Lambesc () is a
commune in the
Bouches-du-Rhône
Bouches-du-Rhône ( ; , ; ; "the Mouths of the Rhône") is a Departments of France, department in southern France. It borders Vaucluse to the north, Gard to the west and Var (department), Var to the east. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the sout ...
department in the
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (commonly shortened to PACA), also known as Région Sud, is one of the eighteen Regions of France, administrative regions of France, located at the far southeastern point of the Metropolitan France, mainland. The main P ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
in
Southern France
Southern France, also known as the south of France or colloquially in French as , is a geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi atlantique'', Atlas e ...
.
Lambesc is located in the heart of
Provence
Provence is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which stretches from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the France–Italy border, Italian border to the east; it is bordered by the Mediterrane ...
at the foot of the Côtes mountain range, near the
Alpilles
The Alpilles ( , ) is a small range of low mountains in Provence, southern France, located about south of Avignon.
Geography
The range is an extension of the much larger Luberon range. Although it is not high – some 498 m (1,634 ft) ...
. The town has a strong historical and cultural heritage, being home to the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, the 11th-century Romanesque chapel of St. Anne's Goiron, as well as Manivert, a local art and archaeological museum. The town's special character and its beautiful environs, including the
Luberon
The Luberon ( or ; Provençal dialect, Provençal: ''Leberon'' or ''Leberoun'' ) is a massif in central Provence in Southern France, part of the French Prealps. It has a maximum elevation of and an area of about . It is composed of three mounta ...
massif, attracts international tourism to the area.
Geography
Lambesc is located on a hillside in the Massif de la
Trévaresse, 1.5 km from the
Canal de Marseille. It is 20 km from
Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence, or simply Aix, is a List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, city and Communes of France, commune in southern France, about north of Marseille. A former capital of Provence, it is the Subprefectures in France, s ...
and
Gare d'Aix-en-Provence TGV, 15 km from
Salon de Provence, 30 km from
Marignane
Marignane (; ) is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southern France.
Geography
It is a component of the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis, and the largest suburb of the city of Marsei ...
and the
Marseille Provence Airport, and 60 km from
Avignon
Avignon (, , ; or , ; ) is the Prefectures in France, 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 Communes of France, commune had a ...
History
Neolithic
To the west of Lambesc, within 500 meters north of the old riverbed of "The Concernade", a small
Neolithic
The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...
settlement with evidence of post holes was discovered during the work of
LGV Méditerranée. Another settlement was discovered in 1995 in a nearby valley. Traces of occupation (homes, septic, lithic material) from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age have been found. The site was reoccupied until the Bronze Age IIIb (as evidenced by funerary structure type mounds, a mold foundry, and a small dwelling) before being finally abandoned in the Iron Age.
Early history
Lambesc has evidence of a Celtic-Ligurian settlement (''Saluvii'')
Salyens and of the ''Tritolii'', tribes which have left a multitude of sites (''oppidum'' establishment of plains, places of worship etc.). There is also evidence of many trade partners, including the
Etruscans
The Etruscan civilization ( ) was an ancient civilization created by the Etruscans, a people who inhabited Etruria in List of ancient peoples of Italy, ancient Italy, with a common language and culture, and formed a federation of city-states. Af ...
, the
Greeks
Greeks or Hellenes (; , ) are an ethnic group and nation native to Greece, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, southern Albania, Greeks in Turkey#History, Anatolia, parts of Greeks in Italy, Italy and Egyptian Greeks, Egypt, and to a l ...
of
Massilia
Massalia (; ) was an ancient Greek colony (''apoikia'') on the Mediterranean coast, east of the Rhône. Settled by the Ionians from Phocaea in 600 BC, this ''apoikia'' grew up rapidly, and its population set up many outposts for trading in mode ...
in particular, the other tribes of the federation Salyens or even of
Liguria
Liguria (; ; , ) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is roughly coextensive with ...
and
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
. Archaeologists have found that Lambesc was already occupied in the
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
and
Iron Age
The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...
. There are also many hill forts and open institutions, which show the diversity of cultivated soils and development of metallurgical activities. They have also founded a market which took the name "Oppidum Amboliacense", which came to supply the Greek Massilia (1st and 2nd century BC).
However, the perennial animosity, and a few violent conflicts between the Greeks of Marseilles and its hinterland natives led to the call from Marseilles for Roman intervention against the aboriginals. In 124 BC,
Romans of Flaccus Flaccus occupied the whole territory, including the province of
Gaul
Gaul () was a region of Western Europe first clearly described by the Roman people, Romans, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and parts of Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Northern Italy. It covered an area of . Ac ...
Narbonne. What remained of the army of Salyens Toutomotulus, its king and its leaders, fled and found refuge with the Savoyards. The last Salyens revolt in the region was in 90 BC.
Gallo-Roman history
After the peace, Rome distributed lands and settlements to the veterans of the legions for use with the
Salyens who survived the war. They founded an establishment ''vicus'', on the site of a temple to
Mercury. It remains as "
Saint-Estève", the remains of a Gallo-Roman rural settlement as well as another institution, organized and based on the farm in Grand Verger. The latter is divided into a ''pars urbana'', a ''go'' fructuria. This site has been occupied since the 1st century AD. There are agricultural settlements, villas, and cemeteries, and the site index includes deposits of amphorae, dolia, and ceramics.
We know from the Gallo-Roman population of Lambesc that they revered a local water deity, near an ancient spring, where three dedications to Iboïte were found. One of them is that of an ''M'' (...) Amoena, freed man of ''Pompeii''. Another from Sextus Pompeius Theophilus, a ''prepaid' Proculus'', and the last of Decimus Ratius Bassus, ''prepaid'' Decimus.
An inscription was found, to the god
Mercury, on an altar of limestone to the east of the town. In the same area, a dedication to the tutelary deities was discovered: "Sextus has fulfilled his vow against Suleviae willingly and rightfully".
Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages, in the valley of the Concernade, the small town of Lambesc was built on a rocky headland, now 'Church Square'. Previously the local 'castrum', or fort, sat on this promontory.
Local toponymy suggests the "neighborhood villains" lived there, which was the poorest part of the Lambesc castrum. It was on this hill (the church square, Place Jean Jaurès, place du Castel). Towards the end of 15C and early 16C, as the first suburbs were created outside the old city walls, inns and other taverns developed.
[Alexandre Dumont-Castells, ''Lambesc under the Old regime (1692–1789), a principality of Provence forgotten, ''Thebookedition.com Publishing, 2010]
East of Lambesc, in the district of Saint-Peyre, remains Podium Amboliacense, the ruins of a medieval chapel. The chapel of St. Peter was built on the ruins of the temple of Mercury in 810, by Eldrad son of Ardrad, the first Lord Lambesc. San-Peyre was sacked by
Ramon Berenguer IV in 1222.
In the 12th century, the
Abbey of Saint-André of Villeneuve-les-Avignon owned the church of St. John in the valley Valbonette, which enabled it to raise revenues. This church-
priory
A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. They were created by the Catholic Church. Priories may be monastic houses of monks or nuns (such as the Benedictines, the Cistercians, or t ...
was sold to the
Abbey Silvacane at the end of the twelfth century.
[Barruol Guy, Michele Wood, Yann Codou, Marie-Pierre Etienne, Elizabeth Sauze "List of religious institutions within the abbey of Saint-André to thirteenth century'', in ''Guy Barruol, Roseline Bacou and Alain Girard (eds.),''The Abbey of Saint-André of Villeneuve-les-Avignon, history, archeology, radiation,''Proceedings of the Interregional Symposium held in 1999 to mark the millennium of the founding of the Abbey of Saint-André of Villeneuve-les-Avignon, Ed. Alps-light notebooks Salagon No. 4, Mane, 2001, 448 p. , p 220]
In 1358, the lords of Lambesc Philippe and Pierre d'Alamanon, followed by the lords of
La Roque-d'Anthéron
La Roque-d'Anthéron (; Provençal: ''La Ròca d'Antarron'') is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southern France. Part of the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis, it is located on the d ...
, plundered the
Silvacane Abbey.
The castle that remains today is a 9th-century tower, inside the Church of Our Lady of the
Assumption (1700–1741). This church succeeded Notre-Dame-de-la-Rose (13th-century). The nave of Our Lady of Hope of the
Cathedral of Saint-Sauveur in Aix-en-Provence was the work of Jean Vallon, author, with his brother Lawrence.
Barony and the Principality as
Louis XIV
LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
, the city became famous playing a political role in the history of Provence, which earned him the nickname"
Versailles
The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of ÃŽle-de-France, ÃŽle-de-France region in Franc ...
Aix."
Until the 18th century many nobles, from noble families of Provence, ruled Lambesc.
16th to 18th centuries
In 1453 and in 1688, the
barony Barony may refer to:
* Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron
* Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron
* Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...
Lambesc belonged to the
House of Guise (branch of the
House of Lorraine
The House of Lorraine () originated as a cadet branch of the House of Metz. It inherited the Duchy of Lorraine in 1473 after the death without a male heir of Nicholas I, Duke of Lorraine. By the marriage of Francis of Lorraine to Maria Ther ...
).
Mary of Lorraine bequeathed it on 6 February 1686, to Mr.
Armagnac
Armagnac (, ) is a distinctive kind of brandy produced in the Armagnac (region), Armagnac region in Gascony, southwest France. It is distilled from wine usually made from a blend of grapes including Baco 22A, Colombard, Folle blanche and Ugni ...
, Grand Equerry of France.
The barony included several
hamlets
A hamlet is a human settlement that is smaller than a town or village. This is often simply an informal description of a smaller settlement or possibly a subdivision or satellite entity to a larger settlement. Sometimes a hamlet is defined f ...
(The Chapusse La Tour-de-Janet, Janet, Douau, Upper Libran, La Font-d'Arles, The Coussou, The Fedon, Sues and Garandeau) that constitute its fiefs.
In 1589, Valletta laid siege to the city. After 300 guns given, the garrison under Esmenard of Vautubière capitulated. The latter and eleven of his men were hanged on the spot, thus paying the price for their loyalty to their lord the Duke of Guise. Lambeth, bastion of the ultra-Catholic cause, was occupied for several days by the royal troops of
Henri III.
In May 1590, in the urgency of an outbreak of child
fever
Fever or pyrexia in humans is a symptom of an anti-infection defense mechanism that appears with Human body temperature, body temperature exceeding the normal range caused by an increase in the body's temperature Human body temperature#Fever, s ...
, a hospital was established in the Fédons. The latter was used for only three to four months, and was forgotten until discovered by the preliminary works for the
LGV Méditerranée during spring 1996.
Under the reigns of
Louis XIV
LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
and
Louis XVI
Louis XVI (Louis-Auguste; ; 23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) was the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. The son of Louis, Dauphin of France (1729–1765), Louis, Dauphin of France (son and heir- ...
, Lambesc played an important political role in the history of Provence. For a hundred years, 1646 to 1786, the General Assemblies of communities in the country of Provence sat there, which earned the city the name "Versailles Aachen". There are still some very beautiful mansions around the city. (Hotel de Cadenet Charleval, Laura of Pagy Valbonne, Faudran of Laval, and Saint Chamas).
Lambesc became a principality in 1688 and remained in the hands of the family of Lorraine de Brionne (1688–1789) until 1789, the year of the
French Revolution.
The outbreak of
fever
Fever or pyrexia in humans is a symptom of an anti-infection defense mechanism that appears with Human body temperature, body temperature exceeding the normal range caused by an increase in the body's temperature Human body temperature#Fever, s ...
, which broke out in
Marseille
Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
in 1720, terrorized the whole of Provence. Men were conscious of their impotence before it but took drastic measures to protect themselves. Lambesc's population was marked for more than a year as evidenced by the many deliberations between 2 August 1720 and 17 August 1721. Preventive measures were taken against the scourge:
French Revolution
On 25 March 1789, a meeting of the people of Lambesc was called by the consuls and his council, at the Hotel du Janet, to prepare a
list of grievances. Of the 790 heads of families called, 725 move and are quoted on the record. On 2 April Lambesc also elected eight delegates to represent the community in the drafting of a "provincial register of grievances."
On 14 February 1790, the municipality was renewed but Lambesc was divided into two assemblies (royalists and revolutionaries); one met in the church of the Trinitarians and the other in the chapel of Bourras, where a few years earlier the general meetings of communities in the country of Provence were held. The Chairman of the National Assembly did not hesitate on 13 June 1790 to send support to the mayor and municipal officers of the city, and expressed the satisfaction of the National Assembly on the wise and measured steps they had taken "despite the turmoil that erupted in the city due to the resistance of the Royal Navy Regiment (aside from Marseille) against the new authority in place".
The same year Lambesc became the county seat of the
Canton.
In 1793, a counter-revolutionary movement was led by the vicar Lambesc Angelier, who was later guillotined with other friends in Marseille. This period of unrest between Federated and Republicans, led to sacking of the convent by the revolutionaries.
Federalists do not the Republicans before General Carteaux. It was during these fierce battles that Theresa Figueur (''Alias''
Madame Sans-Gene), acting as a gunner, was arrested in Marseilles and taken prisoner to Lambesc. The girl soldier was faced with a simple alternative: enlist under the banner of the Republic or the guillotine. She chooses the first solution.
Illustrious guests stayed in Lambesc: In 1564, King
Charles IX and Queen
Catherine de' Medici
Catherine de' Medici (, ; , ; 13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Italian Republic of Florence, Florentine noblewoman of the Medici family and Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to Henry II of France, King Henry II. Sh ...
, with the future King
Henri III, and the Prince of Navarre, the future
Henri IV. It is a stop on the
Grand Tour of France made by early royal courts: in 1631 by
Prince of Condé
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The f ...
, in 1639 Prince
Casimir of Poland, in 1657 Queen
. Finally,
Madame de Sévigné Madame may refer to:
* Madam, civility title or form of address for women, derived from the French
* Madam (prostitution)
Procuring, pimping, or pandering is the facilitation or provision of a prostitute or other sex worker in the arrangement ...
came several times to Lambesc to visit her daughter
Franchise, wife of Count Grignan, lieutenant general of the king in Provence. Camille de Lorraine (1726–1788), brother of Charles Louis de Lorraine, the penultimate Prince of Lambesc, Marie de Lorraine (1671–1724), Princess of Monaco and her brother, Louis-Alphonse Ignatius (1675–1704) called the 'Bailiff of Lorraine "(1701) also visited.
Contemporary history
On 31 May 1807 Sues was attached to Lambesc.
On 4 March 1886, the last hermit and gatekeeper known as St. Anne Goiron Jean Cluny (1810–1886) died.
In the early 1900s, Lambesc had 2,352 residents, a stock market, factories for jams and preserves (the old cannery and Barbier Dauphin, located in the current market place, at the location of the current post since 1989), and oil mills.
See ''History of the Post Office of Lambesc''
The 6.2
Ms Provence earthquake destroyed many houses and left 46 people dead on 11 June 1909. The shock occurred on the Trévaresse
Fault and had a maximum Mercalli intensity of
X (Extreme). It affected Lambesc,
Rognes,
Saint-Cannat,
Vernègues, and
Pélissanne
Pélissanne (; , Mistralian norm: ''Pelissano'') is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southern France. It is located just east of Salon-de-Provence
Salon-de-Provence (, ; or , ), ...
).
In 1944, resistance was organised throughout Lambesc, in the face of German occupation. The Resistance went into the hills on 5 June 1944, on the plateau and that of Manivert Seze. As a result of intense clashes on 12 June 1944, many
guerrillas
Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, Partisan (military), partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include Children in the military, recruite ...
were arrested or shot on the spot after a few days, and then shot at various locations in the township. Monuments are found at various places in Lambesc, honouring the martyrs killed by Nazi bullets.
22% of Lambeth was affected by the explosion of a German munitions train, parked at the station, which destroyed many houses. Lambeth was cited in the order of the division, with the award of the
Croix de guerre 1939–1945
Croix (French for "cross") may refer to:
Belgium
* Croix-lez-Rouveroy, a village in municipality of Estinnes in the province of Hainaut
France
* Croix, Nord, in the Nord department
* Croix, Territoire de Belfort, in the Territoire de Belfort d ...
on 11 November 1948.
Toponymy
In 814 AD the city was designated for the first time under the name ''Lambisco villa''. The Ligurian suffix -''iscum'' and could be Latin pre-fix 'lamb' (mountain) became ''Lambisco'' (in 965-977), and finally took the form 'Lambescho' around 1200 AD.
The peculiarity of its name is that "Lambesc" has always been spelled out in the
Occitan language
Occitan (; ), also known by its native speakers as (; ), sometimes also referred to as Provençal, is a Romance language spoken in Southern France, Monaco, Italy's Occitan Valleys, as well as Spain's Val d'Aran in Catalonia; collectively, ...
Provence
Provence is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which stretches from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the France–Italy border, Italian border to the east; it is bordered by the Mediterrane ...
, although Arnaud d'Agnel gallicised it as the "Lambs" in 1477.
The residents are called ''Lambescain(s)''.
Demographics
Access and transport
Lambesc can be accessed by car on
Route nationale 7
The Route nationale 7, or ''RN 7'', is a trunk road ( nationale) in France between Paris and the border with Italy. It was also known as ''Route des vacances'' (The Holiday Route), ''Route bleue'' (The Blue Route), and — sarcastically, dur ...
; its position places the town at the crossroads of the principle tourist attractions in the Provence.
One can get to Lambesc from Paris, the east, the north, and the west by
high-speed rail
High-speed rail (HSR) is a type of rail transport network utilising trains that run significantly faster than those of traditional rail, using an integrated system of specialised rolling stock and dedicated railway track, tracks. While there is ...
, stopping at
Gare d'Aix-en-Provence TGV, and then taking a shuttle bus. One can also take a
Corail rail car on the
Transport express régional
Transport express régional (, usually shortened to TER) is the brand name used by the SNCF, the French national railway company, to denote rail service run by the regional councils of France, specifically their organised transport authorities. ...
to
Gare d'Aix-en-Provence.
To get to Lambesc from
Marseille Provence Airport, the bus can be used, making a connection at either Aix-en-Provence or
Salon-de-Provence
Salon-de-Provence (, ; or , ), commonly known as Salon, is a commune located about northwest of Marseille in the Bouches-du-Rhône department (Metropolis of Aix-Marseille Provence), region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Southern France. It ...
. The route by taxi or Uber is approximately 20 km.
Geology
To the north, the hills rise to 484 m, extending the Massif des Costes which lies to the west.
Further east are the limestone reliefs of the
Alps of Provence. It is initiated by the valley of the
Touloubre (
Salon-de-Provence
Salon-de-Provence (, ; or , ), commonly known as Salon, is a commune located about northwest of Marseille in the Bouches-du-Rhône department (Metropolis of Aix-Marseille Provence), region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Southern France. It ...
).
Around the village, the plains are fertile with irrigation and the many streams;
wheat
Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...
, the
wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...
and
olive
The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...
s are grown.
Hydrology
Originally Lambesc was crossed by four rivers: the ''Lavaldenan'', ''Estagnol'', the ''Concernade'' and ''
Touloubre'', of which only the latter still retains a significant flow.
The catchment area of the village provides numerous springs, with various levels of dryness: the springs of Castle Calavon, Libran, Beauchamp, Toulouzan, Chapuis, the Font d'Arles, Viviers, Saint-Michel, Fontvive, Bois-Vert du Moulin Blanc, Suffren St., three in north-western Bonrecueil, Castle Calavon of Gréau and of Mondesir and southwest of the Castle Taillades.
Seismicity
Following the decree of 14 May 1991, defining the seismic zoning map of France, Bouches-du-Rhône was cut up as follows:
* Zone II area that corresponds to a "seismic average": the townships of Lambesc, Peyrolles-en-Provence and Salon-de-Provence, all three of the
Arrondissement of Aix-en-Provence
The arrondissement of Aix-en-Provence is an arrondissement of France in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It has 48 communes. Its population is 460,747 (2021), and its area is .
Composition
The communes ...
* Zone Ib, an area which corresponds to a "low seismicity" around the Canton of Aix-en-Provence and
Trets of
Arrondissement of Aix-en-Provence
The arrondissement of Aix-en-Provence is an arrondissement of France in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It has 48 communes. Its population is 460,747 (2021), and its area is .
Composition
The communes ...
, the townships of
Eyguières and
Orgon
Orgon (; ancient: ''Urgonum'', or ''Castrum de Urgone'') is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southern France. It is located on the departmental border with Vaucluse, which follows the ...
of
Arrondissement of Arles and the townships of
Berre-l 'Etang,
Istres North and
Istres-Sud of
Arrondissement Istres.
* Zone Ia, an area that corresponds to a "very low seismicity": all other townships of the
Arrondissement of Aix-en-Provence
The arrondissement of Aix-en-Provence is an arrondissement of France in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It has 48 communes. Its population is 460,747 (2021), and its area is .
Composition
The communes ...
, the cantons of
Arles- is,
Châteaurenard
Châteaurenard (; Provençal ; ) is a commune in the Arles arrondissement, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in southern France.
Population
Twin towns
Châteaurenard is twinned with:
* Alte ...
and
Saint Remy-de-Provence of
Arrondissement of Arles the townships
Marignane
Marignane (; ) is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southern France.
Geography
It is a component of the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis, and the largest suburb of the city of Marsei ...
,
Martigues East and
Martigues West of
Arrondissement Istres, and finally township
Roquevaire
Roquevaire (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Huveaune valley between Aubagne and Auriol, Bouches-du-Rhône, Auriol in the Bouches-du-Rhône Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region ...
of
Arrondissement of Marseille.
* Zone 0, which corresponds to a "negligible seismicity".
*
Politics and administration
Administration before the Revolution
The land of Lambesc comprised no less than 22 portions. The management of the manor was mainly provided by the "vassals" of the Prince. The rest of Lambesc was regrouped into a "general council of the community", with a municipal system adopted since 1715.
Lambesc was originally a
barony Barony may refer to:
* Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron
* Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron
* Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...
. At least it was for the
Parliament of Provence which sat in
Aix
Aix or AIX may refer to:
Computing
* AIX, a line of IBM computer operating systems
*Alternate index, for an IBM Virtual Storage Access Method key-sequenced data set
* Athens Internet Exchange, a European Internet exchange point
Places Belg ...
. The status of the
Lord
Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power (social and political), power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the Peerage o ...
of Lambesc was a bone of contention with the
French monarch, who considered it as an "autonomous principality in Western Provence" which he had created.
The board met once a week usually on Tuesdays. A General Assembly could be called in exceptional circumstances. The last time was on 25 March 1789, on the occasion of the convening of the
States General. As head of the General Council of the Community, there was a first consul and two deputies (who were also consuls); they were elected from the General Council for a term of one year.
The First Consul took care of routine business. Counselors were co-opted annually and numbered fifteen individuals. Often ex-consuls and junior officers represented the board in their daily tasks. A master Registrar, a Chief Clerk and Recorder controlled elections, and the royal lawyer ratified them. The new directors were sworn in and were accepted or rejected by the magistrate of Lambesc. All were paid by the community.
In terms of justice, the Prince of Lambesc named a judge, who sat in his courtroom, the Hotel Du Janet. When his position was vacant, the
Seneschal
The word ''seneschal'' () can have several different meanings, all of which reflect certain types of supervising or administering in a historic context. Most commonly, a seneschal was a senior position filled by a court appointment within a royal, ...
of Aix made all necessary arrangements, as was the case on 20 February 1781, when an inhabitant was "found dead, murdered" on 18 February 1781. The judge also had the power to prevent the holding of the general council of the community if a quorum was not reached. In this case, he ordered the requisition, by the consuls of the city, of several former advisors to achieve the quorum, and made them swear an oath before the opening of the council.
The armed wing of the local justice and Royal was represented by the Marshals. The latter had a brigade that consisted of six riders in 1779. The community council could also take some legal measures.
Lambesc depended, in terms of its finances, on the stewardship of the
Viguerie and the revenues of Aix.
Revenues (despite the various taxes) were too little to bear the load on the community. Extraordinary expenses perpetually undermined the budget. The community council was constantly advancing étapiers money and lodging. The stewardship of Aix-en-Provence advanced this money from year to year. Finally, the community, since 1646, had been supporting housing for members during the General Assembly conventions in the country of Provence, which burdened finances a little more and were expensive for the city and the community Lambesc.
Free accommodation for MPs was necessarily at the expense of the community. But the level of comfort of guests, and the presence of powerful nobles of the
Kingdom of France
The Kingdom of France is the historiographical name or umbrella term given to various political entities of France in the Middle Ages, medieval and Early modern France, early modern period. It was one of the most powerful states in Europe from th ...
at such meetings required a sacrifice, tipping the small principality of Lambesc into inescapable debt. It was not until 1760 that the consuls of Lambesc obtained an annual allowance of 600 pounds, increased to 1,200 pounds in 1765, to help defray the costs generated by holding these meetings.
Formerly, inns and other lodging capacity were sufficient, but around the year 1770 the problem of housing rapidly became a concern. Many mattresses were provided at the meetings: 69 were provided in 1777, 99 in 1778. The final blow occurred on 23 November 1785. The Lambesc community council ratified the building of new rooms and new windows in the Hotel Du Janet. But Lambesc, already too much in debt, could not bear the construction costs for new housing. So in 1786, with the background of a "housing crisis", the holding of Lambesc meetings was removed to the city of Aix. The latter had adequate housing which was certainly cheaper.
But in December 1787, the community council asked the prince of Lambesc,
Charles Eugène de Lorraine, to intervene to ensure the maintenance of general meetings of the province in Lambesc. A request that appears to have been immediately satisfied, since on 25 March 1788, the Lambesc community council registered the order of Monseigneur the
Archbishop
In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
of Aix, who had asked the Lambesc community to build a row of homes (along the current National Boulevard). The work progressed, but the troubles which broke out in Provence in the aftermath of the
French Revolution of 1789 did not allow Lambesc to continue as the "political capital" of Provence.
Administration and management
Mr. Rene Emera, a new director general of service created two new leadership positions: Directors of public procurement and purchasing, and of the legal department.
In 2008, the municipality of Lambesc won the regional 'Premio' competition, organized by 'Cape Energies' (a subsidiary of
ÉDF) and became a pilot city in
Sustainable Development
Sustainable development is an approach to growth and Human development (economics), human development that aims to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.United Nations General ...
.
In 2009, an extension of the Lambesc childcare centre was opened, managed by the Lambescaine association "Rural Families", in response to parental demand for continuous care for their children during their working day.
A new
summer camp
A summer camp, also known as a sleepaway camp or residential camp, is a supervised overnight program for children conducted during the summer vacation from school in many countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer residential camps ...
was inaugurated in the summer of 2009, managed by the Federation of
Friends of Secular Education.
Economy
Economic history
Under the
Ancien Régime
''Ancien'' may refer to
* the French word for " ancient, old"
** Société des anciens textes français
* the French for "former, senior"
** Virelai ancien
** Ancien Régime
** Ancien Régime in France
{{disambig ...
, agriculture was characterized as mixed, with typically Mediterranean crops: cereals, oil and wine are mainly produced. In the late eighteenth century, wheat and oil were the basic products, but wheat became less and less important. Moreover, agronomists were suggesting Provençal olive farms and vineyards. Already in 1766, Abbot Expilly reflects this trend and says Lambesc is "in a country abounding in pleasant wine and olive oil." But there is also growing almonds, followed by fodder and a few mulberry.
Raising ovicapridés was known in Lambesc. Local toponymy has left us traces. The "coussous", meaning the patis (pastures, meadows) indicates a place only for flocks of sheep and goats. It is the same for "Fedon", a term that seems to have been adopted after 1500, because this area was formerly called "Farriol". The "Fedon (for fede: sheep), is a place name later, so that would mean the place where the sheep lie down. Other names evoke the road for the transhumant such as that of the 'track of Arles. "
Long before the
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...
, the local cadastral map near the Concernade records, around 1777, new land parcels reserved solely for spinning silk, a soap factory and one for dyeing cotton. Taillades was a soda factory, a product essential to the manufacture of soap. In 1787 Lambesc therefore had a soap factory, two boilers and two tile. It also identified seven oil mills and wheat mills along the Concernade at Bertoire and the Calvary. Until 1777, stone was quarried in "large areas", before the district of Peirière was preferred for reasons of cost by 1786 .
According to the Count de Villeneuve, three fairs were held at Lambesc, the main one, also cited by the Abbot Expilly, was that of 9 October, the feast of St. Denis, patron saint of the country.
As of 23 January 1763,
markets were held at Lambesc each Tuesday as in the cities of
Cadenet and
Rians. This was decided in response to a request from Lambescains, presented to the Council of State on 17 July 1754. It had first established the day to be Wednesday, but the community council later ruled it should be Tuesday.
Lambesc, above all, was a stage coach town; that was the main reason for its houses and hostels. Twenty were identified between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. Now the only remaining inn has its original sign, the "Golden Arm." It was not until the arrival of the
railroad
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
in Provence, in the mid-nineteenth century that the major sectors of the local economy – based on transport – were shaken by this "revolution", leading in particular to the closure of homes and inns, and the exodus of its population.
Modern economy
The local economy is now focused on quarries, vineyards, olive trees, cereals, fruit and vegetable crops, wine making and the wines classified under the
AOC as 'Coteaux d'Aix-en Provence', honey, olive oil and truffles. There is a fruit and vegetables cannery and several agricultural cooperatives (for olive oil, wine etc.).
Education
Schools
* Elementary School 'Vincent Van Gogh'
* Elementary School 'Jeanne d'Arc' (private)
* Elementary school 'Jacques Prévert'
* College 'Jean Guehenno'
* MFR (Domaine Garachon).
[the Heart Schools: Lambesc](_blank)
Denominations and religions
Lambesc has many churches due to its ultra-Catholic character during the Middle Ages. These include: the Parish of Three Stones, Catholic, the EPRE Protestant Community — Chapelle Saint-Roch
Cultural facilities, events and festivities
Lambesc is located twenty minutes by car from
Aix-en-Provence
Aix-en-Provence, or simply Aix, is a List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, city and Communes of France, commune in southern France, about north of Marseille. A former capital of Provence, it is the Subprefectures in France, s ...
and
Sainte-Victoire, 45 minutes from the
Luberon
The Luberon ( or ; Provençal dialect, Provençal: ''Leberon'' or ''Leberoun'' ) is a massif in central Provence in Southern France, part of the French Prealps. It has a maximum elevation of and an area of about . It is composed of three mounta ...
(Gordes, Roussillon ...) and is close to
Avignon
Avignon (, , ; or , ; ) is the Prefectures in France, 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 Communes of France, commune had a ...
,
Marseille
Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
, the Mediterranean, the
Camargue
The Camargue (, also , , ; ) is a coastal region in southern France located south of the city of Arles, between the Mediterranean Sea and the two arms of the Rhône river delta. The eastern arm is called the Grand Rhône; the western is the ''P ...
, the
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (sometimes abbreviated as AHP; ; ; ), formerly until 1970 known as Basses-Alpes (, ), is a department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France, bordering Alpes-Maritimes and Italy to the east, Var to the sou ...
and
Var.
A market is held on Friday mornings, a craft fair in mid-March; on the 3rd weekend of November there is a market for figurines, a local produce market in late November and a Fair for plants in mid-April. The Village Festival is on 16 September.
The city has cultural facilities for film, a sports complex, a pool, a theater, a library, and supports many sports and cultural activities, through an association. Tourist accommodation in Lambesc is varied: hotels, cottages,
bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B or BnB) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. In addition, a B&B sometimes has the hosts living in the house.
''Bed and breakfast'' is also used to ...
and camping.
Famous residents
*
Charles Eugène de Lorraine, Prince of Lambesc and Grand Squire of France (1761–1789) was known, following the events of 1789, the slasher of Lambesc. He died childless in Vienna, 21 November 1825.
*
Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, marquise de Sévigné (1626–1696). A famous letter writer who gave us 41 letters alluding to Lambesc; four were written in Lambesc during visits to her daughter, the Countess of Grignan (in 1672, 1690, 1695).
*
Émile Zola
Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola (, ; ; 2 April 184029 September 1902) was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of Naturalism (literature), naturalism, and an important contributor to ...
(1840–1902), writer and author of ''Mysteries of Marseille'' (1867). In this novel, which is a replica of the ''mysteries'' of Paris, Zola portrays his hero in three cities including Marseille, Aix-en-Provence and Lambesc.
*
Antoine Pagi
Antoine Pagi (31 March 1624 – 5 June 1699) was a French ecclesiastical historian.
Biography
Pagi was born in Rognes. After studying with the Jesuits in Aix, he entered the monastery of the Conventual Franciscans in Arles and made solemn p ...
(1624–1699) Author of ''Critique of the Annals of Baronius'' (1689–1705, 4 vols. folio), an ''Essay on the consulates of the Roman emperors'' and ''Dissertatio hypatica, seu consulibus of Caesareis'', 1682, Lyon.
*
Francis Pagi (1654–1721), friar, Franciscan, who was made 'provincial' three times. He is the author of ''Historical Breviarium criticum, Pontificum Romanorum illustrium gestation Conciliorum generalium acta, etc..'', Complectens, 1717–1747, Antwerp (Geneva), 4 vols. in-4 °, and was responsible for even a ''continuatio historiography chronologicoe ab Alexandro XII usque ad Innocentium XII'', 1694, Lyon, in-12.
* Leon Dury (1822–1891), medical doctor, diplomat and teacher, active in Japan between 1865 and 1877
*
Joseph Toussaint Reinaud (1795–1867), famous Arabist. He held the chair of Arabic at the School of Modern Oriental Languages. He was also the author of a book on Muslim Archaeology. He was made an Officer of the Legion of Honour.
Monuments and buildings
The Wind Mill Provençal (Moulin à vent Provençal) in the neighborhood Bertoire
The
tower mill
A tower mill is a type of vertical windmill consisting of a brick or stone tower, on which sits a wooden 'cap' or roof, which can rotate to bring the sails into the wind.Medieval science, technology, and medicine: an encyclopedia (2005), 520
Thi ...
of Bertoire (13410 – Lambesc) was built of local stone (between 1795 et 1810), with a vaulted ground floor to support the first floor and two rotating and recumbent wheels. It is located near the sports park, opposite the "Calypso" shopping centre.
The "Conservation patrimoine de Lambesc" (CPL) Association was founded in October 2009, whose first project is to add sails to the mill and then to grind wheat; the tower will then become a windmill.
The City of Lambesc, owner of this windmill since 1981, authorized this project in November 2010, contracting with the CPL Association. Then, the CPL Association contracted, in December 2010, with the "Fondation du Patrimoine" (the heritage foundation in France), to launch a public appeal for funds, starting in January 2011
Soutien au Projet de restauration du Moulin de Bertoire
Modern period
Lambesc inherited seven monuments and many classified historic paintings (visible in the church).
Still to be seen are: the oratories of St. Roch (eighteenth-century), Sainte-Anne (1777) (listed as an historic monument), near the chapel Saint-Marc (1709) (IMH ), in a boundary wall of the castle Aiguebelle, Sainte-Thérèse (1629) (IMH), not far from the convent of the Blessed Sacrament, St. Suffren (1825), Notre-Dame-de-la-Rose (1680 ) of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Sacred Heart, Holy Cross, St. Catherine, St. Mary Mother of the Church, and Calvary, in the woods of Taillades.
Lambesc and the buildings of worship
Lambesc possess (or possessed) many buildings of worship: the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption (an eighteenth-century monument), replaced the old building (Notre-Dame-de-La-Rose from the 13th century). It keeps the 16th-century tower, with square battlements (from where an arrow was shot in 1909); the White Penitents chapel (seventeenth century, a former chapel of the Grey Penitents (1640), was razed in 1905; its St. Michael Chapel in the cemetery is an historical monument). The Chapelle Saint-Jacques Hospital (1860), Monastery of Trinitarian Fathers (1512), St. Therese Convent (1640) can also be found.
Outside Lambesc
Outside Lambesc, there is also the votive chapel of Saint-Roch (1634), rebuilt in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries (IMH), the Sainte-Anne-de-Goiron (Romance), which belonged to the Abbey of Saint-Victor de Marseille until the early twelfth century, then to Saint-André of Villeneuve-les-Avignon, and then to Silvacane at the end the twelfth century, and finally to the
Abbey of Saint-André of Villeneuve-les-Avignon.
This historical monument, restored in the nineteenth century, is constructed in a wilderness (a former place of pilgrimage for rain), and is characterized by a single nave with three bays, an arched barrel vault, an apse in a cul-de-oven, and two chapels forming a triangular Gothic transept tower.
Lambesc and the Fountains
There are fountains built between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, on the Rue de la Republique. The best example is at the city gate of the sixteenth century, called "Around the Jacquemard"
automata
(MH) built on the former grounds of the fourteenth century and surmounted by a clock with automata from 1598, replaced in 1882 and recently restored, with many mansions of the sixteenth century and seventeenth century such as the old hotel Pagy Valbonne (IMH), recently restored in 1635, with a Renaissance façade, mullioned windows, and the hotels Arquier, Cadenet-Charleval of Alamanon of Faudran Laval, Lauris of Taillades, and Saint-Chamas.
In rural areas there are: the Field of Aiguebelle 17thC (IMH) with Wings from 18thC; a park and statue of Neptune, ponds, three fountains (MH); Pavilion Bidaine dating from the seventeenth and its gardens (IMH), the "Castles" (from Béziers, Libran, of Taillades of Valbonnette of Bonrecueil with remnant of an older keep), mills and the Viaduct Valbonnette, the cave dwellings of St. Anne-de-Goiron (IMH), a Monument to the Resistance, the lodgings of St. Anne.
The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption (1700–1741)
The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption is integrated within the pastoral unit of 'three stones': Lambesc, Rognes, and Saint-Cannat. It has a large octagonal dome that gives plenty of light.
This "house" was founded in the sixteenth century (in 1512) at the southern entrance of the village. Part of the cemetery that had been there and the cemetery chapel were levelled.
The community fathers of the Holy Trinity consisted, on average, of a dozen canons. They also had the responsibility of the hospice. This order, founded in France in 1198, by Saint John of Matha and St. Felix de Valois, has 81 houses and 384 members. Their mission was originally to redeem Christian captives in the Barbary States.
The St. Therese Convent was founded by the House of Lorraine. The community wanted to offer the building as a school for girls of the nobility. But it was decided to use the building to house the sisters of St. Thomas of Villanova de Lamballe.
See also
*
References
External links
Official website
Lambesc earthquake
{{authority control
Communes of Bouches-du-Rhône
Salyes