The village of Wide Open Spaces
This village located at more than 1000 meters of altitude, on the Plateau d’Albion is the highest of the land of Apt. From Mont Saint Pierre, the view extends on the Mont Ventoux, the Montagne de Lure, to the snowy peaks of the Prealps.
Lagarde is the domain of open spaces: vast fields of true lavender, matchless undergrowth and wild forests, under the purest sky of Europe. The remarkable beech forest of Lagarde d'Apt is now protected from human intervention. An all-round biological reserve on 125 hectares of beech was recently approved.
Garda is mentioned in the 13th century but as early as the 12th century, three churches already existed. Before becoming the property of the counts of Sault, the first lords were the Simiane. However, the town was born from the sole will of the Duke of Lesdiguières, Marshal of France who in 1626, who wanted a village on his estate on the plateau. For this purpose, the Duke offered land to 13 families. The people asked to settle on the farm which was granted to them, rather than to gather in one village. Since then, Lagarde d'Apt is a patchy town, made of farms without any real hamlet.
In the 20th century, Lagarde d'Apt was a major place for the Resistance and experienced many parachuting directed by Fernand Jean d'Apt and Maquis Ventoux.
In 1966, the state launched the construction of the facilities of the French nuclear deterrent force (ballistic ground-to-ground missiles). The strategic military site of the Plateau d'Albion lasted from 1971 to 1996.
