The Golden Triangle of the Luberon

The golden triangle of the Luberon is a term dating from the 80's to designate a portion of the Calavon valley, north of the mountain of the Petit Luberon.

Originally, the triangle was based on the small Luberon with old hilltop villages like Ménerbes, Oppède-le-vieux and Bonnieux, and to its top the village of Gordes, although it does not form part of the mountain range Luberon. Indeed, the village of Gordes is located on the Monts de Vaucluse and faces the Luberon across the valley Calavon.

Mr. Christian Jacques Rosier worked for the development of a geographical area at the time not known for its houses and its property potential. There, he founded the oldest real estate agency in the area of ​​the golden triangle of the Luberon, the agency Gordes Immobilier, still active today as ROSIER agency. First with a small team including Mrs Rosier, he developed his businessw via a network of local agencies (Roussillon, Cavaillon, L'Isle sur la Sorgue, La Tour d'Aigues in southern Luberon ...), then increased its business in his agency in Gordes. Thanks in part to the development of the local real estate and the ability to attract significant funds there (including partnerships with foreign countries), through hard work and advertisements in magazines, the industry finally took off to become what it is today. It took almost 15 years for a second agency to come and settle in Gordes, then a third, and up to 8 agencies in operation at the same time in and around the town.

The original virtual path of the golden triangle includes the village of Goult, others perched villages with great charm such as Joucas, Murs and Roussillon are off limits. Therefore, with the development of the sector and its real estate, has appeared a second version with an expanded summit including many other hilltop villages. Note that some people get confused thinking that the golden triangle included municipalities near the Regional Natural Park of Luberon, but this is a mistake.

In the 90's some newspapers as "Le Mériodional" or "Le Provençal" resumed the expression by adding "south" to refer to a different geographical 'trendy' location of the Luberon, we thus speak of the "golden triangle south Luberon ". Less fashionable than its big brother, it is fairly small and includes the villages of Lourmarin, Cadenet and Cucuron.

The history of the area of the "golden triangle of Luberon" is rich and ancient (old Roman roads, many oppidum) with periods more or less calm as well as great turns of event (Vaudois, economic problems and desertion of the aera late nineteenth century, resistance to German occupation during World war II, etc.).

- The beginning -

By the end of the war, some villages are beginning to stand out and attract people. But changes of owners via sales of built properties are rare. The farmhouses and their land are given to children, new builts are very rare. The few newcomers buy village houses, huts and mazets but new builts are rare. Artists are attracted to these perched villages with unique charm such as Gordes or Roussillon and its unusual ocher colors.

- The 60's and 70's -

In the 60's, economic growth (we are at the heart of war boom) and the advent of paid leave are launching the fashion for holiday and second homes. The Luberon is no exception to this trend, but remains the preserved area of a selected few artists running away from the tourist crowds of the French Riviera. In the early 70's, real estate agencies are rare. The oldest, located on Gordes, remained the only one in the industry for many years.

- From the 80's to the present day -

From the mid-1980's, things start to accelerate. Means of transport are growing and travelling times to come to the Luberon are reduced. The decentralization of power has taken place and the Luberon, on the initiative of certain towns like Gordes, became a listed village to be protected unlike the French Riviera where many new buits are appearing (we are before the Coastal Act). This is how Gordes will adopt the most strict use of land plan of the Vaucluse department and one of the strictest in France. Subsequently, other villages will also seek to develop while protecting themselves. Further, under urban pressure, many villages will be invaded with unsightly developments for their tourism, but all are in the late 90's, early this century, come back towards a better quality protection of their area and start looking after their look.