Château des Baux-de-Provence
The Château des Baux-de-Provence extends over 5 hectares, and the whole site is a listed Historical Monument.
This 16th-century building was harmoniously restored by Master Typographer Louis Jou who, in doing so, played his part in the conservation and revival of the village.
The finest works of Louis Jou are exhibited alongside his furniture and collections -ancient books, engravings by Dürer and Goya, paintings, sculptures and ceramics – in the intimacy of the 6 rooms of the Renaissance Jean de Brion Mansion.
A talented artist, engraver, illustrator and publisher, Louis Jou exerted a decisive influence on contemporary books with his work combining creative power and perfect execution.
The person that the poet and publisher Pierre Seghers called the “architect of the book and of Les Baux” was close to artists such as Marquet, Picasso and, above all, André Suarès.
In 1939 Jou decided to settle in Les Baux-de-Provence in the heart of the Jean de Brion Renaissance Mansion that he restored from top to bottom and which since his death has housed the Louis Jou Foundation.
Committed to creating an activity around books, the Foundation put a “Book Workshop” – famed for the quality of its restorations of precious manuscripts, archives and works – in place on the ground floor in July 2021.
Upstairs there’s the library created by Louis Jou: 5,000 volumes going from the 16th to the 19th centuries, with a superb collection of travel stories, and a room reserved for exhibitions.
Opposite, there’s the Workshop with its three Stanhope presses in perfect working order, used at the time of courses, events and demonstrations.
For many years the Foundation has been implementing a policy to restore all of its buildings.
L’Atelier will be open to visitors during the Journées Européennes des Métiers d’Art, to be held in Les Baux-de-Provence on 4, 5 and 6 April 2025.
The Atelier is also regularly open to craftspeople and artists for courses organised throughout the year. The next courses will take place in July 2025:
Group visits can be organised (4 to 15 people)
Tour of the Atelier followed by a tour of the Hôtel Jean de Brion, Book Workshop and Library
Duration: 2 hours
Price: 7€ per person
The Château des Baux-de-Provence extends over 5 hectares, and the whole site is a listed Historical Monument.
Discover one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France and its places steeped in history.
Maison du Roy, Rue Porte Mage,
13520 Les Baux-de-Provence
Tél. +33 (0)4 90 54 34 39
tourisme@lesbauxdeprovence.com
Opening hours
Monday to Friday: 9.00 am to 6.00 pm
Weekends & public holidays: 10.00 am to 5.30 pm
Closure: 25 December and 1 January
