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For generations, Lourmarin has served as a refuge for writers,
artists and poets. In the 1960's it was the country retreat
and last home of Nobel prize winning author, Albert Camus.
The
Château de Lourmarin, considered one
of the most impressive Renaissance edifices in the region,
was restored and transformed into a private residence
in the 1920's.
Later donated to the University of Aix-en-Provence, it
is now administered as a Foundation for the Arts which
gives scholarships and provides Sabbatical Residences
for young artists and writers from around the world. The
Château also hosts a variety of conferences and
chamber music concerts every week during the summer, and
often during the rest of the year. |
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| 16th
Century Chateau / An Arts Foundation |
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Lourmarin
– Capital of fine dining
Aside from being a cultural center, Lourmarin's reputation
in the world of gourmet restaurants has been growing rapidly.
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| In
1998 Reine
Sammut, twice voted "Best Woman Chef"
in France, opened her new and luxurious "La
Fenière" just outside the center of
Lourmarin. |
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| Edouard
Loubet (seen here with our son Pierre),
is one of France's finest and most talked-about
young chefs. He owns, manages and oversees the
cooking at "Le Moulin" in the centre
of Lourmarin, and has earned 2 stars from the Michelin
Guide for his nearby restaurant "La Bastide
de Capelongue" in Bonnieux. |
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Lourmarin's reputation
as an 'haut lieu' of gastronomy and elegant dining has
grown in the past several years and the village
now attracts lovers of fine food from all over the world.
There are now a total of fourteen excellent restaurants
and
four Café-Brasseries.
Three
of these restaurants are now included in the prestigious Michelin
guide, and five more are listed in one or more of the other
respected French dining guides. There are, indeed, extraordinary
dining opportunities in this village of 1000 year-round residents
!
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