed in England durin ...

, was thrown bound and gagged into the

Durance The Durance (; ''Durença'' in the Occitan classical norm or ''Durènço'' in the Mistralian norm) is a major river in Southeastern France. A left tributary of the Rhône, it is long. Its drainage basin is .First White Terror The White Terror (french: Terreur Blanche) was a period during the French Revolution in 1795 when a wave of violent attacks swept across much of France. The victims of this violence were people identified as being associated with the Reign of T ...

of 1795. Strong republican or monarchist/conservative family political traditions date from the Revolution. It is only since the end of the colonial wars that the people of Barbentane could express themselves politically as individuals without being banned from their families.

Heraldry

Administration

List of Successive

Mayors In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...

Twinning

Barbentane has twinning associations with

Saillon Saillon () is a municipality in the district of Martigny in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. History Saillon is first mentioned in 1052 as ''castellum Psallionis''. The municipality was formerly known by its German name ''Schellon'', howev ...

(Switzerland) since 1994.

Population

Economy

The two major economic activities in Barbentane have always been from the beginning, agriculture and stone quarries. Its large alluvial plain allows intensive, high quality agriculture, in historical times based mainly on autarkical crops—wheat, beans, etc. Then came a time when Dyer's Madder was cultivated - its first real industrial cultivation. Harvesting this plant required 1000 locals and 600 immigrant workers. This period of cultivation was short-lived—the market collapsed after a few years when chemical dyes appeared. However, the construction of the main

Paris–Marseille railway The railway from Paris to Marseille is an 862-kilometre long railway line, that connects Paris to the southern port city of Marseille, France, via Dijon and Lyon. The railway was opened in several stages between 1847 and 1856, when the final secti ...

via

Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of ...

(the PLM) in the 1840s led to the replacement in local agricultures of madders by other fruit and vegetables. The land had already been leveled and irrigated; it remained only to plant

cypress Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs of northern temperate regions that belong to the family Cupressaceae. The word ''cypress'' is derived from Old French ''cipres'', which was imported from Latin ''cypressus'', the la ...

trees to protect the crops from the

mistral Mistral may refer to: * Mistral (wind) in southern France and Sardinia Automobiles * Maserati Mistral, a Maserati grand tourer produced from 1963 until 1970 * Nissan Mistral, or Terrano II, a Nissan 4×4 produced from 1993 until 2006 * Micropl ...

to begin cultivation of these new crops. The Mediterranean sunshine combined with the presence of a very shallow and abundant

water table The water table is the upper surface of the zone of saturation. The zone of saturation is where the pores and fractures of the ground are saturated with water. It can also be simply explained as the depth below which the ground is saturated. Th ...

and irrigation with water from the ''Canal des Alpines'' gave varied fruit (apples, pears, peaches, etc.) and vegetable (beans, eggplant, tomatoes, zucchini, etc.) crops. The Barbentane Railway Station was the junction with the railway line from

Plan-d'Orgon Plan-d'Orgon (; oc, Lo Plan d'Orgon) is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France. The commune was created in 1923 from part of Orgon. Population See also * Communes of the Bouches-du-Rhône department The follow ...

(Bouches-du-Rhône) and for a long time was the largest railway station in France for fruit and vegetables. Farmers practiced a triennial crop rotation and continued their activities in winter with the harvest of olives and almonds in the Montagnette, and culture of salad plants (e.g. lettuce), cabbages, and spinach on the plain. A variety of eggplant is called a "long purple eggplant of Barbentane". A variety of rustic and succulent

figs The fig is the edible fruit of ''Ficus carica'', a species of small tree in the flowering plant family Moraceae. Native to the Mediterranean and western Asia, it has been cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the worl ...

is called "black of Barbentane". There is also a red cherry coloured rose which is named "Countess of Barbentane". The rocky outcrop where the village is perched has been quarried for a long time. Barbentane stone was used in the construction of the village and the architectural elements of Avignon and surrounding villages. The large void left by the quarrying within the village itself, were used by the inhabitants for

Underground living Underground living refers to living below the ground's surface, whether in natural or manmade caves or structures. Underground dwellings are an alternative to above-ground dwellings for some home seekers, including those who are looking to mini ...

and two districts remain fully inhabited today. These two main economic activities are major users of manpower and this has led to strong immigration from Italy and Spain since ancient times and this lasted until the 1960s. Since then immigration has been mostly from the

Maghreb The Maghreb (; ar, الْمَغْرِب, al-Maghrib, lit=the west), also known as the Arab Maghreb ( ar, المغرب العربي) and Northwest Africa, is the western part of North Africa and the Arab world. The region includes Algeria, ...

. Today the stone quarries have completely disappeared and agriculture has lost its primacy as the main activity of the village. Provençal culture remains very much alive. As elsewhere it was common practice to give nicknames (place of residence, skill, notable actions, etc.) to differentiate between people who often had the same last name. The Barbentanais were nicknamed ''Li Broument'', a Provençal word meaning "many" and used only in Barbentane. Barbentane has its culinary specialty, "Les Tirettes" which are made from a special pâte and eaten at Sunday lunch and on holidays.

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

The commune has a number of buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments: * The Bullfight Arena on the D77B (1993) * The Maison des Chevaliers (House of Knights) (13th century) has a Renaissance façade composed of a turret and two large arches topped by a columned gallery. The house was originally built in 1133 and belonged to the Marquis de Barbentane. The arches on the ground floor and the columns on the 1st floor date to the 16th century. The building was restored in 2000. The north wing served as town hall from 1670 to 1888. * The Tour du Cardinal Grimaldi (Cardinal Grimaldi Tower) (14th century), also called the ''Tour Anglica'' (Tower Anglica), is the probable location of an

oppidum An ''oppidum'' (plural ''oppida'') is a large fortified Iron Age settlement or town. ''Oppida'' are primarily associated with the Celtic late La Tène culture, emerging during the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, spread across Europe, stretch ...

. A castle was built there by the

Bishop of Arles The former French Catholic Archbishopric of Arles had its episcopal see in the city of Arles, in southern France.

in 898. The tower itself was built in just two years (1364-1365) by

Angel de Grimoard Anglic de Grimoard (ca. 1315/1320 in Grizac, Languedoc – 13 April 1388 in Avignon), also recorded as Angelic, was a French canon regular and a Cardinal. He was the younger brother of Pope Urban V. He was born about 1315 in the Castle of Gri ...

(brother of

) and it was the property of the fief of Barbentane. It served as a forward defence for the papal city of Avignon. The tower is 28 metres high and 10 metres wide. It is topped with a round turret, or

trunnion A trunnion (from Old French "''trognon''", trunk) is a cylindrical protrusion used as a mounting or pivoting point. First associated with cannons, they are an important military development. Alternatively, a trunnion is a shaft that positions ...

, surmounted by a flag with the motto ''Più forte nell' aversità'' (Stronger in adversity) and the papal coat of arms (tiara plume, and keys).

Frédéric Mistral Joseph Étienne Frédéric Mistral (; oc, Josèp Estève Frederic Mistral, 8 September 1830 – 25 March 1914) was a French writer of Occitan literature and lexicographer of the Provençal form of the language. He received the 1904 Nobel P ...

wrote of it in his poem ''Lis Isclo d'Or'' in 1875 which earned him the

Nobel Prize for Literature ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , caption = , awarded_for = Outstanding contributions in literature , presenter = Swedish Academy , holder = Annie Ernaux (2022) , location = Stockholm, Sweden , year = 1901 ...

in 1904 (with

José Echegaray José Echegaray y Eizaguirre (19 April 183214 September 1916) was a Spanish civil engineer, mathematician, statesman, and one of the leading Spanish dramatists of the last quarter of the 19th century. He was awarded the 1904 Nobel Prize in Lite ...

, a Basque writer). It has served as an observatory for Cassini who was charged by King

Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached ...

to map France in the middle of the 18th century. Legend has it that there is a tunnel stretching from the tower to the Palace of the Popes. It could conceal some of the Vatican's treasures and the Germans began excavating to find it from 1943 to 1944. The tower is located in the private park of the Chateau of Andigné and remains a symbol of Barbentane. There was a well called "Puits du Seigneur" (The lord's Well) which supplied water to the Anglica Tower and was close to the side that supports the tower. Marius Girard,

Félibrige The ''Félibrige'' (; in classical Occitan, in Mistralian spelling, ) is a literary and cultural association founded in 1854 by Frédéric Mistral and other Provençal writers to defend and promote the Occitan language (also called the ) and ...

Saint-Rémy-de-Provence Saint-Rémy-de-Provence (; Provençal Occitan: ''Sant Romieg de Provença'' in classical and ''Sant Roumié de Prouvènço'' in Mistralian norms) is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Southern France. L ...

, wrote a poem ''Le Puits du Seigneur''. Chateau de Barbentane

* The Chateau of Barbentane (1653) is called the ''Petit Trianon de la Provence'' (The little Trianon of Provence) and was built in 1674 by Paul-François I of Puget, co-lord of Barbentane. Pierre Mignard II was the architect. It was remodeled by Paul-François II, his son, in 1741 with flat arches and a low profile to illustrate his glory. The interior was decorated in the 18th century by Joseph Pierre Balthazar de Puget, co-lord of Barbentane, son of Paul-François II, ambassador of

Tuscany it, Toscano (man) it, Toscana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Citizenship , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = Italian , demogra ...

, when he was 20 years old. The Chateau was saved during the

when Hilarion Paul François Bienvenu de Puget, co-lord of Barbentane and a former officer of the king, agreed to become General of the Republic. The Chateau was the origin of the first suburbs of the village. The porch of the southern façade has an excellent view of the Barbentane Tower, the village, and the Montagnette. The Chateau contains several items that are registered as historical objects: ** 2 Louis XVI Wing Chairs (18th century) ** 6 Louis XV Chairs (18th century) ** 2 Louis XV Sofas (18th century) ** A Louis XV Chest of Drawers (18th century) ** A framed Painting: The Entombment (1541) * The Chateau Park (18th century) * An Agricultural Cooperative (1950) Barbentane 2

* The Hotel of the Barons of Chabert is a house in

Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown ...

style built in the early 17th century. This building has been the Town Hall since 1888. The interior can be visited during Heritage Days. Its wrought iron belfry supports the bell for the clock which weighs 250 kg.

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Ve ...

as a child stayed here overnight. It contains several items that are registered as historical objects: ** 2 Paintings (19th century) ** The Interior of the Mayor's Office (19th century) ** A Statue: Virgin and child (18th century)

The old village

* The old village has preserved the Calendale and Séquier entrances from the old fortifications. * The Grand-Rue was the main street of the village in the 20th century. It included all types of commercial bakeries, butcher shops, shoe shops, bazaar, grocery store, etc. At 50 metres on the right is one of the finest and oldest houses in the village. Its four-sided roof is completed at each corner by a gargoyle of carved stone. It is topped with a solarium. Also on the right is the Impasse Matheron where there is one of many wells. It was 42 metres deep with a water depth of 12 metres. This street has views of the Anglica Tower. * The Rue du Séquier is a street dating to the late Middle Ages. It has some frontages with

mullion A mullion is a vertical element that forms a division between units of a window or screen, or is used decoratively. It is also often used as a division between double doors. When dividing adjacent window units its primary purpose is a rigid sup ...

ed windows. At the beginning of the street on the left there is a courtyard from an ancient tower. * The Cours is the main square of the village. In the 18th century it was called ''Le jeu de balle'' (The ball game) and it owes its current etymology from the verb "to race" (running one behind the other). Shaded by plane trees there are the town hall, post office, and coffee shops, etc. * The Rue du Four is where the old village oven has been since at least the 14th century (cited as 9 November 1318 in the Vatican archives). There has always been a bakery there. * The Planet is a district that was owned by the Mondragon lineage. This family, inconvenienced by detours made to deliver feed to their stables, drilled a new entrance in the ramparts: the "new entrance". * The Rue de la Croix-Rouge whose name came from an ancient brotherhood. At the beginning of this street there are many houses with closed courtyards and very aesthetic porches that are more like farmhouses than town houses. They were owned by the Mondragons who preferred to have their farmhouses in the village safe from flooding on the plain. * The Rue Porte-Neuve is a 19th-century middle-class district with typical stylish facades. * The Rue du Paty is an old street which allowed exit from the village on its western side towards the Montagnette (grazing place or ''Pàti''). The gap in the road at the Guyot bridge was not filled until the middle of the 19th century. Before then it was necessary to leave the village by the ''Chemin de Canade'' and pass level with the communal entry of the Chateau of Barbentane. * The passages under Andigné Park. Andigné Park was developed around 1850 but, as it covered two streets, a compromise was reached by the building of two underpasses. The first, of very modest dimensions, was almost entirely excavated in the rock leading to the west. The second north/south oriented is more important. It is called ''La Pousterle'' and served as a shelter for the poor in the early 20th century.

* The Place de Séquier has a cave house above the village. This area dates from the early Middle Ages and was used as a first habitation for immigrants who came to settle in the village from the middle of the 19th century. In fact from very ancient times immigrant workers came here temporarily to help in the harvest. Subsequently, since the construction of the railway line they came in waves and settled more or less permanently in the village. The harvest of madder used more than 1,000 men from the village and 600 immigrants for a period. When madder cultivation disappeared, the harvest of fruit and vegetables replaced it was as work for these men and women. The area had particularly immigrants of Italian origin. * The Rue de la Clastre. This alley could be used only by donkeys. Near its north end the arms of the city of Barbentane are still visible on a facade in right hand. Originally these arms had only one round tower that can still be seen at the corner of the house of the Consuls on the church square. In February 1516 François I, returning to Marignan, made a stop in Manosque where the people charged the Honnorade (or Peronne) of Voland to present the keys to the city to him. As the king was too interested in the young lady, the nickname "modest Manosque" was coined. One or two days later the same François I, who was celebrating carnival in Avignon, "spent an excellent night in Barbentane..." and as a result donated his emblem, the salamander, to the city. The Barbentanais hastened to match it with the tower and surmounted the whole with the royal crown (today a mural crown). The Maison des Chevaliers gave its name to the Rue de la Clastre (''Clastrum'' meaning "closed courtyard"). * The Rue Pujade is an old name which comes from the Latin meaning "give punishment" as the inhabitants went to fetch water from the water source in the district called ''La Fontaine'' along this steep street through a

postern A postern is a secondary door or gate in a fortification such as a city wall or castle curtain wall. Posterns were often located in a concealed location which allowed the occupants to come and go inconspicuously. In the event of a siege, a poster ...

which pierced the walls.

The Fortifications

* The ramparts, or ''Bàrri'' were built in the 9th century. Historically they were pierced by two gates: to the north Calendrale or Saracen gate and to the south the Séquier gate. There were also two water gates: to the west the Pujade

and to the east the Pousterle postern. The ramparts were embellished and enhanced in the 14th century together with the construction of the Anglica Tower. Their peculiarities of "hollow walls" meant that once they had ceased military use, they were immediately converted into houses. They are still very visible today. * The Calendale Gate or Saracen Gate was built in the 9th century at the same time as the first ramparts. It was rebuilt and enhanced in the 14th century. In 1660 there was an attempt on a commune house which failed but resulted in the destruction of the upper tower. Its

portcullis A portcullis (from Old French ''porte coleice'', "sliding gate") is a heavy vertically-closing gate typically found in medieval fortifications, consisting of a latticed Grille (architecture), grille made of wood, metal, or a combination of the tw ...

, in

Saracen upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia P ...

style, was closed by the captain of the city in times of danger and so was given its other name of "Saracen Gate". The portcullis was sold in the early 18th century to a

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...

from

Tarascon Tarascon (; ), sometimes referred to as Tarascon-sur-Rhône, is a commune situated at the extreme west of the Bouches-du-Rhône department of France in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Inhabitants are referred to as Tarasconnais or Tara ...

and was almost completely destroyed at that time. * The Séquier Gate also dates to the 9th century. It was the south gate of the old city walls and it had the Barbentane crest which was damaged during the Revolution. It was restored recently. Originally it was in this area that different fruit and vegetables were dried before storing, hence its name. * The Caradone Tower, to the west and above the Hospice, is still visible in the western part of the village. It has excellent views of the stages of construction of the ramparts, with a small building as the first stage followed by an expansion dating from the 14th century. A third stage in red brick was added by an amateur astronomer.

Other sites of interest

* The Chateau of Andigné was recently built in 1850. It has two square towers overlooking a courtyard. Originally, it was the home of the Marquis de Robin de Barbentane. Its history is little known and it is likely that its foundations are very old. The top of a Roman

sarcophagus A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a box-like funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Gre ...

(2nd or 3rd century), found during the construction of the PLM railway line around 1840 is incorporated in the facade. This early Christian carving represents the ''banquet of immortality'' or the ''taurobole'' (sacrifice of the bull). There is a park shaded by age old

cedar Cedar may refer to: Trees and plants *''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, an Old-World genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae *Cedar (plant), a list of trees and plants known as cedar Places United States * Cedar, Arizona * ...

s and filled with all species from a Mediterranean forest rises to a chapel from the 19th century. It contains a crypt for the Andigné family tomb for the descendants of Marquis Robin de Barbentane. * The Maison des Consuls (House of Consuls) is north of the church square. (see the book by Denis Martin, ''Communal Chronicle of Barbentane in the 17th century from 1690 to 1790'' ). * The Hôtel Dieu was probably built in the 14th century. In 1407 it was called the "Hospital of the Poor in Christ of Barbentane". It was enlarged in the 16th century and was then called Hôtel Dieu under the invocation of the

Archangel Archangels () are the second lowest rank of angel in the hierarchy of angels. The word ''archangel'' itself is usually associated with the Abrahamic religions, but beings that are very similar to archangels are found in a number of other re ...

Raphael. It has a chapel which was built in 1732. Transformed recently to a municipal retirement home ''La Raphaële'', it is still active. * The prison was built in the thickness of the ancient ramparts and has been restored recently. It's a simple room carved into the rock.

Religious heritage

The Church of Notre-Dame-des-Grâces is registered as an historical monument. The Church and bell tower are probably located on the site of an older building (possibly a Roman temple or chapel). The church was originally a semi-circular Romanesque church from the 12th century under the first two spans. It was extended the first time by Cardinal Grimoard, brother of

, in the 14th century by the addition of two

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

bays and an

apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. ...

in 1324. Several chapels have been added to it: * The Chapel of Sainte-Croix (15th century); * The Chapel of Neuve (16th century); * The Chapel of Mondragon (17th century); * The Chapel du Midi (1867) in neo-Gothic style by architect Caramagnole from Marseille. The porch dates to the 15th century. The bell tower was erected over the Chapel of Sainte-Croix between 1486 and 1492. It is 21 metres high and was topped by a spire of 7 metres which was destroyed by cannonballs during the

in 1794. All the bells except one were shipped to Marseille to "make weapons against the enemies of the nation". The spire was rebuilt in 1983. The Church contains many items that are registered as historical objects: * A Cross: Christ on the Cross (17th century) * A Statue: Saint Mark (18th century) * A Statue: Saint John the Baptist (18th century) * The Choir enclosure: Communion grill (1828) * A Statue: Saint Roch (18th century) * A Painting: Institution of the Rosary * A Painting: Saints Catherine and Roch (18th century) * A Painting: The Holy Family (17th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy

Films in Barbentane

The village has appeared in several scenes in the film by

Les Charlots Les Charlots, known as The Crazy Boys in the English-speaking world, was a group of French musicians, singers, comedians and film actors, who were popular in the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s. The group was active first from 1965 to 1966 as '' ...

called '' Stadium Nuts'' released in 1972.

Cultural distinctions

Barbentane is one of the communes to receive the

Esperanto Esperanto ( or ) is the world's most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Created by the Warsaw-based ophthalmologist L. L. Zamenhof in 1887, it was intended to be a universal second language for international communi ...

Green Star, an award given to mayors of communes who identify the speakers of the constructed language Esperanto.

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Books: ** Sébastien Fontaine, ''Colourful history of the city of Barbentane and its surroundings'', Tarascon, imprimerie d’Antoine Aubanel fils aîné, 1854 ** H. Bout de Charlemont, ''Historical Notice on Barbentane'', Paris, imprimerie Lucien Duc, 1869. ** Denys Marie Turrier, ''Essay on the Origins of the parish of Barbentane and religious life from its beginning until today '', Cavaillon, imprimerie Mistral, 1939. ** ''Garbeto de Nouvé "que se canton a Barbentano au tèms de Calendo", ''Christmas collection of songs that are sung in Provençal during midnight mass on December 24'', Avignon, imprimerie Barthélemy, 1940. ** René Jarno and Henri Linsolas, ''History of Barbentane'', Nîmes, imprimerie les Presses du Castellum, 1981. ** Joseph Rey, ''Barbentane, time regained'', imprimerie Lienhart d’Aubenas, 1993. ** Patricia Santouchi and Charles Bertaud, ''Barbentane, Trades and crafts of the early century until the 1960s'', Avignon, imprimerie Arts et Systèmes, 2000. ** Denis Martin, ''Communal Chronicle of Barbentane in the 18th century 1690-1790'', Cavaillon, imprimerie Rimbaud, 2004. ** Denys Turrier and Maurice Courdon, ''Barbentanaise Land'', Avignon, imprimerie Authia, 2004. ** Denis Martin, ''Communal Chronicle of Barbentane — Revolution and the 19th century'', Avignon, imprimerie Ruldder, 2007. * Barbentane Newspapers: ** ''L'Écho de Barbentane''. From October 1905 to August 1956, monthly journal (initially) of the Parish of Barbentane (dispersed archives). ** ''Du Haut de la Tour''. From 1957 to 1972, Communal journal to inform soldiers in Algeria/Morocco/Tunisia (dispersed archives). ** ''Barbentane Provence''. From 1973 to January 1983, Communal journal (archives dispersed). ** ''Du Haut de la Tour''. From May 1983, reprinted with the name of the old communal journal, quarterly publication (archives in the Town Hall). * Other documents (available at the Town hall): ** Patrick Biancone, ''An example of royalist resistance at the time of the Republic: Barbentane (1880-1920)''. Masters Thesis, 1996. ** Christine Leclerc, ''Structures, economy and society in Barbentane in the 19th century''. Masters Thesis, 1981. ** Denis Martin ''The Mondragons of Barbentane 16th-18th century''. Extracts from the Memoirs of the Academy of Vaucluse, 1993. ** Jean Louis Ichartel, ''Brotherhoods and associations in the Barbentane region''. Masters Thesis. * Books on Heritage ** Charles-Laurent Salch and Anne-Marie Durupt, ''New Atlas of Châteaux and fortifications in Bouches-du-Rhône (13)'', Châteaux-forts d'Europe, 2008, Strasbourg, 156 pages, ISSN 1253-6008, No. 46/47/48, 2008 Barbentane, p. 24 to 26 ** Charles-Laurent Salch, ''Dictionary of Châteaux and fortifications of France in the Middle Ages'', éditions Publitotal, 1978, reprint 1991, Strasbourg, , An overview of Chateau architecture. Barbentane: Page 103

External links

Barbentane on Provenceweb Tourist Guide

Barbentane official website

Barbentane website by Maurice Courdon

Barbentane on the old National Geographic Institute website

Regional Directorate of the Environment (DIREN) website
{{authority control Communes of Bouches-du-Rhône