Moustiers-Sainte-Marie
Encyclopedia
Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, or simply Moustiers, (Mostiers Santa Maria in Occitan) is a commune
in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
department in southeastern France, a part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
region.
It lies at the western entrance to the Gorges du Verdon
. The village has been a centre of the pottery
trade, especially faïence
, for centuries.
The village clings a hundred or so metres up the side of a limestone
cliff. A spring flows out of the cliff, creating a waterfall directly out of the centre of town. At twilight, the sun strikes the south-facing cliff, creating a diffuse pink light for a few minutes on clear days.
the knight Bozon de Blacas held prisoner by the Saracens vowed to hang a star over the village on his return. No one knows how it was originally hung there.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is a French department in the south of France, it was formerly part of the province of Provence.- History :Nord-de-Provence was one of the 83 original departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...
department in southeastern France, a part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur or PACA is one of the 27 regions of France.It is made up of:* the former French province of Provence* the former papal territory of Avignon, known as Comtat Venaissin...
region.
It lies at the western entrance to the Gorges du Verdon
Verdon Gorge
The Verdon Gorge , in south-eastern France , is a river canyon that is often considered to be one of Europe's most beautiful. It is about 25 kilometres long and up to 700 metres deep...
. The village has been a centre of the pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
trade, especially faïence
Faience
Faience or faïence is the conventional name in English for fine tin-glazed pottery on a delicate pale buff earthenware body, originally associated with Faenza in northern Italy. The invention of a white pottery glaze suitable for painted decoration, by the addition of an oxide of tin to the slip...
, for centuries.
The village clings a hundred or so metres up the side of a limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
cliff. A spring flows out of the cliff, creating a waterfall directly out of the centre of town. At twilight, the sun strikes the south-facing cliff, creating a diffuse pink light for a few minutes on clear days.
The Star
Above the town, a gold painted star hangs on a 225m long chain suspended between two cliffs. Its origin according to a legend popularised by Provençal poet Frédéric Mistral lies in the 10th century although the original star and chain have been replaced several times since then. The current star is about 50 years old. It was rehung a month after a fall 10 years ago when the chain snapped, using a helicopter...Legend
According to the legend, during the CrusadesCrusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
the knight Bozon de Blacas held prisoner by the Saracens vowed to hang a star over the village on his return. No one knows how it was originally hung there.