Buoux - 84480 - The Priory of Saint-Symphorien

The Priory of Saint-Symphorien

Buoux - 84480

The first monument you notice when you arrive from Marseille by road is the soaring bell tower of the Saint-Symphorien chapel which stands out, warmly coloured by the sun, against the dark green of the slopes of the Luberon and the Roche d´Espeil. (*)
It is difficult to date the origins of the Roman Priory of Saint-Symphorien. A stone inscription that disappeared in 1962 suggested that it was founded in the 10th century.
After being long abandoned to the weather and to man, despite the fine restoration of the bell tower in the 1960s, the Priory became private property and renovation work was undertaken. The original parts of the construction (11th to 13th centuries) have been preserved. They include a campanile bell-tower and a primitive chapel.
The 12th century campanile is one of the finest Roman campaniles in Provence.

(*) F. SAUVE - Buoux, the village, the old fort, Saint-Symphorien