Situated in the Bouches du Rhône region, between the Alpilles, Pays d'Aix, Luberon and Camargue, Salon-de-Provence is surrounded by countryside where the olive tree is king. Its history is reflected in the architectural heritage of the old town centre and the soap-makers' quarter, in the fertile Crau plain and in the skies where you can admire the acrobatic formations of the famous Patrouille de France.
The colours sing, the light is enchanting, the alleys of plane trees are lined with fountains, and the town unfurls its mosaic of small shops and restaurants serving local cuisine.
The cultural heritage of Provence is alive and well here: ancestral soap factories, vineyards and olive groves meet the dazzling limestone range of the Alpilles. And when it comes to quality of life, the town is ranked as the third best place to live in the Bouches-du-Rhône.
The medieval town of Salon-De-Provence is organised around two courtyards: Cours Victor Hugo and Cours Carnot. A fountain depicting Adam de Craponne (1526-1576) stands in the Place de l'Hôtel de Ville. In the 16th century, this local boy, who became an engineer for King Henry II, diverted the waters of the Durance and dug a 60km irrigation canal to irrigate the entire region, particularly the Crau. Although he drained his personal fortune, it was thanks to him that the town of Salon-de-Provence, which was dying of thirst, gained access to water.
Meet up at the 16th-century Grande Fontaine, the mossy fountain covered in vegetation on the Place Croussillat. It looks like a giant mushroom. Throw in a coin and make a wish. If every street corner has a fountain or a statue, not far from them will be an olive tree. And a shop!
The mayor, Nicolas Isnard, has a credo: local commerce and living together in the heart of the town. Salon has 600 shops in the centre and 4,000 parking spaces!
"I'm deeply convinced that our fellow citizens want to live close to the shops, that they want to talk to the shopkeepers, have a chat with the butcher, the optician or the clothes salesman. It's a societal model; behind it lies an art of living, and we at Salon believe strongly in it.. Not forgetting the three pillars of policy that make a city centre a success: safety, accessibility and entertainment.
Salon-de-Provence soap factories
Between 1870 and 1930, Salon-de-Provence enjoyed an economic boom linked to the oil and soap industry. The very word evokes the land of Provence, with its Mediterranean, sunshine, cicadas and olive trees. When you think of olives, you think of oil, and when you think of oil, you think of Marseille soap!
After Marseille, the city of Nostradamus is the 2nd largest producer of the famous Marseille soap. Two factories, Marius-Fabre and Rampal-Latour, carry on the tradition. Both companies offer guided tours of their soap factories, and Marius Fabre hosts the Marseille Soap Museum on its premises.
The Château de l'Empéri
The historic centre, lined with narrow streets and medieval gateways, is organised around the Château Musée de l'Empéri, one of the three largest fortified castles in Provence, along with the Palais des Papes in Avignon and the Château de Tarascon. The fortified castle was built in the 9th century. It was the residence of the archbishops of Arles and the German emperors, hence its name. The fortress houses the Empéri military museum, as well as Nostradamus' herb Garden. An incredible collection of weapons, uniforms, drawings, engravings, flags, documents, the whole of French military history from the Regency to the Great War. From the château's terrace, with its rococo balcony, you get an idea of the city's ant-like spirit. The large courtyard of the château, with its perfect acoustics, is also the venue for the "Musique à l'Empéri" international festival held every summer.
Michel de Nostredame, known as Nostradamus
At the foot of the Château, the Maison de Nostradamus is now a museum dedicated to the famous Renaissance mind, renowned for his astrology and his Centuries and Prophecies (which he is said to have foretold as far back as 3797). Born in 1503 in the village of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence into a Jewish family that converted to Catholicism in the 15th century, this scholar descended from a line of Israelites considered to be learned. Both his grandfathers lived at the court of King René (1409-1480), Duke of Anjou and Count of Provence. He spent the last 20 years of his life in Salon. It was here that he completed all his works and ended his days in 1566. At the age of 62, 6 months and 10 days, he was found dead near his bed and bench, as he had predicted in one of his quatrains. He was a friend of the kings of France, including Catherine de Médicis, who came to consult him with the young king Charles IX, then aged fourteen, the Duc d'Anjou (the future Henry III), the Duc d'Alençon, and the little cousin Henri de Navarre (the future Henry IV). A 40-minute guided tour provides an insight into the life of this astrologer, apothecary and doctor.
Getting there
Salon is 35 km from Aix-en-Provence, 40 km from Arles and 45 km from Avignon station.
Accommodation
Hotel La Réserve
https://universvoyage.com/la-reserve-le-charme-au-coeur-de-salon-de-provence/
Restaurants
The Chef's workshop
and its original dishes (chicken supreme stuffed with garlic, tarragon and herbes de Provence).
www.latelierdelachef.com
Le Bistrot du Potager
www.lebistrotdupotagersalon.com
The Isnard mill
Young chef Maxime Quenin offers refined, technical cuisine, with combinations you'd never have imagined.
https://www.lemoulindisnard.fr/
Text : Michèle Lasseur
Photos : Tourism office of Salon-de-Provence
