At Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, the Sorgue rises from the depths

A village at the entrance to the enclosed valley

At the end of the valley, limestone walls rise, draw closer and close off the way. The name Vaucluse comes from this landform: Vallis Clausa, the enclosed valley. The village grew at its outlet, where the Sorgue leaves the narrow cirque to reach the plain.

From the rocky outcrop of the Bishops’ Castle, the valley floor, houses and river beneath the branches are clearly visible. Rain falling higher up on the Vaucluse hills, the Albion plateau and part of Mont Ventoux seeps through the many fractures in the limestone and feeds the spring.

When the Sorgue rises from the chasm

The spring’s level varies with the rainfall that replenishes the underground system. At high water, the basin fills and overflows; the current strengthens and fills the gorge beneath the cliff. Flood scales engraved in the rock preserve a record of these rises in water level.

The Chemin de la Fontaine follows the Sorgue upstream. From the village, the walk stops a few dozen metres short of the basin, whose final access has been closed since March 2024 because of the risk of falling rocks.

The village’s water wheels and canals

Fed by underground reserves, the Sorgue maintains a permanent flow, even at low water. This relatively regular supply encouraged mills and workshops to settle along its banks.

Downstream from the spring, weirs hold back water and canals channel it towards the former installations. Wheels powered flour, oil and paper mills. From bridges and terraces, the weirs and canals that divide the current remain visible.

The remains of a Roman canal on the left bank recall an earlier use of water for irrigation. Further downstream, the water wheels of L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue continue the river’s manufacturing history.

At Vallis Clausa mill, from rags to paper

Vallis Clausa mill reveals the steps involved in making paper by hand. The wheel drives wooden hammers that beat rags in water to reduce them to pulp.

The pulp is then collected in a mould to form a sheet, before the paper is pressed and dried. This craft recalls the paper mills that long occupied the banks of the Sorgue.

Petrarch on the banks of the Sorgue

From 1337 onwards, Petrarch stayed in the valley on several occasions, away from the papal court in Avignon. Beside the Sorgue, the poet found a place to read, write and work.

On the left bank, the François Petrarch Museum and Library and its garden occupy the presumed site of his house. The collections bring together early editions, drawings and prints connected with the poet and Laura. They also feature René Char, another writer closely attached to the Sorgue.

Walking beside the Sorgue in the village

The Chemin de la Fontaine follows the river between houses, trees and café terraces. Along the section open to walkers, the banks offer views of the current, weirs and wheels. Water passes beneath footbridges, speeds over small drops and returns to calmer stretches in the shade of the trees.

Downstream, canoe and kayak routes follow the Sorgue towards L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. These seasonal trips offer another way to discover the river, in the stretches open to navigation.

Continue the outing in the Pays des Sorgues

Above the village, the Bishops’ Castle offers another view of the enclosed valley. Following the river downstream, the Partage des Eaux shows its division into two branches. The discovery continues in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, among the water wheels and, on Sunday mornings, the stalls of the waterside market.