Page 43 - Guide Patrimoine - Terre de Provence

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ORGON
CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION
Classi ed as a Historical Monument, the church dates back to 1325 and is in the Provençal Gothic style. The rst church was located within the Savoie village walls, at the foot of the castle ruins. The bell tower was built in 1660, the year of King Louis XIV’s visit to Orgon. The choir, dating back to the 14th century, is the oldest part of the church. It has the remarkable feature of being oblique to the central axis of the church, evoking the tilt of Christ’s head on the cross. Only three churches in France are said to have this particularity.
A superb 18th-century triptych «The Virgin and Child between St. Peter and St. Paul» is one of the masterpieces of Provençal painting and has been listed as a Historical Monument since July 12, 1971.
THE CITY WALLS
The rst city walls, built at an unspeci ed date, bordered
the village of Savoie to the
west and connected two city gates, occupying the current location of the town hall and the church. A section of the wall is still visible today. In the sixteenth century, a second wall was built in 1591 during the religious war of the League. These walls were about one meter thick and six to seven meters high, and were quickly constructed thanks to subsidies from the province. The apparent objective of the religious war was to defend the Catholic religion against the Calvinists, but in reality, it was about the conquest of the French throne by the House of Guise.
MONUMENTS
NOTRE DE BEAUREGARD CHAPEL
This ancient Celtic-Ligurian oppidum was a religious center long before the Christian era, where Greco-Roman deities were honored. In 1878, the dean of Orgon, Canon Bonnard, had the current chapel built
on the site of the old place of worship. It housed a wooden statue of the Virgin Mary.
After being thrown off the
cliff by the Baron des Adrets on September 8, 1562, it remained intact, and only the little nger of the child Jesus bore a mark. An expiatory monument, erected in the gardens, commemorates
this miracle. This statue is now in the parish church of Notre Dame de l’Assomption. The chapel’s Stations of the Cross were made by a famous 19th-century sculptor, Louis- Félix Chabaud. The dome in ashlar, perfectly tted to a mould using a technique that has since disappeared, bears witness to the architectural expertise of the companions of the 19th century.
THE CASTLE OF DUC DE GUISE
The «Castrum druentioe,» also known as the Castle of the Duke of forti ed at the end of the Roman Empire. Destroyed in the 6th century by the Visigoths, it was rebuilt in the 11th century and became the ef of the Counts of Provence. It was a renowned military fortress in the 12th century, but Louis XI demolished it in 1483. It was rebuilt by the De Guise family during the League
in the 16th century and dismantled for the last time time by Richelieu in 1630. This remarkable site bears witness to the upheavals of Orgon and Provence’s history.
THE ANCIENT GATES
The gates played a role in both welcoming and protecting
the city, so as soon as troops arrived, all the city gates were closed and no one could leave without a safe-conduct pass. The Gate of Hortet is the oldest and dates back to the eleventh century. It has a guardroom,
battlements, arrow slits, and
a bull’s eye window cut into
the city wall. The Sainte-Anne Gate was built in 1591 and was crossed by famous gures such as François 1st, Napoleon 1st, and Nostradamus. The Durance Gate, also ogival in shape, has preserved its machicolations and has a staircase leading to the guardroom. Near this gate was a cave where travelers had to pay a toll to cross the river or follow its left bank.
MUSEUMS
URGONIA MUSEUM
Steeped in history, this former prison, where prisoners’ graf ti can be seen, now houses the Urgonia Museum, the Culture Service, and
the Tourist Information
Bureau of the village. The exhibitions presented in this location unveil the unique
and fascinating history of this territory spanning 130 million years. Marine and continental episodes follow one another, revealing a whole range of fossilized animals that have since disappeared, as well as the remains left by humans since their arrival in this area approximately 10,000 years ago. Becoming an internationally recognized geological site since the mid-nineteenth century,
the traces of exploitation of the Urgonian limestone are numerous and varied.
An ornithological exhibition dedicated to the thirteen protected bird species covered by the Life program in the Alpilles region completes the themes. Fun and interactive visits: as you discover the exhibits, this invitation
to travel through time is enhanced by panels and
video documentaries. Digital terminals allow you to enhance and test your knowledge in a playful and interactive way. Guided tours by reservation. Free self-guided tours. Pedagogical visits for
welcoming school groups. Pedagogical workshops. You can consult the Museum program on the musee-urgonia. fr website.
From Monday to Saturday :
10 am – 12 am / 2 pm – 5.30 pm
CIRCUITS
THE STONE TRAIL
Starting from the Urgonia Museum, the Stone Trail
is a marked and equipped pedestrian trail that complements the visit of the museum by allowing you to discover various geosites in their natural contexts as well as the architectural heritage of Orgon. The Stone Trail has been awarded the «Valeur Parcs» label.
STROLLING
This itinerary will allow you to discover the defensive and civil heritage of Orgon.
CALVARIES AND ORATORIES
The crosses and oratories dominate the Orgon landscape and demonstrate the popular fervor for the Catholic religion and the Virgin Mary since ancient times.
PLACES OF WORSHIP
This itinerary will allow you to discover the religious heritage of Orgon.
L’ESPACE RENAISSANCE PERFORMANCE HALL
It is a state-of-the-art event venue with a 382 sqm hall,
a 111 sqm stage, and a total capacity of 420 seats, half of which are retractable. It also features a 1,000 sqm square for socializing, commercial spaces, and a dedicated area for the youth organization ALSH (Main dans la Main), making it a cultural, artistic, and social hub.
For more information, please contact the Urgonia Museum at +33 (0)4 90 73 09 54. Address: Chemin du stade 13660 Orgon