Mouriès
Encyclopedia
Mouriès is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône
department in southern France
.
production, calling itself "the olive oil capital of France" (a claim disputed by Nyons
, further north). There are still two working olive oil mills in town, including one which allows tours. In December of every year there is a festival celebrating the end of the harvest and the new oil, with a small parade and the benediction of the oil, along with various markets.
Wednesday is market day. The small tourism office in town supplies a list of all of the market days in the area. In winter the market here is much larger than in the other towns in the area (Maussane, Aureille
or Eygalières
).
, and there has been a settlement here since the Celto-Ligurian days. The old oppidum
of the ligurians
is still visible on les Caisses de Jean-Jean at the eastern end above the golf course.
to the west and Salon-de-Provence
in the east.
Bouches-du-Rhône
Bouches-du-Rhône is a department in the south of France named after the mouth of the Rhône River. It is the most populous department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Its INSEE and postal code is 13.-History of the department:...
department in southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Population
Economy
Mouriès is known for its olive oilOlive oil
Olive oil is an oil obtained from the olive , a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. It is commonly used in cooking, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and soaps and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps...
production, calling itself "the olive oil capital of France" (a claim disputed by Nyons
Nyons
Nyons is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.-History:Nyons was settled in the 6th century BC as Nyrax by a Gallic tribe, probably the Segusiavi or the Sequani...
, further north). There are still two working olive oil mills in town, including one which allows tours. In December of every year there is a festival celebrating the end of the harvest and the new oil, with a small parade and the benediction of the oil, along with various markets.
Wednesday is market day. The small tourism office in town supplies a list of all of the market days in the area. In winter the market here is much larger than in the other towns in the area (Maussane, Aureille
Aureille
Aureille is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
or Eygalières
Eygalières
Eygalières is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France.-Population:-External links:*...
).
Sights
The town sits on an old Roman roadRoman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
, and there has been a settlement here since the Celto-Ligurian days. The old oppidum
Oppidum
Oppidum is a Latin word meaning the main settlement in any administrative area of ancient Rome. The word is derived from the earlier Latin ob-pedum, "enclosed space," possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *pedóm-, "occupied space" or "footprint."Julius Caesar described the larger Celtic Iron Age...
of the ligurians
Ligures
The Ligures were an ancient people who gave their name to Liguria, a region of north-western Italy.-Classical sources:...
is still visible on les Caisses de Jean-Jean at the eastern end above the golf course.
Transportation
A bus connects the town with ArlesArles
Arles is a city and commune in the south of France, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, of which it is a subprefecture, in the former province of Provence....
to the west and Salon-de-Provence
Salon-de-Provence
Salon-de-Provence is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France. It is the location of an important air base.-History:Salon was a Gallo-Roman oppidum well positioned on the salt trade routes between Adriatic, Atlantic and Mediterranean seas, hence its name...
in the east.