Lire à Gordes

Gordes, one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France, at the heart of books

Perched on a rocky outcrop at an altitude of 373 meters, the village of Gordes is universally recognized as one of the most beautiful villages in France and one of the most photographed in Provence. Its ochre stone houses stacked like tiers on the rock, its Renaissance castle with four imposing towers, its breathtaking panorama over the Luberon plain, the Abbaye de Sénanque nestled in a valley of lavender fields — everything in Gordes contributes to creating a setting of timeless beauty.

It is in this exceptional setting that the village hosts Lire à Gordes, a literary fair that celebrates reading, writing, and dialogue between authors and readers. The event follows in the tradition of quality book fairs that have flourished in the beautiful villages of France, at the crossroads of cultural discovery and the pleasure of words.

A fair at the heart of Gordes' heritage

The setting of Lire à Gordes is one of its most precious assets. Encounters and book signings take place at the Château de Gordes, a 16th-century Renaissance building constructed by Bertrand de Simiane, and in the spaces of the village center. The castle's interior, with its grand hall featuring monumental fireplaces, offers a rare and elegant meeting space for round tables and conferences.

The village streets are transformed for the occasion into literary alleys, where the stands of booksellers, publishers, and authors coexist with the shops and workshops of Provençal artisans. The beauty of the place naturally attracts a curious and cultured audience, and gives the literary encounters an atmosphere of happy nonchalance that only Provence can create.

Program: encounters, book signings, readings, and round tables

For two days, Lire à Gordes offers a dense and accessible program. Encounters with authors allow the public to engage in dialogue with invited writers — novelists, essayists, poets, comic book authors — in an intimate setting conducive to exchange. Book signing sessions delight collectors and loyal readers.

Themed round tables bring together several authors to discuss literary, societal, or geographical issues: Provence in literature, historical novels, landscape writing, the place of women in contemporary literature... These lively debates stimulate reflection and reveal the behind-the-scenes of the writing process. Readings aloud by local actors make words resonate within the stone walls of the streets and castle courtyards.

A village of booksellers and publishers offers a selection of books related to the invited authors and the fair's themes, as well as reference works on Provence, the Luberon, and the Vaucluse. Activities for young readers — writing workshops, meetings with children's authors, illustrated readings — introduce children to the joy of books in a festive atmosphere.

Gordes and the Luberon: a territory of culture and nature

Lire à Gordes is part of an exceptionally rich region. A few kilometers from the village, the Village des Bories — a mysterious complex of dry-stone constructions from the Neolithic to modern times — testifies to human continuity in the Luberon. The Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque (12th century), famous for its lavender fields in the foreground, is one of Provence's most photographed monuments. The Luberon Regional Natural Park, stretching at the foot of Gordes, offers hiking trails, ochre villages, and landscapes of garrigue and vineyards.

The region also boasts a first-class gastronomic and artisanal offering: farmers' markets, Côtes du Luberon wineries, AOC olive oils, lavender honeys, and local cheeses. A stay around Lire à Gordes can easily be enriched by a gourmet exploration of the territory.

An event that celebrates literature amidst Provençal beauty

What makes Lire à Gordes unique is the conviction that the beauty of a place enhances the pleasure of words, and that reading is an experience to be shared. In this village where time seems to stand still, amidst Provençal light, the scent of lavender, and stones warmed by the sun, books find a setting worthy of their power to enchant the world.