Ventabren (French pronunciation:) is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southern France.
Geography
The historical village of Ventabren is close to Aix-en-Provence (to the east), 6 km (3.7 mi) away from Coudoux and Velaux to the west.
History
The village dates back to 920–940 AD, when Guillaume I, Count of Provence, had a castle built there.
In 1851 the village comprised 327 houses. Six years later, a railway was built.
The 393-metre long Roquefavour Aqueduct (Aqueduc de Roquefavour), located on the territory of the commune, was built from 1842 to 1847 to convey water from the Durance to Marseille, as part of the Canal de Marseille. It is the world's largest stone aqueduct.
Demographics
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1793 | 1,678 | — |
| 1800 | 960 | −7.67% |
| 1806 | 1,301 | +5.20% |
| 1821 | 1,408 | +0.53% |
| 1831 | 1,357 | −0.37% |
| 1836 | 1,309 | −0.72% |
| 1841 | 1,600 | +4.10% |
| 1846 | 1,844 | +2.88% |
| 1851 | 1,245 | −7.56% |
| 1856 | 1,290 | +0.71% |
| 1861 | 1,301 | +0.17% |
| 1866 | 1,151 | −2.42% |
| 1872 | 1,130 | −0.31% |
| 1876 | 1,121 | −0.20% |
| 1881 | 1,075 | −0.83% |
| 1886 | 1,015 | −1.14% |
| 1891 | 1,019 | +0.08% |
| 1896 | 1,011 | −0.16% |
| 1901 | 985 | −0.52% |
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1906 | 988 | +0.06% |
| 1911 | 889 | −2.09% |
| 1921 | 951 | +0.68% |
| 1926 | 896 | −1.18% |
| 1931 | 832 | −1.47% |
| 1936 | 787 | −1.11% |
| 1946 | 889 | +1.23% |
| 1954 | 509 | −6.73% |
| 1962 | 603 | +2.14% |
| 1968 | 934 | +7.57% |
| 1975 | 1,537 | +7.38% |
| 1982 | 2,717 | +8.48% |
| 1990 | 3,742 | +4.08% |
| 1999 | 4,552 | +2.20% |
| 2007 | 4,859 | +0.82% |
| 2012 | 4,646 | −0.89% |
| 2017 | 5,459 | +3.28% |
| 2023 | 5,839 | +1.13% |
Historical population
Source: EHESS and INSEE (1968–2023)
