Romanesque Church Hunt

If you are browsing through the entries in the blog and have thought about a French country vacation, this is a cheerleading session for you. While sounding exotic and complicated, this mode of travel is indescribably satisfying and not difficult to arrange.

Staying in the countryside in France can be very economical and yet you will experience all the wonderfulness that is France much more intensely than a weekend in Paris. Here are some common objections….

• Country houses and villas are for millionaires, not me.

Comment: Renting a country house, per person, can be the cheapest vacation that you have ever taken, not to mention the money saved by dining on your terrace in front of your pool on fabulous fresh produce and meat.

• I’m quite attracted to things French, but I know that the French do not like Americans in particular and that discourages me. Plus, I don’t speak French!

Comment: It has been my experience that the French people are very clear about separating politics from people. The fact that they are not enamored of George Bush does not enter into their dealings with American tourists. Also, there are some cross-cultural snafus that you can learn to avoid that will keep you and your French friends smiling. More on that later.

• The dollar is so horrible–everything will be so expensive!

Comment: While things do cost more because of the current unfavorable exchange rate, things can and will change. With your French country house rental, you will know exactly what you are spending.

In my next blog, I will outline a way of estimating costs and we can begin the hunt for a fabulous country house for this year.

The new year has begun and with it comes the yearly hunt for a well-priced country house for a week or two in France. During the coming weeks, I will review some things that we have discovered about renting in France and how you can to! Even with the U.S. dollar having problems, you can still find a charming, affordable country house WITH POOL, that will delight your family and friends.

I have started a new category so any beginning Francophile finding this site will have this info for summer 2008!

Happy New Year!

Church hunt fans, don’t despair. The site was upgraded to a new version of Word Press, but now the beautiful theme is not quite working. I’ll be working on a new look that will appear shortly.

Also, please forgive the “pause” in posts. Years ago my fellow travelers instituted a “moratorium” on France talk from the end of our summer expedition till Thanksgiving. They became impatient with rhapsodizing about future trip possibilities immediate after arriving back home. So any discussions of the next summer’s itinerary waits till then.

But, most wonderfully, the moratorium is nearly ended. And, to celebrate, our group will be gathering at Les Halles in the financial district for a French-tinged thanksgiving with friends and family. Sante!

Tania came to visit today. It was very fun.  I showed her how to write in this blog and how to post a photo.  The photo of my little elfin kitty Squeaky looks so sweet I decided to share it with the world.  As you can see, Squeak resembles a young Audrey Hepburn.

Meow, we’ll be back to Romanesque churches soon.

It was a thrilling two weeks in France–the first one in Drome Provencale and the other spent with friends in Ardeche. It’s always a little sad to be back, but it will be fun to post our adventures and talk about the new churches we have seen as well as recounting tales of the lovely French people we have met.

The Cathedral of Notre Dame & St Paul was classified as a historic building in 1841 then restored under Prosper Mérimée (1803-1870). Its construction dates from the 11th century and lasted until the beginning of XIIIe, i.e. at the height of the Romanesque architecture characterized by a “imposing sobriety”.

Built out of calcareous stone, the dimensions are masterly: 45m length for 18m broad and 20m height. On the southernmost porch, principal entry of the Cathedral, one can note the presence of a sundial. Marks left by the stone masons, show the mode of remuneration of the time. Inside the Cathedral, one will be able to observe a mosaic paving the chorus and representing Jerusalem, of the Gothic frescos going back from XIVe and XVe century, many low-reliefs as well as the old wood furnace bridge covered with sheet with gold (1663) and Harmonium (1704).

Detail from the Cathedral.

There’s nothing like starting out a church hunt with a stop at a market for lunch supplies and shopping therapy. But it’s also possible to miss out on markets when combining unfamiliarity with an area and a propensity to sleep late (but of course you are on vacation!)

Here’s my list for our area of the Drome. I tried checking the tourist offices as well and have noted a couple of markets that are the don’t-miss ones.

Montelimar seems to have a market everyday, but I’m not sure on the details of that.

Monday
Tulette (cute little town with a cute church)

Tuesday
Grignan
St-Paul-Trois-Châteaux
Vaison-La-Romaine (8-2–provencale market - this is a big market)

Wednesday

Rémuzat
Buis-Les-Baronnies

Thursday
Nyons (This is a very famous large market — a don’t-miss!)
Montségur-sur-Lauzon <>

Friday
Dieulefit
Suze-la-Rousse
Taulignan

Saturday
Montélimar
Buis-les-Baronnies

Sunday
Nyons (this market is a ‘marche provencale’)

Notre Dame of the Roare

Although a precise date of construction is not available for this chapel, its style is of the earliest type of Romanesque construction. In addition, historians of the church connect to it to Benedictine history–it is part of the order of Cluny and nearby churches were established in Pont St Esprit in 948. Notable in this small chapel is the stained glass which is an ancient copy of the even older original. It represents a pair of oxen with their Master, kneeling in front of a large roure (oak) in the hollow of which a Madonna is sheltered. This stained glass evokes a reason that this priory might have been constructed. Below is a re-telling of the legend.

The Legend
A ploughman cultivated his field bordered by an edge of old oak tree: Whenever the oxen arrived at the end of their furrow, close to the tree they knelt: astonished the ploughman excavated and in one of the hollows, found a statue of the Madonna. Overjoyed at the sight of this miraculous lucky find, he carried it to his village. But in the morning, the Madonna was back in the hollow of the oak. Several other villagers attempted to take it and it was again returned to its niche in the oak. It was decided that a sanctuary should be built in the shadow of miraculous oak. The statue remained within the Vault and so the chapel was named Notre Dame of Roure. (Our Lady of the Oak.)

Practical notes
At the tourist office, they say it is open from 4-5 in the summer, but it’s possible that might mean only July & August. There is a market on Monday mornings.

Below, the market in an old postcard.

This is a very curious little town. There’s not much out there on this town, but there is a homegrown site by the grandson of Eugene Martin, a famous Provencal writer.  The town has an old town, partially in ruins, on the top of the hill and the newer village is below.

Besides a romaneque church with a prominent bell tower, the writer also talks about two chapels that seem to be on the roads to-and-from the town. But the curious part is that I can’t really find very much information. But here’s what I’ve found — the chapels are very choice!

The church at the top of the village among the ruins:

And here’s an antique postcard of the ruins. I love finding these old cards because they are so evocative and also interesting to compare to the current condition. I think that we sometimes forget that not all of these structures were maintained since the 11th century! Many were ravaged in the the French revolution.

<>
Notre-Dame de Pitié or Notre Dame de Barquets (below)

This vault dedicated to Notre-Dame de Pitié, or of the seven pains, named formerly Notre-Dame of Baïsses, i.e. Our-lady of in bottom. It would have been built in X1e century. In 1710 it was restored and equipped with a bell-tower. It is located on the antique sees Roman: St Paul-3-Castles-Grignan. It would seem that this hamlet is populated since the Gallo-Roman time. Later it was named “Barquets” name of an inhabitant of the district. <>La chapelle Saint-Claude (below)

Located on an old Roman way connecting Orange - Grignan, road much used in the Middle Ages, skirting the river of Lez, a hotel trade was built there with the use of the carriers. However, the history reveals us, that a muleteer was assassinated there. The landlord gave up his residence; The muleteers to entreat misfortune and to preserve the memory of their fellow-member, built in this place a small oratory. This small vault (IXéme century) was dedicated to St Claude which is their guard and their Saint. Very dilapidated, in 1940 it was skilfully restored.

I found this description of a walk from Clansayes that takes all the glories of this ancient place.

From the Randoguide of the Drome.
The circuits are marked by yellow and white triangles with the number of the circuit on the inside.. (Maps are available and free at the Mairie.)

Toronne La Templière :

On the traces of the Romans, Ligurians and Chevaliers Templar, plunging from the village of Clansayes toward the Valley of the Rhone and the Monts du Vivarais. 5.5 km Time: 1h:30 Easy
Departs: Parking in the North of the Village (near the cemetery)

Here’s the path which I attempted to translate, but it was becoming even murkier than in a foreign language. The Google translation is at the bottom. I think you would be better off following the markers!

Descendre D571, 10mn après, dans courbe : prendre sentier en face. Aux trois intersections : tout droit. Aux 2 Y suivants, prendre chemins de gauche (entre eux: accès Notre Dame Toronne* - libre choix de monter jusqu’à la chapelle puis de revenir). Contourner vignes et atteindre crête, croisement 100 m après : prendre à gauche chemin caillouteux qui suis crête à distance pendant 30 mn. Puis route pendant 10 mn. Après truffiers, chemin à gauche, 5 mn de descente. Au T : à droite vers route. A 30 m à gauche, chemin puis sentier à droite dans chênes verts vous ramène au cimetière et parking.

* chemin de croix dans la montée. Au sommet : chapelle romane de Toronne et panorama (30 mn)
• Sur le parcours : Eglise XIIe et vieux village. Vestiges de voies romaines (au Nord du Parking). Chapelle de Toronne.

GOOGLE TRANSLATION
To descend D571, 10mn after, in curve: to take path opposite. With the three intersections: straight. To 2 Y following, to take ways of left (between them: access Notre Dame Toronne* - free choice to go up to the vault then to return). To circumvent vines and reach peak, crossing 100 m afterwards: to take stony way on the left which am remote peak during 30 mn. Then road during 10 mn. After truffle, way on the left, 5 mn of descent. With T: on the right towards road. To 30 m on the left, way then path on the right in holm oaks brings back for you to the cemetery and carpark. * way of cross in the rise. At the top: Romance vault of Strands and panorama (30 mn) • On the course: XIIe church and old village. Vestiges of Roman ways (in the North of the Carpark). Vault of Strands.