Albert Camus - In the steps of the writer, 60 years after...

A Provencal paradise in the colors of his native land

©Photograph by United Press International / Public domain

A modest child born in Algeria, Camus will meet two men who will have an influence on his future life during his first 20 years.
First of all his teacher Louis Germain who will make him pass the scholarship competition, allowing the young Albert to continue his schooling at the Lycée Bugeaud in Algiers. He met his new professor Jean Grenier, the latter had been a resident of the Laurent-Viber Foundation (Château de Lourmarin) in 1930 and 1931, it was through his words that Camus discovered Provence and Lourmarin.
Seduced by the description of the village, he settled there late encouraged by his friend René Char, whom he often visited in Isle-sur-la Sorgue.

In 1958, the village of Lourmarin became his place of rest and serenity. He financed his residency with the money from his Nobel Prize in Literature obtained in October 1957 for his entire work, including two novels, L'étranger and La Peste. He will often delve into the description of this land, Lourmarin and the landscapes of the Luberon will be regularly compared with Algeria and its distant mountains.
Her daughter, Catherine Camus, will say of their house: “She has a magnificent view. It feels a feeling of breathing, of beauty. And for him, the sea was behind the mountains and, behind the sea, there was Algeria.” Far from the great Paris, always bustling and populated by many intellectuals who often criticized Camus.

The little habits and addresses of Camus

True place of recollection for Albert Camus, he came to Lourmarin to find calm and anonymity. In order not to be recognized, he used to use a pseudonym and called himself Mr. Terrasse. Even today we can sit at a table in Restaurant Ollier where Camus liked to spend time.
The Café de l'Ormeau, where the author came to read his newspaper, is also still active. A little further away we find the football stadium: passionate about this sport, Albert Camus even offered jerseys to the Youth Sportive Lourmarinoise. The writer seduced the inhabitants by his simplicity, frequenting both the blacksmith and the flea shops of the village or his friend René Char, whom he often visited.

Lourmarin, his last home

In 1960, Camus celebrated the New Year in his home in Lourmarin with his family and friends Janine and Michel Gallimard. On January 2, when Camus had to return to Paris by train with his wife and two children, he finally decided to drive with this couple of friends.

Fatal decision that will cost him his life on 4 January in a car accident when he is 47 years old. It is in Lourmarin that the author rests, in this area which he had adopted shortly before. There is no indication that one of the greatest French authors of the 20th century is buried here. The tomb is simple, no epitaph, just its name, and its dates of birth and death: 1913 — 1960.

One will notice the nature, the flowers and the plant that grow on its tomb, which remains a very visited place in the Luberon. Sixty years later, Camus is still one of the most read French authors in the world.

The anniversary of the 60 years of his death, a beautiful event commemorating the Man Camus was planned this year in Lourmarin with the commitment of artists admiring his work. Due to the health crisis, only a very nice photo exhibition in the castle of Lourmarin is visible. From June 1 to October 31, 2020, the Château de Lourmarin, an exceptional place commensurate with Camus's work, hosts black and white photographs from the author's personal archives. It is a tribute to the writer, a unique opportunity to walk in his footsteps. The exhibition is
visible as part of the visit to the Castle.

Throughout the year, the association Les Rencontres Méditerranéennes Albert Camus shares, exchanges and organizes meetings around Albert Camus: http://www.rencontres-camus.com