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Origin and history

The castle of Oppede, today in ruins, is a medieval vestige located on the heights of the village perched from Oppede-le-Vieux, in the Vaucluse. Ranked a Historic Monument in 1925, it was a strategic place during the conflicts between the popes of Avignon and the local lords, especially during the Great Schism of the West. Its gradual abandonment from the 17th century, followed by a devastating earthquake in 1731, reduced its structures to the state of remains, partly used as a stone quarry until the 19th century.

In the 11th century, Oppede appeared in the texts in a form linked to the word oppidum, designating a Gallic fortified city. The castle became an issue during the Albigois Crusade, passing under pontifical authority in 1274. In the 14th century, it was occupied by the road Bernardon de la Salle, then by the troops of Raimond de Turenne, before welcoming the antipape Benedict XIII (Pedro de Luna), who fled through a window in 1403. The fortress was then strengthened by Rodrigo de Luna, nephew of Benedict XIII, before returning to the popes after a two-year siege.

In the 16th century, the castle was granted to the Maynier family, of which Jean Maynier, Baron of Oppede, was known for orchestrating the massacre of the Vaudois du Luberon in 1545, causing 3,000 deaths. Barony then passed to the Forbin-Maynier until the Revolution. Abandoned at the end of the seventeenth century, the castle was definitively ruined by the earthquake of 1731. Its stones then serve to build buildings in the plain, where the population gradually settles, allowing Oppede-le-Vieux to depopulate.

In the 20th century, the site attracted refractory artists during the Second World War, such as the band of Oppede (1940-1945), led by architect Bernard Zehrfuss. These intellectuals and artists, including Consuelo de Saint-Exupéry, partially restore ruined buildings. Today, the remains of the castle are being restored since 2014 by Jean-Jacques Lohier, as part of a participatory sponsorship to reopen the site to the public.

Recent archaeological excavations, especially around the Collège Notre-Dame-Dalidon, have revealed ancient and medieval artifacts, such as a silo from the early Middle Ages and a re-used Roman column. These discoveries illuminate the ancient occupation of the site, marked by Roman traces (altitude to Mercury, coins) and a nearby Domitian way. The castle, symbol of the power struggles in Provence, remains an architectural testimony to the religious and political conflicts that have marked the region.

The local legend tells that the antipope Benedict XIII escaped from the castle by a dizzying arcade, aided by the devil. This anecdote illustrates the mystical and tumultuous character of Oppede's history, between papal fact, local resistance and progressive decline. Today, the site, in the process of rehabilitation, attracts visitors for its panorama and historical heritage, while seeking to reconnect with its medieval past.

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