Saturday, October 25, 2014

Ménerbes, Peter Mayle's First Village in Provence

I fell in love with France, or at least a tiny part of it, during childhood trips to the Metairie Neuve, the family farm located near Viane Pierre-Segade, a small hamlet about 15 km from Lacaune in the southeast department of Tarn in the Midi-Pyrenees region of France.

It wasn't until quite a few years later that I discovered and began a love affair with Provence and began to dream about owning a home there through the pages of Peter Mayle's charming book, "A Year In Provence" and his other books that followed.

If you don't know, "A Year in Provence," describes Provence, its culture and the people Mayle, a retired advertising executive, meets after he and his wife leave London, buy a stone farmhouse in a Luberon village, fix it up, and adopt the region as their new home.

The village where Mayle and his wife settled was Ménerbes, a small walled village perched on the top of a long ridge of the north face of the Luberon. Ménerbes is classified as one of the Plus Beaux Villages of France.

One day last spring, wife Shirley and friend Kari and I drove from Sablet to Ménerbes to visit Peter Mayle's village (I should mention that the Mayle's don't live there anymore). Here are a few pictures from our visit to Ménerbes that day.

Ménerbes

The city of Ménerbes and its citadel were the site of a major battle between Huguenots and Catholics, called the Siege de Ménerbes, which lasted from 1573 to 1578 during the French Wars of Religion. The Protestants finally agreed to negotiations, apparently because of a lack of drinking water, surrendering on December 9, 1578 to a "glorious capitulation."

Ménerbes

Narrow streets wind up and down between lovely old buildings.

Ménerbes Street

Pretty Ménerbes House

Ménerbes House

Saint-Blaise Chapel was built in 1734 by the Brotherhood of Pénitents Blanc. During the Revolution, it served as a gathering place for the Republicans and its façade was very damaged. Today, it serves as a place of worship during the winter.

Saint-Blaise Chapel

Ménerbes village street, looking southeast

Ménerbes Iron Cross and Fountain

At Place de l'Horloge at the top of Ménerbes is the Maison de la Truffe et du Vin (House of Truffles and Wine) in a beautifully restored, grand village house. There you can find out all about the truffles and wines of the region, as well as take wine appreciation courses in the summer.

Maison de la Truffe et du Vin (House of truffles and wine)

Monument honoring the bicentennial of the French Revolution in 1789

Ménerbes Town Hall

The clock tower and wrought-iron campanile at Place de l'Horloge were built in the 15th century. Through the arch, there is a magnificent view out across the plains with several villages visible.


Ménerbes town hall with its wrought-iron "campanile"

Ménerbes Town Hall

Saint-Luc Church was built in the 16th century on the foundation of Saint-Sauveur Church. It is currently undergoing renovation.

Saint-Luc Church

Iron Cross

Gated Entrance to Ménerbes Home

Looking back towards Clock Tower at Place de l'Horloge in Ménerbes

Ménerbes' ancient fortified wall and round tower

If you go to Ménerbes, you might want to stop by the Musée du Tire-Bouchon (Cork Screw Museum) at La Citadelle winery about 1 km outside Ménerbes on the road to Cavaillon. The museum displays 1000 cork screws from the 17th century to today.

I think the Mayles were attracted to Ménerbes more for the house and the surrounding area rather than the village itself. While Ménerbes and the surrounding area are very pretty, there is not much life in the village as far as we could see.

Have a great week. Chat soon.

11 comments:

  1. I love A Year In Provence and I love Menerbes, what I do not love is paying €5 for an ice cream cone there. They're nuts! Personally, I blame Peter Mayle ;)

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    1. Bonjour Sara. I think there are a lot of things we can blame on Peter Mayle, maybe the 5 Euro ice cream cone should be included on the list. Have a great day.

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    2. Michel...can you tell me what the things are that Peter Mayle is to blame for?

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    3. Tons of tourists and high prices for real estate. Provence was largely unknown to many foreigners before he published his numerous books about the area. He told me he came home one day and there was a tour bus in front of his house and his house was full of tourists taking pictures. He hadn't locked the door and they just walked in.

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  2. Great photos - I was there in July and found it difficult to photograph. Yours are really good ...

    Jane Dunning (on Facebook Jane Dunning Author of Thirty-five minutes from St Tropez)

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    1. Hello Jane. Thanks for stopping in to visit my blog. I appreciate your kind feedback about my pictures of Menerbes.

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  3. LOVELY photos Michel!! I am from Pondichery, India and have been lucky enough to visit parts of France, yet to make it to Menerbes! Your pics here are a treat, and truly tempting... hope to make a visit some day!!

    Madhu VENKATTAN

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  4. So glad to stumble upon your photos and comments. I live about 2 miles from the town of Occidental where you had your restaurant. I traveled by rental car in the Luberon looking for a village famous for making wine openers. I don't speak French but found the village and bought a beautiful wine opener with a malachite handle. I have never forgotten that day and my time in Provence. Thanks for sharing. Kathy

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    1. Thank you so much for reading my post and for taking the time to share feedback. This is much appreciated. Small world, living in Occidental. Forgotten his name, we had a good customer who had a wine shop in Occidental who was a collector of wine openers and showed off many of them in his shop. I don't think he has his shop anymore. We are headed to Provence tomorrow and can't wait to go exploring the region. Take care. Michel

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  5. Yes, your photos are perfect, stunning, beautiful and capture the light adequately + way beyond that, which is not something I have seen before. I can feel the light in your photos. When I say adequately, I need to be clear; I mean you capture the actual magical light brilliantly, and I have never seen it even captured adequately. Well done. My mother Diana Dean Kellerman moved to her own home in 1974, and lived there for many years with her partner of 55 years, Gloria Ramsey. They played Medieval Music in churches across France and Italy. They loved Ménerbes. My mother left me in California when I was 5, in 1969, to live with her "wife." Ménerbes is beautiful, and it will always be the village that stole my Mother from me, sadly. Aloha, Claire Anderson Graham Kellerman

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  6. Wow so beautiful this blog Michel....I sent you an email privately so pls check your bin folder! Thank you

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