This project is supported by L'OCCITANE en Provence's Manufactures.
Context
Jean Giono, a famous French author, bought in 1929 "le Parais", a farmhouse set against the Mont d'Or hill in Manosque. There, the author wrote the main part of his work and left a personal collection of more than 8,000 books, and documentary resources such as letters, pictures, manuscripts, private papers and art objects. In 1958, "le Parais" became the headquarters of the society "les Amis de Jean Giono", and in 2016 the house was bought by the city of Manosque. A vast project of heritage renovation focused on the house and its gardens is carried out to preserve this house listed a historical monument.
Supported Project
In 2024-2025, L'OCCITANE en Provence's Manufactures supported "les Amis de Jean Giono" in its project to renovate "le Parais". Led by the Durance Luberon Verdon Conurbation, this project seeks to safekeep a universal literary heritage while enabling the house to be opened to a larger public. The renovation works will enable the visitors to discover Giono's most intimate universe, in an architectural and heritage restauration as faithful as possible. The project seeks to pass on the place's spirit, that is to say that of a writer's house. Everything in the house was designed to inspire Jean Giono in his writing: from the working spaces and the colors to the windows overlooking Manosque, the Mont d'Or, the Durance... This project associate tourism development and promotion of cultural heritage in a place at the heart of Haute Provence's identity.
Some Figures
Budget 25,000 euros
Photo credits: ©"Fondation du Patrimoine" website.
