The Renaissance palace of Saint-Firmin in Gordes now has a new tourist attraction, an extraordinary underground olive mill, thought to have been in operation until the French Revolution.
A warren of underground rooms and passages, hitherto closed to the public, has been partially reopened to show where oil was produced underground for centuries. The shortage of space at ground level in this famous Luberon village was so acute that builders dug down for no fewer than seven levels, creating which must have been a grim and dangerous place to work.
Visitors are given a vivid picture of subterranean life in what amounts to a “son et lumière” performance, which unusually adds smell to the traditional sight and sound - the scents of plants that contributed to the oil-making process.
