Vallabrègues
Encyclopedia
Vallabrègues is a commune
in the Gard
department in southern France
.
. It is located opposite the part of the territory of the commune of Beaucaire close to the confluence of the Gardon
.
Its closest town is Tarascon
, where the Festival of the Tarasque
monster is held every year on the last Sunday of June. Vallabrègues is about a 20 minute drive from Tarascon. It is also near the towns of Nîmes
, Arles
and Avignon
.
The area enjoys around 200 days of sunshine a year, and has a dry but warm Mediterranean climate
.
The mayor's office is located alongside the kindergarten-primary school, and next to the post office and local church that surround the town square where markets are often held on Saturdays. There is one main supermarket, the "Coccinelle" (lit. "ladybug"), and also the traditional South of France open-air markets on the weekends.
People enjoy playing pétanque
, or boules in the sandy areas under shady trees near the town center.
The streets of Vallabregues are too narrow for cars, and most villagers get around by bicycle.
is traditional and unique to Vallabrègues. They hold a festival every year and home-made baskets are displayed in front of houses. There are many shops selling baskets and even a museum commemorating the unique tradition of the village.
Vallabrègues used to be the biggest basket-producer in France, back when baskets were widely in use for transport, carrying etc. The village's proximity to the Rhône River ensured that willows grew near the village that were used for basket weaving after soaking. Nowadays, though, basket-weaving is fast disappearing. This is why, in 1990, Vallabrègues decided to hold a festival and parade every year bringing basket-makers from all over Europe in a giant fair that gives an identity to an otherwise nondescript town.
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 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...
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...
.
Geography
Vallabrègues is the only commune of the Gard department located on the left bank of the Rhône RiverRhône 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...
. It is located opposite the part of the territory of the commune of Beaucaire close to the confluence of the Gardon
Gardon
The Gardon or Gard is a river in southern France. It is the namesake of the Gard département. Several of its tributaries are also called Gardon....
.
Its closest town is Tarascon
Tarascon
Tarascon , sometimes referred to as Tarascon-sur-Rhône, is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France.-Geography:...
, where the Festival of the Tarasque
Tarasque
The Tarasque is a fearsome legendary dragon from Provence, in southern France, tamed in a story about Saint Martha. On 25 November 2005 the UNESCO included the Tarasque on the list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity....
monster is held every year on the last Sunday of June. Vallabrègues is about a 20 minute drive from Tarascon. It is also near the towns of Nîmes
Nîmes
Nîmes is the capital of the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. Nîmes has a rich history, dating back to the Roman Empire, and is a popular tourist destination.-History:...
, Arles
Arles
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....
and 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...
.
The area enjoys around 200 days of sunshine a year, and has a dry but warm Mediterranean climate
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
.
Population
Features
Vallabrègues has a small dock for boats traveling on the Rhône River and has tennis courts, a swimming pool, and the "Lac de Vallabrègues", a small pond surrounded by grass and a trail for walking.The mayor's office is located alongside the kindergarten-primary school, and next to the post office and local church that surround the town square where markets are often held on Saturdays. There is one main supermarket, the "Coccinelle" (lit. "ladybug"), and also the traditional South of France open-air markets on the weekends.
People enjoy playing pétanque
Pétanque
Pétanque is a form of boules where the goal is, while standing inside a starting circle with both feet on the ground, to throw hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet or jack. It is also sometimes called a bouchon or le petit...
, or boules in the sandy areas under shady trees near the town center.
The streets of Vallabregues are too narrow for cars, and most villagers get around by bicycle.
Culture
Basket weavingBasket weaving
Basket weaving is the process of weaving unspun vegetable fibres into a basket or other similar form. People and artists who weave baskets are called basketmakers and basket weavers.Basketry is made from a variety of fibrous or pliable materials•anything that will bend and form a shape...
is traditional and unique to Vallabrègues. They hold a festival every year and home-made baskets are displayed in front of houses. There are many shops selling baskets and even a museum commemorating the unique tradition of the village.
Vallabrègues used to be the biggest basket-producer in France, back when baskets were widely in use for transport, carrying etc. The village's proximity to the Rhône River ensured that willows grew near the village that were used for basket weaving after soaking. Nowadays, though, basket-weaving is fast disappearing. This is why, in 1990, Vallabrègues decided to hold a festival and parade every year bringing basket-makers from all over Europe in a giant fair that gives an identity to an otherwise nondescript town.