Vide-Grenier de Vernègues

A car boot sale in a village marked by history

Every year, the village of Vernègues hosts its annual car boot sale in the streets of the town center, a friendly event that brings together residents and bargain hunters from surrounding towns. In this village in the Bouches-du-Rhône, nestled in the heart of the Massif des Costes, between Salon-de-Provence and Aix-en-Provence, individuals display second-hand items, clothing, tableware, and curiosities at low prices.

The 1909 earthquake: the memory of a catastrophe

The history of Vernègues is inseparable from the earthquake of June 11, 1909, one of the most violent ever recorded in metropolitan France, with a magnitude of 6 on the Richter scale. On the evening of that fateful day, the earthquake ravaged the villages of the region and destroyed almost the entire seigneurial castle, the Saint-Jacques church, and the old village perched on the plateau. The ruins that still dot the southern slope of the plateau today bear strong witness to the violence of the cataclysm.

Renaissance in the Jas district

Vernègues struggled to recover from this tragedy, which forced residents to rebuild a new village below, in the Jas district. The solemn inauguration of the new Vernègues took place on May 17, 1914. In 1927, the village received the bronze medal in the modern village competition, organized by the Regional Agricultural Office of the Midi, thanks to its remarkable orthonormal plan. It is in this rebuilt village, with its wide, regular streets, that the car boot sale is held today.

The Roman temple of Diana and the Château Bas estate

A few hundred meters from the village, on the D22 towards Cazan, stand the remains of the Roman temple of Diana, at the Château Bas vineyard estate. Dating from the 1st century BC, this temple consisted of thermal baths and was oriented eastward, towards the spring. The Saint-Césaire chapel, attached to the temple, is more recent: it dates from the 11th century and was largely built with stones from the ancient monument. This unique archaeological site in Provence is a must-see detour during your visit to the car boot sale.

Old Vernègues: a striking panorama

After the car boot sale, be sure to climb to the plateau of Old Vernègues. Carpeted with thyme and wildflowers and swept by the mistral wind, this site offers an exceptional panorama with an orientation table allowing you to take in the Alpilles, the Luberon, Sainte-Victoire, and the Durance river. The ruins of the old village, the Saint-Jacques church, and the seigneurial castle create a moving atmosphere, between memory and contemplation.

Finds for all tastes

The stalls at the Vernègues car boot sale offer the usual variety of Provençal second-hand markets:

• Clothing and accessories for the whole family
• Tableware, earthenware, and ceramics
• Toys and games for children
• Books, vinyl records, and collectibles
• Small furniture and tools
• Trinkets, curiosities, and decorative objects