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Le Thor is a picturesque village located in the plain of the Sorgue river, with the mountains of the Plateau de Vaucluse 5 km to the east and the activity of Avignon 18 km to the west. Le Thor is a walled village, still surrounded by some of the 1200-m crenelated wall and the ancient portes; the 14th-century fortified Porte Notre-Dame was restored in the 19th century, and is topped with an elegant bulb-shaped campanile. The 14th-century château-fort (castle) on the banks of the Sorgue was restored in the 18th and 19th centuries.
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Nearby: |
Aix-en-Provence 64 km |
Alpilles |
Avignon 18 km |
Carpentras 17 km |
Cavaillon 13 km |
Fontaine-de-Vaucluse 12 km |
Gordes 20 km |
Isle-sur-la-Sorgue 5 km |
marseille 86 km |
12 km |
8 km |
Orange 40 km |
Pernes-les-Fontaines 9 km |
10 km |
Below: |
Grottes de Thouzon |
History |
O.T. |
Dates |
Transportation |
Hiking |
Lodging Hotels |
The Sorgue river is lovely, with shady banks for picnicking and fishing. The surrounding countryside is flat, with apple orchards, vegetables, olive groves and vineyards. The flatness, though, allows an excellent view from the little Thouzon hill, 2 km north of the village.
Grottes de Thouzon
The Grottes de Thouzon Caves, 1.5 km northwest of Thor, were discovered in 1904, and are in excellent condition. A feature of the caves are beautiful golden fistulous stalactites.
Tel: (33) 490 33 93 65; Fax: (33) 490 33 74 90
Open: Apr-Oct, 10h-12h, 14h-18h; July-Aug, 9h30-19h; Mar and Nov, Sun afternoons 14h-18h
History
Name
First record, 1029 Torum
Prehistoric:
Neolithique remains were discovered at Morre-du-Diable, including hexagonal constructions and artifacts.
Medieval:
Le Thor was first co-ruled by the Counts of Toulouse and Barcelona, and then by Giraud Amic III of Sabran and the city of Avignon. It later became a fief divided between the Popes of Avignon and several families, including Amic, Villeneuve, Boulbon and, finally, the Ducs de Caderousse.
During the Revolution, the redoubtable "Coupe-Tête" Jourdan decided the commune wasn't enthusiastic enough, and executed the head of the Garde Nationale, which presumably resulted in a headless head.
In an effort to keep the locals from eyeing greener pastures, Le Thor had a program with a Prince d'Amour selected from the town's prominent citizens, and widows or women who married outside the commune paid a special tax.
Office de Tourisme
Tel(Fax of Mairie): 04 90 33 92 31; Fax: 04 90 33 77 75
Email: ot-lethor@axit.fr
Dates
Market day: Wed and Sat
Fête Patronale, with open-air operetta: 15 Aug
Fête Traditionnelle et Religieuse de la Colline de Thouzon: 1st Sun May
Fête de hameau de Thouzon: 1st Sun May
Festival de la Sorgue: 1st half July
Transportation
Bus
Service to Carpentras, Pernes-les-Fontaines, Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Cavaillon, Marseille.
• Bus-11 schedules
Hiking
- Maps:
- IGN (1/25,000) #3142 OT "Cavaillon, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse"
- IGN Verte (1/100,000) #66 "Avignon, Montpellier"; #67 Marseille, Carpentras
- Didier Richard (1/50,000) #27 "Ventoux"
Le Thor has no hiking trails at the village, which sits in the rich farmland of the Sorgue, but the Plateau de Vaucluse begins just to the east. Check out the hiking information for Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, 12 km to the east.
Lodging - Hotels
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Photo gallery of 8 photos for Le Thor
