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Situation
Gargas gets its name from the Provencal word “Gargan”, which means a hill. With some 3000 inhabitants, it lies 3 km to the north west of Apt on the Ochre Route.
The village is beneath the rounded hill known as Perréal, which rises to 471 metres and is a site of historical and geological importance. The site is classified as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO because of its unique habitat and population of rare plants.
Heritage
The prehistoric discoveries at Perréal, Bruoux and Serres include palaeontological remains. The fossil-bearing grey marls from the lower cretaceous period, which can be seen on the surface, define a geological layer known as the Gargassian. These sites are classified as a natural geological reserve.
At the summit of Perréal there are the remains of a Gaulish fortification which was occupied until the 1st century AD, as well as the Romanesque chapel of Saint Radegonde, built in 1551. The ancient village of Gargas was composed of isolated farm lands and 22 significant hamlets separated from the traditional centre.
The church of Saint Denis was built on the hill which was occupied by the old fort until it was dismantled in about 1600, while Château des Condés became what is now the Town Hall. The church, of which the nave is architecturally original, has tapestries and paintings from the 17th century recounting the life of Saint Denis. The village centre as it exists today dates only from the end of the 20th century. |
The ochre heritage
Gargas has a rich heritage from the ochre industry going back to the end of the 19th century, and is also the last village in Europe where ochre is still produced. Traces of the ochre industry that are being restored include the old mine workings at Bruoux and a factory at La Choque.
At the present time, a visit to the outside of the mines at Bruoux is offered to tourists every Friday throughout the year, at the same time as a visit to the quarries owned by the French Ochre Company, where washing equipment, a cyclone and settling pools are still in use.
A permanent exhibition entitled “Land of ochre – Fragments of memory”, situated at Place des Jardins in the village, has archive photographs and full explanations of historic interest, together with a slide show illustrating the lives of modern ochre workers.
Leisure activities and outings
Gargas offers a village hall, a library and an Internet facility open to school children and the general population. |
