Discovery of Gordes by Vasarely 1948 (≈ 1948)
Inspiration for his geometric art.
1950
Purchase of property
Purchase of property 1950 (≈ 1950)
Transformation into a creative field.
27 septembre 1971
Recognition of public utility
Recognition of public utility 27 septembre 1971 (≈ 1971)
Creation of the Vasarely Foundation.
7 décembre 2018
Registration for Historic Monuments
Registration for Historic Monuments 7 décembre 2018 (≈ 2018)
Total protection of property.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The property Vasarely aux Devens, with its workshops, known as "the Devens", in its entirety, located on the place called Les Devens, on plot No.94 in the cadastre section BR, as delimited in yellow on the plan annexed to the decree: inscription by order of 7 December 2018.
Key figures
Victor Vasarely - Hungarian Artist
Creator of optical art, owner.
Claire Vasarely - Wife and collaborator
Personal workshop in the property.
Claude Pompidou - Political personality
Presented at the inauguration of 1970.
Origin and history
The Vasarely aux Devens property, located in Gordes in the Vaucluse, is a sober house on one level, built in the 19th and 20th centuries. It consists of two levels: the living rooms on the ground floor and, upstairs, the workshops of Victor Vasarely and his wife Claire, as well as a bedroom. The facades, without decoration, retain on the southern facade windows, a source of inspiration for Vasarely. The surroundings, furnished with stone terraces, house bories still used as living spaces. The original furniture, work tools and personal objects were preserved, offering an intact testimony of the life and work of the Vasarely.
Victor Vasarely, Hungarian artist born in 1906 and died in 1997, discovers Gordes in 1948, a village in the Monts de Vaucluse that marks a turning point in his journey. This place inspires its passage towards geometric abstraction and optical art. In 1950, he acquired this property surrounded by bories, which he gradually transformed into a domain dedicated to his creation. In 1970, he opened a didactic museum in Gordes Renaissance Castle, the first stage of its foundation, recognized as a public utility in 1971. The property, with its workshops and furniture, was listed at the Historic Monuments in 2018 for its exceptional character.
Bories, dry stone constructions typical of the region, are integrated into the property and always functional. These shelters, traditionally used by peasants, illustrate the link between Vasarely's work and the local architectural heritage. The property, built by artisans from nearby municipalities (Coustellet, Cabrières d'Avignon, Gordes), reflects voluntary simplicity, where space is entirely dedicated to creation. The arrival of running water in the 1970s partially modernises the premises, without altering their authenticity.
