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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Giberti Tower, also known as the Chauvet Tower, is a medieval vestige located in Pernes-les-Fontaines, Vaucluse. Built in the 13th century, it was integrated between the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century into a mansion, renovated from a older building dating back to the 12th century. This monument thus illustrates a superposition of epochs, mixing medieval architecture and reborn.

The tower owes its name to two of its former occupants. Jean-Julien Giberti (1671-1754), doctor and first local historian, wrote a monograph on Pernes-les-Fontaines, still kept at the Inguimbertine Library in Carpentras. Later, Pierre Chauvet, a painter, and his wife were the last private owners. These figures marked the cultural history of the place, combining the tower with both medical and artistic heritage.

Acquised by the municipality in 2015, the tower was restored in 2019, the year it was registered for Historic Monuments. Since then, it has been home to the CCAS and the 3rd age club of the commune. Its architecture preserves medieval elements, such as a 16.5 metre tower on separate floors: a blind ground floor with a defensive vocation, a first noble floor decorated with 12th century motifs, and a second floor redesigned in the 17th century. The stone staircase, rare for the time in Comtat Venaissin, and the sled windows testify to its evolution.

The Giberti Tower is distinguished by its mixed masonry: stone on the ground floor, plaster on the upper floors. The first floor, 7.5 meters high, was dedicated to the appartment, with a vaulted ceiling decorated with plant motifs. These architectural details, combined with its turbulent history, make it a symbol of Pernois heritage, at the crossroads of medieval, reborn and modern eras.

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