Benutzer:W.Mechelke/WIP/Burgen&Schlösser/Chateau Lourmarin
Koordinaten: 43° 45′ 51″ N, 5° 21′ 33″ O
Das Schloss Lourmarin (franz. Château de Lourmarin) ist ein Renaissance Schloss im franzöischen Ort Lourmarin im Département Vaucluse der Region Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.
Im 15. Jahrhundert wurde das Schloss von Foulques d'Agoult, seiner Zeit Kammerherr von König Rene von Anjou, auf den Resten einer alten Festung aus dem 12. Jahrhundert gebaut. In der Folgezeit erfuhr das Gebäude mehrere Erweiterungen und Veränderungen.
Nach 1526 wurde das Schloss von Louis d’Agoult-Montauban und seiner Frau Blanche de Lévis-Ventadour durch einen Renaissance Anbau das erste Renaisance Gebäude in der Provence.
Ende des 16. Jahrhundert ging das Schloss in den Besitz der Familie Créqui-Lesdiguières, Besitzer des Château de La Tour d'Aigues. Seit dieser Zeit bis zur Französischen Revolution 1789 wurde das Schloss nicht mehr von den Besitzern bewohnt. Nach der Franzöischen Revolution wechselte das Schloss mehrfach den Besitzer und verfiel immer mehr. Robert Laurent-Vibert, ein Kosmetikfabrikant aus Lyon, rettete das Schloss vor dem endgültigen Zerfall und ließ es ab 1920 durch den Architekten Henri Pacon restaurieren. 1925 verstirbt Laurent-Vibert bei einem Autounfall. In seinem Testament vermacht er diesen Besitz der l'Académie des Sciences, Agriculture, Arts et Belles Lettres von Aix-en-Provence unter der Verpflichtung, den Besitz in eine Stiftung umzuwandeln, die junge Künstler fördert und Veranstaltungen durchführt.
Au XVe siècle, le château est reconstruit par Foulques d'Agoult sur les restes d'une ancienne forteresse du XIIe siècle. Il fut transformé et agrandi à plusieurs reprises. A partir de 1526 Louis d'Agoult-Montauban et Blanche de Lévis-Ventadour son épouse, font élever l'aile Renaissance[1].
Fin du XVIe siècle, l'édifice devient la propriété des Créqui-Lesdiguières, propriétaires du château de La Tour d'Aigues. À partir de cette époque et jusqu'en 1789, le château n'est plus occupé que par les intendants qui gèrent les terres[1].
Après la Révolution française, le château passe entre les mains de plusieurs propriétaires aux fortunes diverses et finit par tomber en ruines. 1920 et jusqu'à sa mort en 1925, Robert Laurent-Vibert fait restaurer le château par Henri Pacon. Il le lègue à l'Académie des Sciences, Agriculture, Arts et Belles Lettres d'Aix-en-Provence qui crée la Fondation Robert Laurent-Vibert[1].
In 1526, Louis d’Algoult-Montauban and his wife, Blanche de Lévis-Ventadour, decided to enlarge the “Chteau-Vieux” with the addition of the Renaissance Wing, the first Renaissance building in Provence.
History of the Château
The Chateau was classified as an historic monument in 1973
The oldest part of the Chateau was built in the 15th century by Foulques d’Agoult, on a ruins of a 12th century fortress.
In 1526, Louis d’Algoult-Montauban and his wife, Blanche de Lévis-Ventadour, decided to enlarge the “Chteau-Vieux” with the addition of the Renaissance Wing, the first Renaissance building in Provence.
Das z.T. im Renaisssance-Stil erbaute Schloß wurde in den 20er Jahren des vorigen Jahrhunderts durch den Industriellen Robert Laurent-Vibert vor dem endgültigen Verfall gerettet. Nach seinem Tode ging es in den Besitz der l'Académie des Sciences, Agriculture, Arts et Belles Lettres von Aix-en-Provence über, welcher er es testamentarisch vermacht hatte unter der Verpflichtung, den Besitz in eine Stiftung umzuwandeln.
The Château
The 15th-16th century Château, the first Renaissance Château in Provence, sits atop a hill, dominating the western view of the village. The Château that is seen today reflects two separate periods of construction.
In the 15th century, in what marked a new beginning for Lourmarin after a long period of decline due to frequent pillages and the 14th century plague, Lord Foulques d'Agoult, began building on what was probably a 12th century foundation. At the same time, he had also arranged to have nearly 50 Vaudois families moved to Lourmarin--with rent and work contracts--to work the land. The remnants of this effort, referred to as the Château Vieux, are the Gothic style round tower on the Northeast corner and the hexagonal tower on the Southeast corner.
The construction of the remaining portion of the Château commenced in 1526, under the guidance of the great-grand-nephew of Lord Foulques d'Agoult, Louis d'Agoult-Montauban, and his wife Blanche de Lévis-Ventadour. The project was interrupted briefly and later resumed with encouragement from François I who visited Lourmarin in 1537 and befriended the couple's son. Work continued in earnest from 1539 until its completion in 1542. The final result was the Château-Neuf with a distinctly different style, reminiscent of the Châteaux on the Loire. The pièce de résistance is undoubtedly the spectacular double spiral staircase, well worth a visit.
Sadly, just a few years after the completion of the Château, the religious wars of Provence broke out, followed by the brutal attack of the Vaudois inhabitants of Lourmarin (and surrounding villages). As many as 3,000 people in the Lubéron were slaughtered during this time. The village was destroyed and castle damaged, which set into motion the abandonment of the Château and near destruction of it during the Revolution and later in 1920. During this time, it was occupied by small farmers and "gypsies" making pilgrimages to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. The latter group is said to have put a curse on the Château, as suggested by their graffiti in the Château of a sailboat encircled by strange birds with human faces.
However, it would seem that, instead, good fortune was ultimately bestowed on the Château: just as plans were being drawn up to sell the property so that it could be dismantled for its stones, a scholar and successful industrialist, Robert Laurent-Vibert, heard about the situation and was able to purchase--and eventually bring back to life-- Lourmarin's Château. He set up the Fondation de Lourmarin Laurent-Vibert with the goal of establishing the Château as a residence "open to art, intellect, and friendship."
Mr. Laurent-Vibert's goal was fulfilled though not before he was killed in an automobile accident in 1925. However, he was able to set the stage for the restoration of the Château (which was carried out entirely by residents of Lourmarin) and the development of the foundation. Now, every summer young artists, writers, and researchers are invited to stay in the Château to pursue their studies. This extraordinary venue is also home to an annual summer piano competition and series of concerts, open to the public. (A schedule is available at http://www.chateau-de-lourmarin.com/root/index.php. In 1973, it was classified as a Historic Monument.
In 1920, just as the Chateau was about to be sold to an entrepreneur for its stone, it was providenttially discovered and purchased at the last minute by Robert Laurent-Vibert, an Industrialist from Lyon, owner of Petrol Hahn.
He was also a scholar and professor as well as a member of the French School in Rome.
Robert Laurent-Vibert died in a road accident in 1925. In his will, he donated the Chateau to the “Académie des Sciences, Agriculture, Arts et Belles Lettres (Academy of Science, Agriculture and Humanities) of Aix-en-Provence, on condition that it should set up a Foundation to help young artists and organise cultural events.
This is how the Fondation de Lourmarin Robert Laurent-Vibert was created in 1927.