Château de Gordes

The origins of the fortress in Gordes date back a long way, with a first mention in 1031 by Guillaume d’Argoult. His descendants strengthened the complex so enduringly that in 1123 it was referred to as the only “nobile castrum” in the area. In the mid-14th century, the castle tower was raised to withstand the raids of Raimond de Turenne and the pillaging of the Grandes Compagnies. Between 1525 and 1541, Bertrand Rambaud de Simiane had a Renaissance castle built, which presented the north facade as a defensive castle and the south facade as a Renaissance palace. During the Wars of Religion, it was unsuccessfully besieged. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the castle remained largely unchanged and passed through the hands of the Simiane family, the Counts of Soubise, and the Princes of the House of Bourbon-Condé. The revolutionaries took possession of the castle in 1789 without destroying it. In the early 20th century, it housed a café. Since 1931, the castle has been classified as a Monument historique, and the round tower separately since 1949. From 1970 to 1996, it housed a museum with works by Victor Vasarely, which was later replaced by an exhibition of the Belgian artist Pol Mara.

The Château de Gordes is located in the commune of Gordes in the Vaucluse department, within the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region of France. It stands at an elevation of approximately 359 meters above sea level.

The Château de Gordes houses the tourist office and a painting museum featuring works by the Belgian artist Pol Mara.