A tour of our village ... Saint Pantaléon

Saint Pantaléon, is not quite a village, but rather a hamlet, with approximately 180 residents. Between the famous Luberon villages of Goult (2 km) and Gordes (5 km) it is surrounded by cherry farms, olive groves and masses of vineyards. This has been our home for the Summer, and we have fallen in love with the place ...

It is quiet, calm and doesn't have the tourists that the main villages in the area do.

It doesn't take long to tour the town. There's the Mayor's office, the lovely WWI memorial, the Bistro and the Church. Plus a few winding streets dotted with quaint cottages, overgrown gardens and even a telephone box!

 

 

 

The main tourist drawcard of the town is the 12th century Church "l'Église de Saint Pantaléon". That's right 12th century!!! The key to the Church can be borrowed from the town Mayor, who of course knows us as his Australian neighbours (yes, we live across the street from the Mayor!)

The Church was built on limestone and when you walk around the perimeter there are many graves dug into it. Legend has it that Saint Pantaléon was the priest of this Church in the early middle ages. In those days people believed that if you died without being baptised you would go to purgatory. And only a priest could baptise a child. The distances to the nearest priests were far and often babies died in childbirth. But Saint Pantaléon was gifted with the ability, according to legend, to revive the deceased children just long enough for them to be baptised. So people came from afar, and while waiting the bodies were placed in the dug out graves surrounding the Church.

But Saint Pantaléon is more than just a church. Within walking distance from home is the fabulous Bistro de Roques, also serving as a bar, cafe, bread depot where you can order bread and croissants every morning and épicerie (like a corner store). It is run by the Mayor's daughter and her chef husband and we frequent there at least once a week for lunch. They change the menu every day and for three courses charge a mere 16€. We always walk away full and happy. It is fantastique!.

'Saint Pant' really is a little piece of paradise. We find ourselves looking at the local real estate, chatting about what we would do if we had a place here, and hoping that that October doesn't roll around too soon when we have to hand back the keys. We know full well that we are #blessed to be living here and hope that it stays off the tourist beat as best it can.



A xx