Pertuis: Historic Buildings, Washhouses and Cycling Route

Pertuis combines historic buildings with starting points for the Le Pays d’Aigues à vélo route. This gives you two clear focuses for planning your trip: the city’s architectural history and the cycling route in the southern Luberon.

Architectural History from Medieval Provence to the Baroque Period

The Église Saint-Nicolas was built between the 15th and 16th centuries. Its architecture is typical of late medieval Provence. The church is dedicated to Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors. This dedication is thought to be connected with Pertuis’s port and ferry on the Durance.

Le Donjon offers a different perspective: it is one of the rare examples of medieval military architecture in Provence and recalls the city’s former fortifications. The Tour Saint-Jacques is also part of this history. It is the last surviving tower of Pertuis’s former fortifications. To understand the city’s history, it is therefore interesting to consider not only when individual buildings were constructed, but also what remains of the former fortifications.

The so-called House of Queen Jeanne is a small Mannerist palace dating from the late 16th century. The Chapelle de la Charité adds a building from a later period: built in 1719, the chapel combines Baroque and Classical styles. It is also the only surviving part of the former Hôpital de la Charité in Pertuis. The city thus offers a chance to compare different building types and periods, from medieval fortifications and a Mannerist palace to a chapel combining two styles.

The Chapelle de la Charité hosts exhibitions and concerts, and can be visited during events. If you plan to visit the chapel during your stay, check the specific event dates. This will help you plan your visit around the events actually taking place.

Washhouses with a History of Their Own

The Lavoir Notre-Dame is at the eastern edge of the city and is built into the rock. It was established in 1882 in the city wall near the former Notre-Dame gate. Its location on the edge of town and its connection to the former fortifications are both central to the history of this washhouse.

The Lavoir Saint-Jacques has a different architectural feature to note. The present-day fountain and washhouse were built in 1851 by municipal mason Louis Chaffard. The fountain adjoins a covered washhouse with a semicircular basin made of dressed stone. Comparing the two sites, Notre-Dame is associated with the rock, the city wall and the former gate, while the covered basin is the distinctive architectural feature at Saint-Jacques.

Cycling Route and Starting Points in Pertuis

The two-day Le Pays d’Aigues à vélo route starts and ends at Pertuis SNCF train station. Check local access arrangements at the station before setting off. The western loop, by contrast, starts at the Pertuis Tourist Office on Place Mirabeau in the old town. These two starting points help you distinguish between the start of the two-day route and the starting point for the western loop.

The route runs through the southern Luberon, amid vineyards, olive groves and picturesque villages. The western loop passes through vineyards and by châteaux. The vineyard landscape is therefore accompanied by different features: the route also includes olive groves and villages, while the western loop adds châteaux. Route conditions may vary; take this possibility into account when planning.

When choosing where to stay, you can weigh the city’s cultural attractions separately from the practical route information. Its churches, chapels, towers and washhouses tell a varied architectural story, while details about the cycling routes’ start and end points also give you clear guidance for planning your ride.

Discover more destinations: Castellet, Monteux, Sault-De-Vaucluse, Saint-Saturnin-Lès-Avignon, Modène, Taillades, Lioux, Richerenches.

See the broader travel guide: Vaucluse.