Pernes-les-Fontaines
Provence-Beyond (Beyond the French Riviera) ®
Vaucluse (84210)
Population: 8,300
Altitude: 82 m
Nearby:
[ Apt 43 km | Avignon 24 | Carpentras 6 | Cavaillon 19 | Fontaine-de-Vaucluse 17 | l'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue 11 | Le Thor 9 | Venasque 10 ]
Photos:
1 Pernes, entrance from across the bridge (41 k) Jan Volkers, 1999
2 The bridge over the river Nesque (35 k) Jan Volkers, 1999
Below: [ History | Dates | Hiking | Lodging ]
Pernes-les-Fontaines is a lovely medieval fortified town. The remaining fortifications include defensive walls dating back to the 16th century, and several defensive "portes" dating to the 16th and 14th centuries. The Tour Ferrande is a 13th-century donjon tower with frescos. The old castle of the Counts of Toulouse, with its 13th-century donjon, 1484 clock and 1764 campanile, is one of the oldest in the "Comptat".
The photos are all kindly contributed by Jan Volkers. "The object is a bridge over the Nesque, just outside one of the gates. There is a little chapel on top of the bridge (like pont Benezet in Avignon) . I believe it is on the north side of the village."
There are 32 18th-century fountains in Pernes, several of them declared French historical monuments. In and around Pernes are several 16th-18th-century chapels.
This is a great farming area, and Pernes has excellent grapes, for eating and for wine. One of the wines is the only bubbly wine produced in the Vaucluse. Orchards produce apple, cherry, pear and almonds, and other crops include strawberry, cantalope and vegetables, and the region's largest asparagus market is located here.
Name
First record, 994: Paternis
History
Medieval: A castle was built here in the 10th century by the Counts of Toulouse, who ruled a fief named "Senescallia Venaissini". In 1274, the domain fell under the rule of Saint-Siège, and Pernes became the capital of the Comtat Venaissin, until 1320 when the capital was transferred to Carpentras. During the 15th and 16th centuries, rule of Pernes changed several times between Saint-Siège and several other lords.
- Dates, Numbers
- Market day: Sat; daily during growing season
- Fête Traditionelle: 25 Apr; last week Aug
- Office de Tourisme - Tel: (33) 490 61 31 04, (33) 490 66 47 27; Fax: (33) 490 61 33 23
- Hiking
- Maps:
- IGN "bleue" (1:25,000) 3141 ouest "Carpentras"
- Didier Richard (1:50,000) #27 "Ventoux"
- Pernes-les-Fontaines is in a forested and agricultural area. Immediately to the east is the Plateau de Vaucluse where there are many great hiking trails. There are no loop hikes from the village, but one trail, 3 km east, goes southeast, past a Gîte, onto the Plateau de Vaucluse, joining the GR 91 just north of Fontaine-de-Vaucluse.
