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BEDOIN
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The
first sight you will see of the village at the foot of the southern
slope of the Ventoux, whose toponymic origin means "cradle
of the vine", is the walls of its imposing church.
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As if cradled in the hollow of Provence's giant's hand, Bédoin
and its hamlets belong to the Mediterranean world and enjoy a dry
and moderate climate, with sun nearly every day - safe from the
untameable mistral wind. Neolithic remains are proof that this site
has been inhabited for a long time. Bédoin's history
has been rather hectic to say the least, belonging successively
to the Counts of Toulouse, to Comtat Venaissin when the Popes set
up residence in Avignon, and to France when it was incorporated
in 1791.
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September
19th 1264, Lord Barral des Baux bequeathed, in exchange
for compensation, to his subjects of Bédoin,
their children and future generation children, the
Ventoux mountain with its water and its land both
cultivated and uncultivated, moors and pastures.
During decades the inhabitants of Bédoin
found refuge in the mountain to escape from wars
and epidemics. This explains the locals' deep
attachment to their mountain.
Today
Bédoin is at the same time an active agricultural
territory of which the main production is vines
(A.O.C Côtes-du-Ventoux), cherry tree
orchards, asparagus fields and truffles of Ventoux;
as well as a haven for tourists.
The
Bédoin communal forest is the largest communal
forest in France. It extends from 350 m above sea
level to 1912 m at the summit and over 6 100 ha.
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- Ice-making :
The
pastoral life was all important in the XIXth
century in the Ventoux. A lesser-known activity
is that of ice-making. Remarkably, in
the XVIIth century, during winter months, snow
was piled into previously dug pits, packed down
with wooden boards and protected with branches.
This was closely controlled by the Popes.
During the summer months, the snow which had
become ice was transported to neighbouring villages
in order to be marketed in Avignon, Marseille
or Montpellier. Ice had two very different uses
at the time; conservation of corpses and the
manufacturing of sorbets.
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- To
visit :
The communal forest and in particular the most extensive cedar
plantation of Europe, incredibly lush, its flora and its fauna make it a
remarkable place.
The
communal forest and in particular the most extensive cedar plantation of Europe,
incredibly lush, its flora and its fauna make it a remarkable
place.
The church which shelters a retable allotted to Nicolas
Mignard
the Romance vault Notre-Dame-du-Moustier
the vault of the
Madeleine of the XII° century (private site)
the vault Sainte-Croix at the
top of the Mont Ventoux .
- To
taste :
A.O.C
Côtes-du-Ventoux wines, cherries, honey, truffles, asparagus.
- Market
day :
Monday
morning
The market in
an unmissable meeting point for those who love Provence and its perfumes. Very
lively from Eastern to September, its numerous vendors propose local products,
spices, soaps, fabrics and many other items. Craftmen are plentiful too -
displaying jewelry, clothes. Quieter in winter, it is the villageus who then
frequent the market, stopping to drink a "pastis" or more wisely a coffee at one
the terrace cafés and to gossip !
- Practice
:
Mairie
de Bédoin - Hôtel
de Ville - Rue Barral des Baux - 84410 BEDOIN
Tél.
04 90 65 60 08 - Fax. 04 90 65 95 69 - Mail
: mairie.bedoin@wanadoo.fr
Office
de Tourisme **, Espace M.-L.-Gravier - Tél. 04 90
65 63 95 - Fax. 04 90 12 81 55 - with the villages of Crillon-le-Brave and Flassan
- site
: http://www.bedoin.org
- Mail
: office.tourisme.bedoin@wanadoo.fr
Open all year round. Guided tours of the village from April to
September, hiking by night to see the sunrise at the Mont Ventoux in July and
August, botanical walks, "randolune" in the moonlight.
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