Le Beau de Provence is a historic village located in the south of France, on the rocky massif of the Lesser Alps. Its population is about 400 people. With its eerie beauty , it is one of the most popular villages in Provence for tourists. The so called Les Alpes massif has been inhabited since the time of the Celts. In the Middle Ages, the lords of Le Beau built a huge fortress here, where tournaments between the best troubadours were held. The Lords of Le Beau ruled over all of Provence and believed themselves to be descendants of Valthazar-one of the three Magi who worshipped the Christ Child. Therefore, they adopted the Star of Bethlehem as the symbol of their coat of arms. The feudal power of Le Beau was in the history of Provence, until its annexation to the kingdom of France. The Calvinist doctrine spread in southern France led to an uprising of the Huguenots, led by the Duke of Rogan in 1632. Cardinal Richelieu not only suppressed it, but ordered the Provençal fortresses, including the fortress at Le Beau, to be razed to the ground. In 1642, by virtue of the treaty of alliance with the Grimaldis of Monaco, the last ruler of Le Beau gave the town along with the title to the Grimaldi family. To this day Albert, Prince of Monaco, bears the title of Count of Le Beau. The gifts of the Princes of Monaco are preserved in the Church of St Vincent in Le Beau. In this small but elegant church, the procession for Christmas morning prayer is an unforgettable experience.

One of Le Beau's attractions is the Dead City, representing the ruins of the ruined castle. Located on the highest point in the town, it is surrounded by mysterious cliffs and truly resembles the Infernal Valley described by Dante in Inferno.

The village below the citadel dates from the 16th-17th centuries. There are stone houses, narrow streets and a lot of history in Le Beau. There are many renaissance houses converted into museums. Such is the wonderful house of Jean de Brion, which was bought and restored by the Spanish engraver, printer and writer Louis Joux(1881-1968). With the help of his friends, he set up a printing workshop here and created illustrations for his best works. Louis Joux died and is buried in Le Beau. Today, this house houses the Fondation Louis Joux, where many of the master printer's personal belongings can be seen, as well as some of the printing equipment in his workshop.

The Santon Museum is a must-see in Le Beau. It is located in the old town hall from the 17th century. The museum brings together collections of Neapolitan clay figurines from the 17th and 18th centuries. Scenes from the daily life of the people in this region, in different periods of their life are interestingly recreated: on a walk, in the market, in the cafe, at home with the children, etc. There are about 115 figurines and most of them are dressed in costumes typical of the region. Outside Le Beau is the cathedral of the images. This is a stone quarry in which interesting spaces have been carved , where by nature , where by man's hand , coloured and illuminated in an extraordinary way. This fantastic place is used by many famous directors as a film set.

In 1822, the geologist Pierre Bert discovered a mineral near Le Beau which he named after the town - bauxite.

Le Beau is a place not to be missed on a trip to Provence.

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Rating 5 from 1 voted Le Beau de Provence, France