France: Villages around Le Ventoux, Part 2/2 (2015, 2017, 2019)

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To directly access the first part of ″Villages around Le Ventoux″, click here.

(June 2019) Malaucene:

Malaucene is a small thriving town at the western extremity of the Mt. Ventoux massif. In medieval times its old center was a fortified city built around a small hill, today called Le Calvaire, which was the site of a castle built in the 12th century and dismantled in the 18th century.

- View of Malaucene from the top of the hill toward the south. The austere Church Saint-Michel is visible on the right of the photo. It was built in the 14th century by order of Pope Clement V, the pope who moved the Papacy from Rome to Avignon in 1309. Clement V had selected Malaucene for his summer residence.

- View of over the town toward the north.

- The belfry surmounted by an iron campanile. It was built between 1482 and 1532, and extended in 1762. It served as a watch tower.

- In the old streets of Malaucene.

- Inside the Church Saint-Michel.

(May 2015 and June 2019) Le Crestet:

This small medieval village is perched on a ridge at the northern end of the massif of the Dentelles de Montmirail, near Vaison-la-Romaine.

- Views of the village.

- The Church Saint-Sauveur (11th century) on the left and the remains of the castle (originally built in the 9th century) on the right, seen from the entrance of the village. The castle was once a residence of the bishops of nearby Vaison-la-Romaine.

- Pretty fountain on a small square at the center of the village.

- Inside the Church Saint-Sauveur.

(May 2015) Vaison-la-Romaine:

- Medieval city on limestone hill above the Ouzeve River.

- Roman bridge, perhaps the world′s oldest bridge still used by cars.

(June 2019) Entrechaux:

- Ruins of the feudal castle (10th and 11th centuries).

(June 2019) Brantes:

Brantes is a picturesque village built above the Toulourenc river, below the northern slopes of Mt. Ventoux. It has been known since the 12th century, when it was then named Brantule. For most of its history, except during the French Wars of Religions (1562-1598) when the Huguenots captured the village, the inhabitants of this isolated village led a peaceful life. Until the mid-20th century, the region played a pivotal role in sheep transhumance between Provence to the south and the Alps to the north. However, in the 1950s and 1960s transhumance was increasingly made with trucks. By the end of the 20th century, Brantes had lost most of its population and many houses and buildings had fallen in ruins. Since then large parts of the village have been restored to their original state, often by outsiders. Some authenticity has been lost in the process, despite some annual events related to sheep farming. But, thanks to this effort, the village remains particularly beautiful.

- Views of Brantes. Mt. Ventoux is visible in the second photo below, with its summit hidden in the clouds.

- Inside the village.

(June 2019) Savoillan:

Another village at the northern foot of Mt. Ventoux, about 3.5km east of Brantes.

(June 2019) Reilhanette:

This village, 4km east of Savoillan, stands on a small hill dominated by the ruins of a 12th-century castle that was destroyed by the French royal troops during the French Wars of Religions.

-- View of the village from Montbrun-les-Bains (the next village below).

- Inside the village.

(June 2019) Montbrun-les-Bains:

Montbrun-les-Bains is another superb village (a relatively large one), 2km east of Reihanette. The two villages are separated by one of the rare plains in the region, where aromatic plants and herbs, especially lavender, are cultivated. The thermal baths of the village have been exploited since the 17th century, but they had previously been enjoyed by the Romans. During the French Wars of Religions (1562-1598), the city was the stronghold of the Huguenot troops led by Charles Dupuy-Montbrun, who was eventually captured by the Royal troops and beheaded in Grenoble. The castle overlooking the village was then partially destroyed.

- Panoramic view sof the village and its surroundings.

- Closer views of the village.

- View from the backside (from the road toward Aulan) with the remains of the castle at the top. A lavender field (not blooming yet) is visible at the bottom of the photo.

- Inside the village: bell tower, belfry with iron campanile, old gate below the belfry, and church interior.

- Some restored towers and walls of the castle.

(June 2019) Aulan:

Aulan is a tiny hamlet best known for its castle. It is located a few kilometers north of Montbrun-les-Bains at the limit between the former French provinces of Provence and Dauphine. At an elevation of 740m the castle was originally built in the 12th century (above a former Roman oppidum) by order of the Baron de Mevouillon (a local lord) to protect the valley of the Toulourenc river. A bigger village than today′s hamlet then developed around the castle, under its protection. The castle was partially restored in the 16th century, burned by the French revolutionaries in 1792, largely remodeled in a Viollet-le-Duc style during the second half of the 19th century, and partially damaged during the First World War. It has been owned by the Suarez d′Aulan family since 1635. Members of this family still live there. Today the castle is also an officially protected habitat for bats (see sign below).

(June 2019) Aurel:

This village sits on a plateau southeast of the Ventoux massif, surrounded by lavender fields.

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