| |
Roquebrun
Roquebrun is a small village of 550 inhabitants, and arguably one of the most picturesque villages of France. It can be found clinging to the mountains of the “Haut Languedoc” above the River Orb. It enjoys a micro-climate where oranges grow in abundance, and has an average 300 days of sunshine a year.
Tourists will find everything they wish, for. Apart from the unsurpassed scenery, there are opportunities for walking, swimming, climbing, canoeing and archery all within the bounds of the village. Additionally the ‘Mediterranean Garden’ is a public park that contains examples of plants found within the Mediterranean basin, and also the remains of the medieval village and the Carolingian Tower.
The old flourmill on the banks of the river is worth visiting, as throughout the year many craft exhibitions are held here. Local wines and gastronomy are also to be enjoyed in the village.
The Baron's Legend
Legend has it, that the Baron d’Openac built his castle at Roquebrun so as to prey from this vantage point on any passing pilgrims on their way to the Abbaye de Fontcaude, or returning from the monasteries of Montels and Villemagne.
He earned the nickname “Le Baron Tempete” from his habit of welcoming those unfortunates during inclement weather, and then robbing them and turning them out wearing only a shift! The castle was impregnable and the Baron became more and more daring, even stealing livestock from the Abbaye de Fontcaude.
People started to search for an alternate route and most travelers started to use a new route by way of St Chinian and St Pons.
At this point a young novice monk, named Poncian, came upon the scene. Undeterred by the Baron, he came to live near Roquebrun and brought with him two saplings, a lemon and an orange, and some mimosa seeds. He duly planted the saplings, and sowed the seeds, which started to flourish.
Daily, he walked the banks of the River Orb to the village of Ceps where, on a huge rock, he prayed. This infuriated the Baron who called upon the Devil to help rid him of the troublesome monk. The Devil agreed to demonstrate his powers against his normal fee, the Baron’s soul.
The Baron, desperate to get rid of the monk, agreed, and the Devil called up a terrible storm, which came rapidly towards Ceps, with, billowing clouds, lightening, thunder and tremendous winds whipping the surface of the Orb.
Miraculously because of the strength of Poncian's prayers the storm stopped, and not a single orange, lemon or mimosa was harmed. The climate became milder and the mimosa flourished. The Baron was beside himself with rage, but despite his failure, the devil called upon him to surrender his soul to compensate for the work he had done, but the Baron refused.
The Devil called up a thunderbolt to strike the castle, which crumbled, into ruins. Only the tower was left. The Devil then took away the blackened cinders, which was all that remained of the Baron’s body, so that his soul should not escape. Roquebrun’s mild climate had been established, and has, since time immemorial, been known as “Petit Nice”.
The villagers built a chapel dedicated to their benefactor, and it stands to this day at Ceps, and there are those exotic plants that survive to bear witness to the legend of St Poncian.
The American Connection
The next village to Roquebrun is very small, but has a big connection to the United States of America, and especially the Statue of Liberty. The statue, more famous as marking the entrance to New York harbour, was a gift of the French people.
In 1865 during a dinner party given by a French politician, Edouard Rene Lefebvre de Laboulaye, he made the suggestion that it would be nice for the French people to commemorate the coming of the centennial of the American independence.
One of the guests was a sculptor, Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi. In 1874 Bartholdi and Laboulaye decided to start fundraising for a statue, but because of the expense it was decided that France would pay for the statue and America for the base.
The statue was started shortly after, first the torch and then the head. During the winter of 1883 Laboulaye died, never to see the statue finished. Then at last in June 1884 the statue was completed, but remained in Paris until the spring of 1885, before it was dismantled, and then shipped to America – inside 217 wooden packing crates.
The captain of the ship that transported the statue to New York subsequently retired to live in the village of Lugne and presented the village with a replica of the statue. This replica still stands in the middle of this small village of about 15 houses.
Over 700 links to sites in English to help plan your
French vacation.
French Travel Planner-
http://www.americansinfrance.net/TravelPlanner/
Village life in the 19th and 20th Centuries
Before refrigerators and because of the high summer temperatures it was impossible for villagers to keep meat, and vegetables were the staple diet.
To make flour and also provide feed for their few animals, large areas were set aside for the growing of corn. Several corn mills were built alongside fast flowing rivers, and it was waterpower that drove the millstones. Whilst walking in the area it is still possible to see the wild corn growing on the sides of the road, a relic of the past.
Ruins of these mills can be seen in various places, and some of the best are seen in the Orb Gorge between Roquebrun and Tarrasac. An area of outstanding natural beauty.
Until relatively, recently, every family kept a pig, also chickens and rabbits. Pigeons were another source of meat, and most of the old houses have holes in the end walls to give the pigeons access to roosting space in the lofts of the houses. Pigs were kept in small cellars below the houses. Chickens ran loose in the streets, but came home to roost each evening in structures that looked like a large stone carbuncle on the sides of houses. The only clue in modern times to their former use are the small holes about the size of a dinner plate, through which the chickens entered or departed their home.
The slaughter of the family pig was a moment of fete, and the whole family and even the neighbours were involved. It normally took place at the start of the cold winter weather, when the butchering could be carried out over several hours without the meat going bad. All parts of the pig would be used and provided a substantial portion of the meat eaten during the year. It was smoked by hanging it in the chimney of the fire, or hung to dry on special hooks from the kitchen ceiling.
In addition most families kept ducks, who spent most of their day swimming and feeding in the nearby rivers, returning each evening to their respective cellars. With good imagination it is possible to see a procession of ducks wending their way from the river up the narrow village streets, peeling off in twos and threes to their respective abodes.
|
