Trets

Welcome to Trets, a town that serves as a living laboratory of medieval urbanism in the heart of Provence. As you enter this fortified settlement, you are stepping into a community whose history stretches back to antiquity, but…

We begin our exploration at the Porte de Pourrières, the northern gateway to the old town and a powerful reminder of Trets' defensive past. Built in the 14th century during a period of significant regional instability, this gate…

A short walk from the gate brings us to the Église Notre-Dame-de-Nazareth, the spiritual heart of Trets. This church is a fascinating architectural palimpsest, with layers of construction dating from the 11th to the 14th…

We now move to the Château des Remparts, a structure that represents the secular authority of the Lords of Trets. Originally built in the 12th century and significantly modified over the following six hundred years, the castle…

To truly understand Trets, one must leave the main squares and venture into the 'ruelles'—the narrow, winding alleys that form the fabric of the old town. These streets were not designed for cars or even for light; they were…

We emerge from the narrow alleys into the Place de la Mairie, the primary civic square of Trets. This space represents the town's expansion and modernization during the 18th and 19th centuries. …

For our final section, we look beyond the town walls to the Hermitage of Saint-Jean-du-Puy, located on a high ridge of Mount Aurélien, just south of Trets. While it requires a drive or a significant hike to reach, the hermitage…

Our journey through Trets has taken us through a thousand years of history, from the defensive gates and feudal castles of the Middle Ages to the vibrant markets and civic squares of the modern era. Trets is a town that has…