Ansouis

Ansouis: in the center of the country of Aygues, with Large Luberon and the Durance for horizons, the perched village is crowned by a thousand-year-old castle.

At the Middle Ages, Ansouis occupied an ideal place to control the road between Aix in Provence and Apt.

Today, this preserved marvelously village is always dominated by its splendid castle, old possession of the family of Sabran. Before reaching it, you can cross the great place and  travers the lanes at the nicely restored houses: oldest date from XV and XVII centuries.

A listed, historical monument, the Château d’Ansouis is the main attraction of the village. It was home to the de Sabran Ponteves family almost from when the village began.

The medieval château was built at the end of the Xth century (961) and has been modified throughout the years. Of particuilarly note is the XVIIth century addition of the Renaissance section which includes the elegant south-facing facade that softens the stark contours of the original building.

The wooded groves, gardens and terraces surrounding the Château provide a perfect setting.

The Château changed ownership at the beginning of 2008 and is now being refurnished  by the new owners.

• Museum of the Vine and the Wine

Over the years, Château Turcan has modernised its wine-making equipment but more than 2,000 older implements have been faithfully preserved and are now on show. These implements include tools used by wine and cask makers, some of which date from the XVIth the century. Among the items on display are a number of unique implements including one of the oldest presses to be found in France.

• The Museum Extraordinaire

This museum, located South of the village, was set up by Georges Mazoyer artist and underwater diver.

Once inside the museum a succession of medieval vaults provide an ideal setting for a number of interesting exhibits including fish, sea shells, coral.....

This surprisingly rich collection  is the result of 40 years of devotion and underwater diving throughout the world.
You can also visit the workshop where these works were created.

A semi-circular tower forming part of a group of buildings dating from the XVIth century crowned by a wrought-iron bell tower.

In the XVIth and XVIIth centuries this was the Town Hall and housed the communal oven.

The “public” clock-tower built before 1973 responds to the chimes of St Martin.