There are incredible places in the Vaucluse, where, in summer, tourists flock from all over the world… and that many Vaucluse residents only know by name, without having crossed the door! The lavender museum in Coustellet is one of them. How did this family business become an essential stopover for discovering Provence? We met Sophie Lincelé, curator of the museum, commercial and communication director of Château du Bois: “Our core business is the production of fine lavender essential oil from our harvests at Château du Bois. We control everything: from seed to flower, from fields to distillery to obtain this fragrant and beneficial nectar. Since the creation of the museum shop in 1991, the essential oil that we previously sold to wholesalers is sold directly to the consumer without transformation, without dilution and without addition. Then, customers wanted other products that were easier to use than pure essential oil, so the idea came to create a range of natural cosmetics with our essential oil to benefit from these benefits, because we only grow officinal lavender. Naturally, “Le Château du Bois Provence” gave its name to our cosmetic creations and perfumes in homage to the family heritage. From 1991, we entrusted the cosmetic formulation with our essential oil to a laboratory in Forcalquier and that of perfumes to a nose in Grasse”.
48,000 visitors in 2022 for the museum
The museum is the ambassador of fine lavender to the general public. Open from April to December, 7 days a week, with peak attendance from June to August, it employs three people permanently and twelve people in high season. “We recruit enthusiastic employees who like to share a good time with our visitors. English is mandatory and other languages are welcome,” says Sophie. “Last year, we welcomed 48,000 visitors, 70% of whom were French, and this season got off to a good start with the resumption of organized trips. »
Since its creation, the museum has been able to evolve by offering, from 1997, a projection space. From 2005, audioguides and then a digital space for children and animated films appeared, gourmet recipes with lavender including delicious ice creams are made in Ansouis, a sensory workshop and a shop which represents two-thirds of the turnover of ‘business. Recently, on the initiative of Max, the son who joined his parents in the company, a laboratory adjoining the museum secures the productions with a demanding quality control and state-of-the-art tools… A first step towards the internalization of the production of cosmetics…
The Fine Lavender Museum
The Lavender Museum was created 32 years ago by Georges Lincelé, from a family of producers and distillers of fine lavender established since 1890 at the Château du Bois, in Lagarde-d’Apt, at an altitude of 1,100 m. . Today, son Jack Lincelé, his wife Sophie and, recently, their son Max manage the museum dedicated to the transmission of the tradition of this plant which is grown between 800 and 1,500 m altitude – not to be confused with lavandin – and which produces Lavender essential oil from Haute-Provence AOP.
Alongside the stills, tools, bottles, perfume labels, visitors can attend, in the summer, distillations in a still over an open fire, take part in workshops (sensory, watercolour, making sachets for young and old), test and acquire essential oil and all “Le Château du Bois” organic cosmetic products.
Lavender Museum in Coustellet, 276 route de Gordes – 04.90.76.91.23 – [email protected] – www.museedelalavande.com
Free distillation service for local gardeners
For all those who have a few tufts of lavandin in their garden, the lavender museum offers, until August 15, the possibility of distilling their small harvest within the framework of the animation open to the public. This distillation is carried out in an open fire still dating from 1900 which can only distil lavandin. This service is free and each gardener gets a bottle of lavandin essential oil to scent their laundry and use it in the upkeep of their home.
The yield of lavandin essential oil is five times greater for lavandin than for fine lavender: it takes 26 kg of lavandin flowers against 130 kg of fine lavender flowers to obtain 1 kg of essential oil.
Only fine lavender essential oil can be used in aromatherapy and for the development of perfumes.
The “old-fashioned distillation” workshop operates from July 4 to August 24, every day, except Saturday all day and Sunday morning.
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