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Origin and history

The church of Saint-Gervais-et-Saint-Protais, known as the high or old church, is a Catholic place of worship located in Bonnieux, Vaucluse. Built on the heights at 429 meters above sea level, it is accessible by 86 steps and dominates the Calavon valley. Its name "old church" comes from the construction of a second church in the 19th century in the lower part of the village. It has been a historic monument since 1980.

The present building, erected in the 12th century, preserves only two original spans. It was enlarged in the 15th century in Provencal Gothic style, while Bonnieux was a pontifical enclave. The early chapel, dedicated to Saint-Sauveur, dated from the 10th century and was near the medieval castrum. Two successive cemeteries surrounded the church, the last being transferred between 1820 and 1867 after debates.

The church combines a variety of architectural elements: a south Romanesque entrance with floral motifs and a sculpted tympanum of an eagle, a 16th century golden wooden altarpiece, and an organ of Isnard (1777-1778). Two restoration campaigns (1980 and 2000) preserved its walls, vaults and chapels, including the Assumption and the dead. A statue of the Virgin, dating from 1865, surmounts the bell tower.

The site, occupied since ancient times by an oppidum, illustrates the religious and architectural evolution of the region. The Romanesque and Gothic Provencal styles coexist, reflecting local and pontifical influences. The association for its restoration and the municipality worked to safeguard it, stressing its heritage importance.

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