Lacoste

Welcome to Lacoste, a village that seems to have been plucked directly from the pages of a fairytale. Perched on a limestone shelf in the heart of the Vaucluse, this commune is a masterpiece of geological and architectural…

Begin your exploration in the lower part of the village, where the street layout begins its dramatic ascent. The first thing that will strike you is the consistency of the building materials. …

Continuing our ascent, we come across the historic village bakery, a site that once served as the social and nutritional heart of Lacoste. In a region where people were historically 'broke ass' and lived on simple diets, the…

As we reach the middle levels of the village, we find the Church of Saint Trophime. This 12th-century structure is a cornerstone of Lacoste's heritage. …

Lacoste's modern identity is inextricably linked with the Savannah College of Art and Design, or SCAD. As we walk past various studios and classrooms, you are seeing the result of over two decades of dedicated restoration. …

Just outside the main residential core of the village, we find the entrance to the historic limestone quarries. This is where the literal foundation of Lacoste was born. …

At the very summit of the village stands the imposing Chateau de Lacoste. Dating back to the 11th century, this castle is most famous—or perhaps infamous—as the residence of the Marquis de Sade in the 18th century. …

Our journey through Lacoste concludes where it began, in the quiet embrace of the limestone streets. We have walked the path from the humble worker's cottages in the lower village to the grand, controversial heights of the…