Le lieu
The region: Provence and Luberon
The Watermill House is located in one of France's most celebrated regions, in the northern part of Provence and the western tip of Luberon. The high-speed train station of Avignon is a 40mn drive away, from which Paris can be reached in 2hrs and 40mns, and London St Pancras in about 5 hours when the summer direct service is in operation.
At the heart of the most prestigious festivals and cultural events:
- The Choregies d'Orange, 20mn to the North
- The Avignon Theater Festival, 35mn to the West
- The Piano Festival of La Roque d'Antheron, 1hr to the South-East
- The Opera Festival of Aix-en-Provence, 1hr to the South
- The International Photography Encounters in Arles, 1hr30mn to the South West
The town: L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue
L’Isle-Sur-La-Sorgue was once a settlement for fishermen in ancient
times (over 15,000 crawfishes a day!), and then expanded during the Middle Ages into a bustling commercial
and manufacturing centre within the region.
During the 18th century, the large paddlewheels were powering numerous silk
factories, replaced by papermills during the 19th century. SOme of these
wheels are still spinning... including the one on the Watermill House
Today L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is a thriving market town, renowned throughout France for its lively antique and second-hand
markets held every Sunday.
The street: rue des roues
The former rue des roues (street of the wheels) is now called Rue Théophile Jean. During the 19th century, about 20 paddle-wheels were in motion along the street, which was at the center of the "industrial quarter".
To find the exact location, cut and paste the following address into your favorite internet mapping site:
17 Rue Theophile Jean, Isle sur Sorgue, FR
Click
here for a tourist map showing all the water wheels of l'Isle sur la Sorgue. The Watermill House is wheel number 3 on that map.
Next to...
- Schools: 2 day-care centres, 6 kindergardens, 7 middle schools, 2 high schools, 1 college, 1 college of agriculture, 1 school of music...
- Small shops: within 400 yds, food, clothing, bookstores, cafés...
- Markets: 2 weekly, on Thursdays and Sundays (major market)
- Art: many antique shops (of course), decoration boutiques, art galleries...
- Practical: Train station and Post Office within a few hundred yards.
