Photo : Eusebius / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Château de la Barben
The château de La Barben, between Salon-de-Provence and Aix-en-Provence, is one of the most beautiful castles in the PACA region. The famous Aix painter Marius Granet, who made many stays there, wrote "La Barben is the most picturesque and oldest castle in Provence".
The location of this castle, set in a grandiose environment overlooking an oasis of greenery due to the abundant waters of the Maurel Valley and the Touloubre, would according to some authors be the ancient Pisavis near which the Via Aurelia passed. In 1909, a major earthquake shook the region. The medieval west tower called "Palamède" was destroyed. Two years later, on the same rock, the owners had it rebuilt. A fortress designed for defence, it was built on enormous rocks that make it impregnable. Its towers, turrets and hanging terraces blend with nature to form a unity that gives this site its beauty and mystery.
As soon as you pass the first postern, you discover all the architectural elements of medieval fortresses: watchtowers with pulleys of the old drawbridge, crenellations and machicolations, arrow slits, coat of arms and motto of the lords of the place. The castle now hosts a Provençal historic and cultural park.
