Sablet
Encyclopedia
Sablet is a commune
in the Vaucluse
department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
region
in southeastern France
.
It is a fortified Provençal village rich in history.
in the Côtes du Rhône
wine producing region. It is located to the west of Mont Ventoux
, in a transition zone between the Prealps and the Mediterranean
.
Sablet is very close to the larger towns of Vaison-la-Romaine
to the north, Carpentras
to the south and Orange
to the west, with the much larger regional center of Avignon
30 minutes away.
Today, the village has expanded beyond the "Remparts" and has an active group of "commercants" who provide for the day to day needs of its residents and the surrounding farms. It has two boulangeries (bakeries), one butcher, two grocery stores, a florist, a drug store, a small Medical Center with resident Doctors and Dentists, a tabac/gift store, a bank, a "press". There is a cafe, two restaurants and Pizza "to go" in the main square, while a short walk along the "Route de Vaison" takes you to Restaurant Les Abeilles. In the village square, the "Bureau du Tourisme" has information about the village, and the surrounding communities. They offer wine tasting samples from all the wineries in Sablet. The "Maison de la Retraite" or Retirement Home for Sablet's senior citizens is in the village square. Local children attend elementary school in the village and high school in Vaison-la-Romaine
.
s, the villagers built its first fortifications - les remparts. The remparts were again rebuilt during the 15th century, and more recently refurbished by the Companions of the Barrys - (les Compagnons du Barrys) - an active group of Sabletains dedicated to the preservation of the history of the Village.
During the Middle Ages, Sablet was owned by the Holy See
, and unlike many other villages in the area, it was never under the control of feudal lords - thus also unlike many other villages in the area, there is no castle (chateau). Its citizens have always earned their living working the rich land in this part of the Rhone
Valley. At this time the church was the law making and the administrative entity in the area. In 1577 the village was taken by Calvinists
and the Pope appointed a governor to oversee the village until the end of the religious war
. The home of the Papal Vice Legate in the center of the village has undergone many changes of ownership, more recently being owned by the then village doctor who established it as a Hospice for during the 1950s until its more recent conversion back to a private home.
In 1721 the Plague
ravaged the area but Sablet remained untouched. The grateful villagers built the Chapel of St. Roch to the Saint whom they credited with having saved the village. It was placed under the parish of St. Nazaire with its twelfth century church which stands at the highest point of the village - the illuminated bell tower marking the position of Sablet in the surrounding countryside. Today, the Chapel of St. Roch is also a functioning church. The 15th century Chapel of St. Nazaire (as distinct from the Church of St Nazaire) is the home of many art exhibitions each year.
When in 1867, the vineyards of France were devastated
by phylloxera
- it was a Sabletain - Francois Leydier who invented the grafting machine which helped enormously in saving the wine industry in this region and throughout France. Acknowledging this significant contribution to the village, rue Francois Leydier was named in his honor.
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 Vaucluse
Vaucluse
The Vaucluse is a department in the southeast of France, named after the famous spring, the Fontaine-de-Vaucluse.- History :Vaucluse was created on 12 August 1793 out of parts of the departments of Bouches-du-Rhône, Drôme, and Basses-Alpes...
department in 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
Régions of France
France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...
in southeastern 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...
.
It is a fortified Provençal village rich in history.
Geography
Sablet is situated at the foot of the Dentelles de MontmirailDentelles de Montmirail
The Dentelles de Montmirail are a small chain of mountains in Provence in France, in the département of Vaucluse, located just to the south of the village of Vaison-la-Romaine....
in the Côtes du Rhône
Côtes du Rhône AOC
Côtes du Rhône is a wine-growing Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée for the Rhône wine region of France, which may be used throughout the region, also in those areas which are covered by other AOCs...
wine producing region. It is located to the west of Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux is a mountain in the Provence region of southern France, located some 20 km northeast of Carpentras, Vaucluse. On the north side, the mountain borders the Drôme département. It is the largest mountain in the region and has been nicknamed the "Giant of Provence", or "The Bald...
, in a transition zone between the Prealps and the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
.
Sablet is very close to the larger towns of Vaison-la-Romaine
Vaison-la-Romaine
Vaison-la-Romaine is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France....
to the north, Carpentras
Carpentras
Carpentras is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It stands on the banks of the Auzon...
to the south and Orange
Orange, Vaucluse
Orange is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It has a primarily agricultural economy...
to the west, with the much larger regional center of Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
30 minutes away.
Features
The oldest part of the village "inside the walls" (les remparts), is made up of narrow streets or ruelles, built in a circular fashion around the beehive shaped hill, which afforded inhabitants protection against numerous invaders over many centuries. Streets are named to reflect the activities of the village inhabitants over the centuries, for example climbing the "Escaliers de l'Eglise" to the twelfth century church of St. Nazaire or visiting the shoemaker on the "Rue du Cordonnier."Today, the village has expanded beyond the "Remparts" and has an active group of "commercants" who provide for the day to day needs of its residents and the surrounding farms. It has two boulangeries (bakeries), one butcher, two grocery stores, a florist, a drug store, a small Medical Center with resident Doctors and Dentists, a tabac/gift store, a bank, a "press". There is a cafe, two restaurants and Pizza "to go" in the main square, while a short walk along the "Route de Vaison" takes you to Restaurant Les Abeilles. In the village square, the "Bureau du Tourisme" has information about the village, and the surrounding communities. They offer wine tasting samples from all the wineries in Sablet. The "Maison de la Retraite" or Retirement Home for Sablet's senior citizens is in the village square. Local children attend elementary school in the village and high school in Vaison-la-Romaine
Vaison-la-Romaine
Vaison-la-Romaine is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France....
.
Economy
Main industries in Sablet are Wine Producing and Tourism. Although the village is a support center for the tourism that takes place in the area, it retains its primary role as a living village.History
Sablet has experienced many invasions and waves of migration over the centuries. Its history really begins however, in the 9th century when to guard against the invasion of the SaracenSaracen
Saracen was a term used by the ancient Romans to refer to a people who lived in desert areas in and around the Roman province of Arabia, and who were distinguished from Arabs. In Europe during the Middle Ages the term was expanded to include Arabs, and then all who professed the religion of Islam...
s, the villagers built its first fortifications - les remparts. The remparts were again rebuilt during the 15th century, and more recently refurbished by the Companions of the Barrys - (les Compagnons du Barrys) - an active group of Sabletains dedicated to the preservation of the history of the Village.
During the Middle Ages, Sablet was owned by the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
, and unlike many other villages in the area, it was never under the control of feudal lords - thus also unlike many other villages in the area, there is no castle (chateau). Its citizens have always earned their living working the rich land in this part of the Rhone
Rhône
Rhone can refer to:* Rhone, one of the major rivers of Europe, running through Switzerland and France* Rhône Glacier, the source of the Rhone River and one of the primary contributors to Lake Geneva in the far eastern end of the canton of Valais in Switzerland...
Valley. At this time the church was the law making and the administrative entity in the area. In 1577 the village was taken by Calvinists
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
and the Pope appointed a governor to oversee the village until the end of the religious war
French Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion is the name given to a period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily fought between French Catholics and Protestants . The conflict involved the factional disputes between the aristocratic houses of France, such as the House of Bourbon and House of Guise...
. The home of the Papal Vice Legate in the center of the village has undergone many changes of ownership, more recently being owned by the then village doctor who established it as a Hospice for during the 1950s until its more recent conversion back to a private home.
In 1721 the Plague
Great Plague of Marseille
The Great Plague of Marseille was the last of the significant European outbreaks of bubonic plague. Arriving in Marseille, France in 1720, the disease killed 100,000 people in the city and the surrounding provinces. However, Marseille recovered quickly from the plague outbreak. Economic activity...
ravaged the area but Sablet remained untouched. The grateful villagers built the Chapel of St. Roch to the Saint whom they credited with having saved the village. It was placed under the parish of St. Nazaire with its twelfth century church which stands at the highest point of the village - the illuminated bell tower marking the position of Sablet in the surrounding countryside. Today, the Chapel of St. Roch is also a functioning church. The 15th century Chapel of St. Nazaire (as distinct from the Church of St Nazaire) is the home of many art exhibitions each year.
When in 1867, the vineyards of France were devastated
Great French Wine Blight
The Great French Wine Blight was a severe blight of the mid-19th century that destroyed many of the vineyards in France and laid to waste the wine industry...
by phylloxera
Phylloxera
Grape phylloxera ; originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to the previously described Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, Phylloxera vitifoliae; commonly just called phylloxera is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America...
- it was a Sabletain - Francois Leydier who invented the grafting machine which helped enormously in saving the wine industry in this region and throughout France. Acknowledging this significant contribution to the village, rue Francois Leydier was named in his honor.
Culture
Every Thursday morning, a small fresh fish market and a fresh goat cheese maker visit the square. The major "fete" each year is the book fair or Journees du Livre which is held in July. Well known authors from all over France and literary enthusiasts come to the village for this two day event. During the first week of August the village celebrates its annual Fete Votive (as do most villages in the area) with music, dancing and events for children. Various other events such as an Antiques Markets, re-enactments of historic days, open air movies, art expositions and a Boules tournament also take place during the spring and summer months.External links
- Webpage of the Bureau de Tourisme
- Sablet Home Vacation in Sablet
- Sablet House Vacation in Sablet