la Motte-d'Aigues Provence-Beyond (Beyond the French Riviera) ® Vaucluse (84240) Population: 750 Altitude: 385 m Nearby: [ Bonnieux | Céreste | Cucuron | Grambois | Luberon ] Below: [ History | Hiking | Riding ] La Motte d'Aigues sits on a small hill in the center of farming land that stretches out in a broad arc to the Durance river, 12 km to the south. Just behind (to the north of) the village, the 1100-m high Luberon mountains stretch across from east to west. Just a km to the southwest of the village is the 36-ha Etang de la Bonde, the largest lake in the region. It's a man-made lake, but it's been around for awhile: it was constructed in the 12th century to provide water for the local castle. Even out in this farming region, with a fair collection of modern "résidences secondaires", the village is ancient and charming. The streets are medieval narrow and the old buildings retain a strong sense of history. The central church dates back to the 17th century, but the little temple at the top of the village, built in 1905 is more unique: it's Protestant. Name First record, 11th century: Motte d'Aigues, attached to the Benedictine Abbey of Villeneuve-lès-Avignon. History Roman: A Roman cemetery was located at St. Jean, about 1500 m south along the D120 road. Artifacts discovered there included a statue and a ceramic vase. Medieval: La Motte d'Aigues was ruled by the lords of Sabran and then the lords of Agoult. In the 16th century, it belonged to the barons of the Tour d'Aigue. The village was deserted in 1471, during the time of the plague. In 1505 it was again populated, by an "acte d'habitation" from the Protestant Vaudois from the Dauphiné valley. A couple of generations later the Protestant leanings of the village caused its downfall, as it was sacked, pillaged and plundered during the Wars of Religion. Dates, Numbers Fête Communale: 2nd Sunday in July Camping Hiking Maps: IGN "bleue" (1:25,000) 3242 est "Apt Est, Grand Luberon" Didier Richard (1:50,000) #14 "Luberon" The area directly around la Motte-d'Aigues is farmland and vineyards, so country walking is more suitable than hiking. Good mountain hiking isn't far away, though, as the GR9-97 (Grande Randonnée) trails pass through the Luberon mountains about 5 km to the north. Riding Riding trails pass beside la Motte-d'Aigues, going through villages to the east and the west. The trails follow the small roads nearby, but also go up into the Luberon mountains to the north. There are riding stables in St. Martin-de-la-Brasque, directly beside La Motte, as well as at Cucuron, about 6 km to the west.