The gypseries at Château de Volonne are among the finest in Provence. They recall the presence of gypsum, used to make plaster, in the soil of Haute-Provence.
The château, commissioned by Melchior de Valavoire and built in 1607, stands on the village square, flanked by two round towers. It is more akin to a bastide, with its volumes, simplicity and rustic materials, but with Renaissance-style elements (mullions on bays, corner chains and door surrounds, ashlar windows and gunnels).
Its richness can be seen inside, as the Château de Volonne houses one of the major decorative ensembles in the Southern Alps. The vestibule and grand staircase are remarkable for the gypseries that adorn them right up to the top floor. The plaster decorations depict Melchior de Valavoire’s love for his wife Julie de Rousset and their early years as a couple: passionate love, through to procreative love, with the monograms of their initials intertwined.
