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The Village
As you stroll through the village of Fontaine de Vaucluse, discover the ruins of the Château of the Bishops of Cavaillon, from the 14th century. The church, Saint Véran, 11th century, Provençal Romanesque architecture, was built atop a pagan temple. The church crypt holds the tomb of Saint Véran. A column was erected in 1804 to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the birth of Petrarch.
Also see the ruins of the Roman canal built along the left bank of the Sorgue river. Be sure to visit:
the Petrarch library-museum
the museum “The Call of Freedom” a history museum on the 1939-1945 period,
the Santon ecomuseum
the museum on the swallow-hole
the exhibition of the Norbert Casteret collection.
The Paper Mill in the Vallis Clausa gallery pays homage to this age-old craft and continues to make paper by hand as in the 15th century.
Many crafts studios work in several different fields (candy-making, blown glass and crystal, wood, pottery, jewelry …) including painting and sculpture
Fontaine de Vaucluse has long been well-known for its excellent regional gastronomy. Good restaurants, hotels of all categories, a youth hostel, campgrounds by the river, canoeing and kayaking, fishing and hiking … all contribute to a marvelous stay in Fontaine de Vaucluse.
The Source
At the end of a deep canyon lush with greenery and gushing water, at the base of a sheer cliff sculpted by erosion, springs forth the most beautiful river in Vaucluse, the Sorgue de Vaucluse. The Sorgue comes from an immense underground network of waters, and has an average flow of 630 million m3 per year, the biggest in France and one of the biggest worldwide. The river is cool and peaceful in the summer, surging and impetuous in spring and fall. The Fontaine de Vaucluse, a true whim of nature, continues to challenge researchers and curious minds, as it has since time immemorial.
The waters which surge forth from the base of the cliff come from the rainwater and snow melt which infiltrate the ground as they run off Mont Ventoux, the Monts de Vaucluse and Lure Mountain – accounting for a catchment area of 1100 km. The only place this water comes out of the ground is at the Fontaine de Vaucluse.
The high waters in spring and fall (90 m3 per second) amaze and impress visitors, yet it is the steady flow during the summer time and in the absence of rainfall which mystifies scientists.
Spelunkers have conducted experiments which added dyes to the underground waterways in the limestone hills, revealing the existence of collectors, veritable natural drains which feed the Fontaine de Vaucluse.
In the late 19th century, many explorations took place which have helped us partially understand the mystery of the water’s origin and the way it works.
Exploration of the Source
878: OTONELLI, diver from Marseille, reached –23m in a diving suit.
1938: NEGRI thought he had reached the bottom at –30m.
1946: COUSTEAU and his crew reached –46m.
1954: MAGRELLI reached –25m.
1955: The OFRS (COUSTEAU crew) did 80 dives, reaching –74m and probing down to –84m.
1967: The COUSTEAU crew immersed the Télénaute, a device which went down to –106m.
1974: The GRSA surveyed the swallow hole. After this dive, a decree was issued prohibiting any further explorations.
1981: The “Société Spéléologique de Fontaine de Vaucluse (SSFV)” resumed research. TOULOUMDJIAN, assisted by the COMEX reached –153m using a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus.
1983: HASENMAYER, a German diver, reached the incredible depth of –205m using a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus.
The SSFV and the ACRC went down in the Sorgonaute and reached –245m with a wire-guided device.
1984: Descent and implosion of the Sorgonaute II at –205m.
1985: The SSFV and the MIC firm sent the MODEXA instrument carrier down, which blocked at –308m on a sandy bottom after having found two galleries in the south-east direction.
1986: The ACRC attempted a new experiment and had to abandon the Sorgonaute III at around –200m. This device remains the prisoner of the pit.
1989: Using the Spélénaute, the SSFV sees the conduit again, draws up a new section of the swallow hole down to –308m and attempts to enter the galleries identified in 1985, however they are too narrow and the Spélénaute cannot enter.
1993: Nicolas HULOT, dives down to –40m for the television show USHUAIA.
1996: The SSFV, using the Spélénaute, discovers an immense room at –174m.
The Sorgue
The Sorgue river, which flows through the plains, takes its source in Fontaine de Vaucluse and flows into the Ouvèze river after covering 32 Km.
The Sorgue is the most regular of all the little rivers in Vaucluse.
Just before the town of Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, at the place called ?Le partage des eaux? (the dividing of the waters), the Sorgue divides into 2 arms.
The waters of the Sorgue were long used to power mills (paper mills, flour mills, madderwort dyeworks) and textile works. The river now serves agricultural purposes and leisure fun such as fishing, canoeing and kayaking.
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