Bonnieux
Encyclopedia
Bonnieux is a commune
in the Vaucluse
department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
region
in southeastern France
.
hills casting a watchful gaze across the rest of the valley. Next to the village is a Cedar forest that began with trees imported from North Africa
during the Napoleonic
era. It sits opposite Mont Ventoux
, other notable villages in the area include Ménerbes
, Lacoste
, Roussillon
, and Gordes
.
The commune is traversed by the river Calavon
.
times exist near the village including the Pont Julien
built in 3 BC located only 3 miles to the north. A monastery was first built at that location in the 6th century, and walls were in place by the 10th century. The town reached a maximum population in the mid 19th century, with 2804 people in 1841. It has since declined to less than half its peak with 1363 in 2004.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Vaucluse
Vaucluse
The Vaucluse is a department in the southeast of France, named after the famous spring, the Fontaine-de-Vaucluse.- History :Vaucluse was created on 12 August 1793 out of parts of the departments of Bouches-du-Rhône, Drôme, and Basses-Alpes...
department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur or PACA is one of the 27 regions of France.It is made up of:* the former French province of Provence* the former papal territory of Avignon, known as Comtat Venaissin...
region
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
in southeastern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Geography
Bonnieux is one of the many historic "hill villages" in the region. Dating back to Roman times, it rests on top of the LuberonLuberon
The Luberon or Luberon Massif , also called Lubéron, has a maximum altitude of 1,256 m and an area of about 600 km²...
hills casting a watchful gaze across the rest of the valley. Next to the village is a Cedar forest that began with trees imported from North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
during the Napoleonic
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
era. It sits opposite Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux is a mountain in the Provence region of southern France, located some 20 km northeast of Carpentras, Vaucluse. On the north side, the mountain borders the Drôme département. It is the largest mountain in the region and has been nicknamed the "Giant of Provence", or "The Bald...
, other notable villages in the area include Ménerbes
Ménerbes
Ménerbes is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France, a walled village on a hilltop in the Luberon mountains, footbills of the French Alps....
, Lacoste
Lacoste, Vaucluse
Lacoste is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Its population doubles in size during the height of the summer tourist season.-Geography:...
, Roussillon
Roussillon, Vaucluse
Roussillon is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Roussillon lies within the borders of the Parc Naturel Régional du Luberon. In the French natural regional parks, new economic activities may be developed only if they are...
, and Gordes
Gordes
Gordes is a commune in the Vaucluse département in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.The residents are known as Gordiens...
.
The commune is traversed by the river Calavon
Calavon
The Calavon is an long river in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Vaucluse départements, southeastern France. Its source is near Banon. It flows generally west-southwest...
.
History
The region has been occupied since neolithic times, with evidence scattered throughout the Luberon. Monuments dating from RomanAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
times exist near the village including the Pont Julien
Pont Julien
The Pont Julien is a Roman stone arch bridge over the Calavon river in the south-east of France dating to 3 BC.It is located in the territory of the commune of Bonnieux, north of the village of the same name, and...
built in 3 BC located only 3 miles to the north. A monastery was first built at that location in the 6th century, and walls were in place by the 10th century. The town reached a maximum population in the mid 19th century, with 2804 people in 1841. It has since declined to less than half its peak with 1363 in 2004.