At the time of its construction, in the 12th century, the castle of Le Barroux was a mighty keep surrounded by thick bulwarks, which was to protect the plain of the Comtat Venaissin against Saracen and Italian invasions.
It was the seat of the seigniory which belonged successively, from the 12th to the 15th century, to the families des Baux, de Budos, de Ricavi, de Peyre, de Cardaillac, de Rovigliasc, de Pelletier de Gigondas and de Noret.
In 1274, as the Pope took possession of the Comtat Venaissin, Le Barroux became a fiefdom dependent upon the Apostolic Chamber of Carpentras until 1791, as the Comtat was joined to France. So, the tenant of the fief of Le Barroux was listed among the lords vassals and feudatories of Our Holy Father the Pope.
http://www.chateau-du-barroux.com

Château du Barroux

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The Sade Family Château: 
This stunning building towers over the village, the Sorgues plain, Luberon and Alpilles in the distance. The 12th century fortified château of Saumane de Vaucluse was transformed into a veritable bastion in the 15th century. Its mazelike architecture was added to during various periods and you’ll find secret corridors and dungeons which surely sparked the young Marquis de Sade’s imagination.
Donatien Alphonse François de Sadz, a.k.a. the Marquis de Sade, lived in this château from the age of 5 to 10. 
There are other fascinating parts of the château: a dining room with a twin calotte-shaped vaulted ceiling whose acoustics are such that a person standing in one corner can hear what someone in the opposite corner is whispering. According to an agreement between Monsieur de Sade and his farmer, mass on Saturdays and midnight mass were taken in the untouched little Sainte Rose Chapel...
The château’s Orangeraie is adorned with sculpted lion’s heads. The building is still stunning despite undergoing renovation on several occasions to suit the period and the lords’ wishes. It still has its medieval soul, Renaissance charm and 18th century imagination. 
The château remained in the Sade Family until 1868 when it was sold to the Mayor of Saumane then bought by the Croset Family in 1872. Vaucluse Council bought it in 1982 and entrusted it to the Communauté de Communes du Pays des Sorgues et des Monts de Vaucluse on a 40 year lease.
http://www.oti-delasorgue.co.uk/detail/70b48e5f2d51dd1b78508e13a59a52f4/329277

Château de Saumane

In the surrounding countryside, Thouzon Hill, two kilometres from Le Thor and occupied since Neolithic times, rises above the plain. At the top of the hill, the ruins of the fortified Benedictine priory of Thouzon, often called the “Château de Thouzon” still stand and includes two Romanesque chapels dedicated to St. Mary and St. Peter. From this vantage point there is an exceptional view of the Monts de Vaucluse and Mont Ventoux. At the foot of the hill, discover the fabulous Thouzon caves, discovered in 1902, the only horizontal network in the area — most subterranean passages here are vertical. They are specially adapted for tourist visits.
The Parc des Estourans is the place to learn about the Canal du Moulin, now commonly called the “Sorgue des Moulins”, this canal was dug in 1404 to supply Le Thor with water. It starts at Notre Dame and irrigates land between the canal and the grand Sorgue, which it connects to on the South-Eastern side of the Château de Courtet.
Where the park is today, and until not so long ago, the mill still stood, providing drinking water to Le Thor via the water tower which is still in place. It wasn't until 1922 that the water pipe network was installed at St Roch on the road to Velleron.
http://www.oti-delasorgue.co.uk