Buoux and its history

Although Buoux only numbers 120 inhabitants, it nevertheless is of considerable interest. It is 7km from the Marseille/ Apt road and near the pass of the Coomb of Lourmarin. The Commune of Buoux includes the valley of the Aiguebrun river which collects spring water from the northern slope of the Grand Luberon.

This lush green area, surrounded by high cliffs, is highly evocative of life in prehistoric times in this part of Provence and contrasts with the arid plateau of the Claparèdes. The actual village of Buoux, in the valley of the Loube river, is situated between these two contrasting terrains.

The area of Buoux is, without doubt, one of the richest in all of the Vaucluse, in terms of prehistoric remains. From 50,000 BCE, man lived in the caves here, fished in the rivers and hunted on the plateau of the Claparèdes, where they built dry stone huts.

There are also traces of the Roman period but, in the Middle Ages, the inhabitants installed themselves in the fort of Buoux, which had been built in the Vallon of the Ayguebrun at the foot of the old ‘oppidum’. The only remains of the early settlement, with its church of St Germain, are 200 tombs, on which drawings were hacked into the stone, and an altar in the parish church.

During the second half of the 17C the population, which had sheltered for a while inside the fort, settled in the present village at some distance from the narrow valley.

Nowadays, Buoux is a small, peaceful village with modest resources, but attracts many visitors, including climbers who want to scale the cliffs nearby.

Things to see

· Village parish church (18C) with its Early Christian 5C altar

· Cemetery- Sainte Marie, a 13C Romanesque church with a unique nave

· In the valley of Aiguebrun - the Fort of Buoux, a citadel comparable to a Cathar chateau, which was the first prehistoric site in Provence. This huge, grandiose ensemble, stretched out across the cliffs, welcomes 20,000 visitors a year ( entrance fee)

Renseignements : Office de tourisme intercommunal du Canton de Bonnieux - 7, Place Carnot - 84480 Bonnieux - Tél. 04 90 75 91 90 - otibonnieux@wanadoo.fr

Mairie de Buoux : 04 90 74 07 65


	Buoux and its history Although Buoux only numbers 120 inhabitants, it nevertheless is of considerable interest. It is 7km from the Marseille/ Apt road and near the pass of the Coomb of Lourmarin. The Commune of Buoux includes the valley of the Aiguebrun river which collects spring water from the northern slope of the Grand Luberon. This lush green area, surrounded by high cliffs, is highly evocative of life in prehistoric times in this part of Provence and contrasts with the arid plateau of the Claparèdes. The actual village of Buoux, in the valley of the Loube river, is situated between these two contrasting terrains. The area of Buoux is, without doubt, one of the richest in all of the Vaucluse, in terms of prehistoric remains. From 50,000 BCE, man lived in the caves here, fished in the rivers and hunted on the plateau of the Claparèdes, where they built dry stone huts. There are also traces of the Roman period but, in the Middle Ages, the inhabitants installed themselves in the fort of Buoux, which had been built in the Vallon of the Ayguebrun at the foot of the old ‘oppidum’. The only remains of the early settlement, with its church of St Germain, are 200 tombs, on which drawings were hacked into the stone, and an altar in the parish church. During the second half of the 17C the population, which had sheltered for a while inside the fort, settled in the present village at some distance from the narrow valley. Nowadays, Buoux is a small, peaceful village with modest resources, but attracts many visitors, including climbers who want to scale the cliffs nearby. Things to see · Village parish church (18C) with its Early Christian 5C altar · Cemetery- Sainte Marie, a 13C Romanesque church with a unique nave · In the valley of Aiguebrun - the Fort of Buoux, a citadel comparable to a Cathar chateau, which was the first prehistoric site in Provence. This huge, grandiose ensemble, stretched out across the cliffs, welcomes 20,000 visitors a year ( entrance fee) Renseignements : Office de tourisme intercommunal du Canton de Bonnieux - 7, Place Carnot - 84480 Bonnieux - Tél. 04 90 75 91 90 - otibonnieux@wanadoo.fr Mairie de Buoux : 04 90 74 07 65
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