Acquisition by Jean Giono années 1930 (≈ 1930)
The writer buys and transforms the place.
1935-1939
Contadour meetings
Contadour meetings 1935-1939 (≈ 1937)
Intellectual Circle organized by Giono.
fin XIXe siècle
Construction of mill
Construction of mill fin XIXe siècle (≈ 1995)
Initial building in Redortiers.
1996
Registration for historical monuments
Registration for historical monuments 1996 (≈ 1996)
Official protection of heritage.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Farm, including the mill in ruins, the walls forming enclosures and the arcade wall (Box F1 45, 46): inscription by order of 17 June 1996
Key figures
Jean Giono - Writer and Owner
Buyer and cultural animator of the mill.
Origin and history
Giono Mill is an iconic building located in the commune of Redortiers, in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department. Built in the late 19th century, this mill was acquired in the 1930s by the writer Jean Giono, who made it a place of life and creation. Its architecture includes a dry stone wall with six arcades, probably intended to house hives, nicknamed "Giono's apiary".
Between 1935 and 1939, the mill hosted the Rencontres du Contadour, an intellectual and artistic circle organized by Giono. These meetings brought together literary figures and thinkers from the time, marking the cultural history of the region. The site, witness to this effervescence, illustrates the link between rural heritage and intellectual life in the 20th century.
In 1996, the Giono Mill was listed as a historical monument, and today it embodies both an architectural and a literary heritage. Its preservation allows to perpetuate the memory of Jean Giono and the cultural exchanges that take place there. The apiary integrated with the dry stone wall remains a remarkable element, highlighting the ingenuity of traditional Provençal buildings.
