Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche
Encyclopedia
Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche is a commune
in the department of Ardèche
in southern France
.
Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche is situated at the southern entrance of the Ardèche
Canyon, the Gorges de l'Ardèche.
communes of Bidon
, Bourg-Saint-Andéol
, Gras
, Larnas
, Saint-Montan
, Saint-Just
, Saint-Marcel-d'Ardèche
, Saint-Remèze
and Viviers
at the very south-eastern end of department.
Valley between Northern Europe and the Mediterranean coast, a Gateway to Provence
, Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche lies underneath the beautiful silhouette of mediaeval Aiguèze at the end of the Ardèche
Gorges carved through the limestone plateau de Gras (average 300 m high, culminating at the 719 m high Dent de Rez, i.e. saw tooth) (reïsse=saw in provençal) on 30 km (18.6 mi) between Vallon-Pont-d'Arc
with the magnificent natural stone arch on the river and Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche. Since 1960, a panoramic road follows the canyon up the hill through the garrigue
, the first Mediterranean vegetation when arriving from the North, and ends in Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche with a view on the end of the river flowing towards the Rhône
in direction of the Fuji-Yama silhouette of 1900 m. high Mont Ventoux
in Provence
.
into the Rhône
, then in the duchy of Uzès
. It only became a separate commune at the French Revolution, when Départements were created with the river here as borderline: Aiguèze in département Gard, Saint-Martin-de-la-Pierre as Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche in département Ardèche.
Its situation on a ford had made the village an early stop for pilgrims and travellers. A church was built in the 11th and 12th centuries (up to the 19th century bell tower). The untamable river would finally be overcrossed by a stone bridge built in 1895 - which unfortunately would be destroyed five years later by one of the furious swellings Ardèche
was accustomed to after autumn rains before it would be regulated and dammed in the Cévennes : in September 1900, the bridge collapsed and was replaced in 1905 by a hanging bridge, officially inaugurated as early as... July 2005...
The economy of the village, a mainly agricultural one during the 19th and early 20th centuries (silkworms, fruit, wine, plus wood floating or charcoal transport on the river, and angling) occurred to change at the second half of last century with the transformations on nearby Rhône Valley (canal on the Rhône, atomic industries in Marcoule by Bagnols-sur-Cèze and Eurodif in Pierrelatte, highway A7 from Lyon to Spain or French Riviera
, TGV railways) : both arms of local economy are nowadays wine - the southern Côtes du Rhône - and tourism. A kayak and camping trip down the gorge is not technically difficult and hugely popular in the summer. Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche, at crossroads of four départements - Ardèche
, Gard
, Drôme
, Vaucluse
- with its river beaches, canoe trips, hike and ride possibilities on hills around, plus historical townlets nearby and surrounding villages (megalithic sites with dolmens, visited caves, mediaeval chapels, Renaissance buildings), has become a touristic centre at the gateway of Provence
.
), and 110 km (68.4 mi) from Mediterranean sea, Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche offers, with nearby Aiguèze
(and mainly in high season from March to November),
Nearby sites:
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 department of Ardèche
Ardèche
Ardèche is a department in south-central France named after the Ardèche River.- History :The area has been inhabited by humans at least since the Upper Paleolithic, as attested by the famous cave paintings at Chauvet Pont d'Arc. The plateau of the Ardeche River has extensive standing stones ,...
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...
.
Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche is situated at the southern entrance of the Ardèche
Ardèche River
The Ardèche is a 125 km long river in south-central France, a right-bank tributary of the Rhône River. Its source is in the Massif Central, near the village of Astet. It flows into the Rhône near Pont-Saint-Esprit, north-west of Orange...
Canyon, the Gorges de l'Ardèche.
Administration
Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche is member of the intercommunality of Rhône aux Gorges de l'Ardèche together with nearby ArdècheArdèche
Ardèche is a department in south-central France named after the Ardèche River.- History :The area has been inhabited by humans at least since the Upper Paleolithic, as attested by the famous cave paintings at Chauvet Pont d'Arc. The plateau of the Ardeche River has extensive standing stones ,...
communes of Bidon
Bidon
Bidon is a commune in the Ardèche department in southern France.-Population:...
, Bourg-Saint-Andéol
Bourg-Saint-Andéol
Bourg-Saint-Andéol is a commune in the Ardèche department in the Rhône Valley in southern France.-Geography:It lies directly along the Rhône River at the southeast end of the department south of the smaller see of Viviers, from Pierrelatte eastwards across the river in the département Drôme and ...
, Gras
Gras
Gras is a commune in the Ardèche department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
, Larnas
Larnas
Larnas is a commune in the Ardèche department in southern France....
, Saint-Montan
Saint-Montan
Saint-Montan is a commune in the Ardèche department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
, Saint-Just
Saint-Just, Ardèche
Saint-Just is a commune in the Ardèche department in southern France.-Geography:Saint-Just is the southernmost village of the department, located on the shore of the Rhône River, between the Drôme and the Gard departments....
, Saint-Marcel-d'Ardèche
Saint-Marcel-d'Ardèche
Saint-Marcel-d'Ardèche is a commune in the Ardèche department in southern France.The inhabitants of the town of Saint-Marcel-d'Ardèche are "Marcellois St., San Marcelloises".-Population:-References:*...
, Saint-Remèze
Saint-Remèze
Saint-Remèze is a commune in the Ardèche department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
and Viviers
Viviers, Ardèche
Viviers is a commune in the department of Ardèche in southern France.It is a small walled city situated on the right bank of the Rhône.-Population:-History:...
at the very south-eastern end of department.
Geography
A few miles from the main trail of the RhôneRhône River
The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...
Valley between Northern Europe and the Mediterranean coast, a Gateway to Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
, Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche lies underneath the beautiful silhouette of mediaeval Aiguèze at the end of the Ardèche
Ardèche River
The Ardèche is a 125 km long river in south-central France, a right-bank tributary of the Rhône River. Its source is in the Massif Central, near the village of Astet. It flows into the Rhône near Pont-Saint-Esprit, north-west of Orange...
Gorges carved through the limestone plateau de Gras (average 300 m high, culminating at the 719 m high Dent de Rez, i.e. saw tooth) (reïsse=saw in provençal) on 30 km (18.6 mi) between Vallon-Pont-d'Arc
Vallon-Pont-d'Arc
Vallon-Pont-d'Arc is a commune in the Ardèche department in southern France.Vallon-Pont-d'Arc is a capital of prehistoric and cultural tourism. This small village, peaceful in wintertime, sees its population expand ten-fold in summer...
with the magnificent natural stone arch on the river and Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche. Since 1960, a panoramic road follows the canyon up the hill through the garrigue
Garrigue
Garrigue or phrygana is a type of low, soft-leaved scrubland ecoregion and plant community in the Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome. It is found on limestone soils around the Mediterranean Basin, generally near the seacoast, where the climate is ameliorated, but where annual summer...
, the first Mediterranean vegetation when arriving from the North, and ends in Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche with a view on the end of the river flowing towards the Rhône
Rhône River
The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...
in direction of the Fuji-Yama silhouette of 1900 m. high 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 Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
.
History
Originally a settlement of peasants, fishermen and boatmen at a ford on the river, Petra and/or Sant Martin de la Peyre (St. Martin of the rocks) belongs along the centuries to the baronets of Aiguèze, whose fortress overviewed the whole valley down to the delta of ArdècheArdèche River
The Ardèche is a 125 km long river in south-central France, a right-bank tributary of the Rhône River. Its source is in the Massif Central, near the village of Astet. It flows into the Rhône near Pont-Saint-Esprit, north-west of Orange...
into the Rhône
Rhône River
The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...
, then in the duchy of Uzès
Uzès
Uzès is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.It lies about 25 km north-northeast of Nîmes.-History:Originally Ucetia, Uzès was a small Gallo-Roman oppidum, or administrative settlement. The town lies at the source of the Eure, from where a Roman aqueduct was built in the first...
. It only became a separate commune at the French Revolution, when Départements were created with the river here as borderline: Aiguèze in département Gard, Saint-Martin-de-la-Pierre as Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche in département Ardèche.
Its situation on a ford had made the village an early stop for pilgrims and travellers. A church was built in the 11th and 12th centuries (up to the 19th century bell tower). The untamable river would finally be overcrossed by a stone bridge built in 1895 - which unfortunately would be destroyed five years later by one of the furious swellings Ardèche
Ardèche River
The Ardèche is a 125 km long river in south-central France, a right-bank tributary of the Rhône River. Its source is in the Massif Central, near the village of Astet. It flows into the Rhône near Pont-Saint-Esprit, north-west of Orange...
was accustomed to after autumn rains before it would be regulated and dammed in the Cévennes : in September 1900, the bridge collapsed and was replaced in 1905 by a hanging bridge, officially inaugurated as early as... July 2005...
The economy of the village, a mainly agricultural one during the 19th and early 20th centuries (silkworms, fruit, wine, plus wood floating or charcoal transport on the river, and angling) occurred to change at the second half of last century with the transformations on nearby Rhône Valley (canal on the Rhône, atomic industries in Marcoule by Bagnols-sur-Cèze and Eurodif in Pierrelatte, highway A7 from Lyon to Spain or French Riviera
French Riviera
The Côte d'Azur, pronounced , often known in English as the French Riviera , is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France, also including the sovereign state of Monaco...
, TGV railways) : both arms of local economy are nowadays wine - the southern Côtes du Rhône - and tourism. A kayak and camping trip down the gorge is not technically difficult and hugely popular in the summer. Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche, at crossroads of four départements - Ardèche
Ardèche
Ardèche is a department in south-central France named after the Ardèche River.- History :The area has been inhabited by humans at least since the Upper Paleolithic, as attested by the famous cave paintings at Chauvet Pont d'Arc. The plateau of the Ardeche River has extensive standing stones ,...
, Gard
Gard
Gard is a département located in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.The department is named after the River Gard, although the formerly Occitan name of the River Gard, Gardon, has been replacing the traditional French name in recent decades, even among French speakers.- History...
, Drôme
Drôme
Drôme , a department in southeastern France, takes its name from the Drôme River.-History:The French National Constituent Assembly set up Drôme as one of the original 83 departments of France on March 4, 1790, during the French Revolution...
, 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...
- with its river beaches, canoe trips, hike and ride possibilities on hills around, plus historical townlets nearby and surrounding villages (megalithic sites with dolmens, visited caves, mediaeval chapels, Renaissance buildings), has become a touristic centre at the gateway of Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
.
Tourism
Situated less than 200 km (124.3 mi) southern of Lyon, 50 km (31.1 mi) northwest of Avignon, 70 km (43.5 mi) northeast of Nîmes (i.e. 50 from famous roman Pont du GardPont du Gard
The Pont du Gard is a notable ancient Roman aqueduct bridge that crosses the Gard River in southern France. It is part of a long aqueduct that runs between Uzès and Nîmes in the South of France. It is located in Vers-Pont-du-Gard near Remoulins, in the Gard département...
), and 110 km (68.4 mi) from Mediterranean sea, Saint-Martin-d'Ardèche offers, with nearby Aiguèze
Aiguèze
Aiguèze is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.Since 2005, Aiguèze has been a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France , the first such location in Gard.-Population:-Sights:...
(and mainly in high season from March to November),
- 3 hotels
- 7 campsites
- several guest houses, B&B, gîtes and chambres d'hôtes
- several restaurants
- canoe and kayak rentings
Nearby sites:
- Aven d'Orgnac in Orgnac-l'AvenOrgnac-l'AvenOrgnac-l'Aven is a commune in the Ardèche department in southern France.The Aven d'Orgnac cave is located near the village.-Population:-References:*...
- CaveCaveA cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
s like Grottes de Saint-Marcel on the Route Touristique de Gorges - DolmenDolmenA dolmen—also known as a portal tomb, portal grave, dolmain , cromlech , anta , Hünengrab/Hünenbett , Adamra , Ispun , Hunebed , dös , goindol or quoit—is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of...
s (Champvermeil in Bidon, Pradèches in Saint-Marcel - or near the Botanic Path at the Grottes de Saint-Marcel with a menhir,...) - Roman sites of Alba-la-RomaineAlba-la-RomaineAlba-la-Romaine is a commune in the Ardèche department in southern France.-History:It was founded in Roman times and bore the names Alba Helviorum and possibly Alba Augusta. From the Middle Ages until 1904, it bore the name Aps, the family name of the local proprietors...
, roman bridge on the Escoutaÿ river in ViviersViviersViviers is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:* Viviers, Ardèche, in the Ardèche département, capital of the Vivarais and episcopal see* Viviers, Moselle, in the Moselle département... - Mediaeval villages with burg ruins : AiguèzeAiguèzeAiguèze is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.Since 2005, Aiguèze has been a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France , the first such location in Gard.-Population:-Sights:...
labelled one of the "Most Beautiful Villages of France", Saint-MontanSaint-MontanSaint-Montan is a commune in the Ardèche department in southern France.-Population:-References:*... - Mediaeval isolated church of Larnas, chapels St-Sulpice in Saint-Marcel d'Ardèche, Ste-Agnès in Saint-Paulet-de-Caisson,...
- Mediaeval and Renaissance town centers in Bourg-Saint-AndéolBourg-Saint-AndéolBourg-Saint-Andéol is a commune in the Ardèche department in the Rhône Valley in southern France.-Geography:It lies directly along the Rhône River at the southeast end of the department south of the smaller see of Viviers, from Pierrelatte eastwards across the river in the département Drôme and ...
, ViviersViviersViviers is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:* Viviers, Ardèche, in the Ardèche département, capital of the Vivarais and episcopal see* Viviers, Moselle, in the Moselle département...
see, Pont-Saint-EspritPont-Saint-EspritPont-Saint-Esprit is a commune in the Gard département in southern France. It is situated on the Rhône River and is the site of a historical crossing, hence its name...
with its 13th century stonebridge over the RhôneRhône RiverThe Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...
at the confluence of ArdècheArdècheArdèche is a department in south-central France named after the Ardèche River.- History :The area has been inhabited by humans at least since the Upper Paleolithic, as attested by the famous cave paintings at Chauvet Pont d'Arc. The plateau of the Ardeche River has extensive standing stones ,...
, Saint-Paul-Trois-ChâteauxSaint-Paul-Trois-ChâteauxSaint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.-Population:-See also:*Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux Cathedral*Tricastin*Communes of the Drôme department-External links:*...
and castles of Suze-la-RousseSuze-la-RousseSuze-la-Rousse is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France situated in the heart of the Rhône Valley vineyards-Location:Suze-la-Rousse is located 10 km southeast of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux and 18 km north of Orange...
or Mme de Sévigné's daughter GrignanGrignanGrignan is a commune in the Drôme department in the Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France.It has a magnificent Renaissance castle and is mentioned in the letters that Madame de Sévigné wrote to her daughter, Madame de Grignan, in the 17th century.... - La Ferme aux Crocodiles in PierrelattePierrelattePierrelatte is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France.-Population:-References:*...