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All France Fontaine-de-Vaucluse Fontaine de Vaucluse

Fontaine de Vaucluse

Even France's favorite aquatic son Jacques Cousteau, couldn't get to the bottom of it.

Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, France

Added By
Monica Petrus
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The source of the Sorgue River   Monica Petrus
The source of the Sorgue River   Monica Petrus
Town seen from the ruined chateau   Monica Petrus
Chateau Fontaine de Vaucluse perched above the town   Monica Petrus
The spring  
The town of Fontaine de Vaucluse   Monica Petrus
The Sorgue River running below the ruined chateau   Monica Petrus
  Jjpetite
  Joseph Plotz
Fontaine-de-Vaucluse   philoursmars / Atlas Obscura User
Fontaine-de-Vaucluse   philoursmars / Atlas Obscura User
Fontaine-de-Vaucluse   philoursmars / Atlas Obscura User
Fontaine-de-Vaucluse   philoursmars / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Fontaine de Vaucluse is a small town with a big secret – the source of the Sorgue River.

Occupation of the small town began in the Neolithic era and continues today. In ancient times, the massive, gurgling spring was a religious site. Over 1,600 coins dating from the 1st c. BC to the 5th c. AD have been recovered from the spring. The spring, with its glorious turquoise water, is the fifth largest in the world with an annual flow of 630 million cubic meters.

In 1946, Jacques Cousteau and another diver attempted to discover the source of the spring, but failed and nearly drowned at 100 m. in the process. It was only in 1986 that a diving robot successfully reached its deepest point of 306 m. and found that the great quantity of water that sprang from this spring was due to it being the only exit point of a subterranean basin from Mount Ventoux.

Also of interest in the town is a lovely ruined chateau that towers above the town. The poet Petrarch lived here in exile from Florence and composed many poems about his unrequited love for Laura, his muse.  His former home is now a museum. There is also an ancient paper mill you can visit as well as a few small museums.

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Added By

Monica Petrus

Edited By

Rachel, Martin, philoursmars

  • Rachel
  • Martin
  • philoursmars

Published

December 1, 2013

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Fontaine de Vaucluse
Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, 84800
France
43.922443, 5.126884

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