Lamanon Car Boot Sale

A friendly car boot sale at the foot of the Alpilles

Each year, the village of Lamanon hosts its annual car boot sale, organized by the APE (Parents' Association). Private sellers set up in the village center to offer a wide variety of second-hand items at low prices: clothes for the whole family, toys, crockery, books, trinkets, small furniture, and curiosities of all kinds. Entry is free for visitors, and a refreshment stand with food is available on site, in a friendly and family atmosphere. Registrations are made with the APE at the Salle Pierre Richaud.

The Caves of Calès: a millennia-old troglodytic habitat

A short walk from the center of Lamanon, the Cirque de Calès is one of the most remarkable heritage sites in the Bouches-du-Rhône. Classified since 1918, this vast natural amphitheater surrounded by cliffs houses 116 cavities dug into the molasse, 58 of which are accessible within the cirque. Occupied from the Neolithic period until the 15th century, the site successively hosted Ligurian populations, a Roman occupation, and then a medieval community of 120 to 220 inhabitants between the 12th and 16th centuries. The caves feature remarkable domestic arrangements: fireplaces, cupboards, grain silos, cattle troughs, and water tanks, testifying to organized life on several levels connected by stairs carved into the rock. The feudal castle that dominated the site was destroyed in 1586 during the Wars of Religion.

The Giant of Provence: a classified three-hundred-year-old plane tree

Lamanon is home to an exceptional tree: the giant plane tree, nicknamed the "Giant of Provence", classified as a site and natural monument of artistic character since February 26, 1918. This three-hundred-year-old Platanus hispanica is about 25 meters high, has a canopy covering 1,250 m², and a trunk with a circumference of 8 meters. It is recognized as a Remarkable Tree of France. According to legend, it was planted in the 16th century by Catherine de Medici, who came to visit Nostradamus in Salon-de-Provence. Another tradition attributes its planting to Diane de Roux de Lamanon, a local chatelaine, to celebrate the baptism of her daughter Honorade. Its large branches droop towards the ground and root, forming a true vegetal cathedral under its majestic canopy.

Lamanon, a Provençal village between history and nature

A commune of 2,088 inhabitants (INSEE 2024), Lamanon is located 5 kilometers north of Salon-de-Provence, in the alluvial plain at the foot of the Montagne du Défends, the last foothills of the Alpilles. The village retains remarkable architectural heritage: the Château de Lamanon, built in 1660 with its wrought iron gates, which was the residence of the Dukes of Sabran-Pontevès; the 18th-century Church of Saint-Denis-l'Aréopagite; the Romanesque Chapel of Saint-Denis with its octagonal apse; and the remains of the 12th-century Chapel of Sainte-Marie. The village was the birthplace of Robert de Lamanon (1752-1787), a naturalist and explorer who disappeared during the La Pérouse expedition, and Bertran de Lamanon (1210-1270), a Provençal troubadour.

What to find at the Lamanon car boot sale

The stalls at the Lamanon car boot sale offer a wide variety of second-hand items:

• Clothing and accessories for the whole family
• Toys, games, and books for children
• Crockery, earthenware, and decorative items
• Trinkets, curiosities, and collectibles
• Small furniture and garden tools
• Vinyl records, CDs, and DVDs

A well-served village at the crossroads of Provence

Lamanon benefits from a privileged geographical location in the heart of Provence. The village is easily accessible from the A7 motorway and has a train station. The TGV stations of Aix-en-Provence and Avignon are about 33-34 kilometers away. The commune is part of the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis. The car boot sale is an ideal opportunity to combine a day of treasure hunting with the discovery of the Caves of Calès and the monumental plane tree, two sites that make this small Provençal village famous.