Around Saint-Gabriel

The pine forest is an environment composed of many pine trees that were planted or not. We find them very often in the south of France because these trees need dry soil and very little water to live. After a forest fire, common in areas with dry climates, pine, especially Aleppo pine, is the variety that grows back the fastest.

The landscape of the Alpilles has been shaped by centuries of grazing. In the mountains, sheep and goat flocks or cattle herds all play an important part in the maintenance of the natural area: by eating the grass and some of the tree sprouts and shrubs, they slow down the overrunning. The area thus remains open and grasslands are maintained. This practice helps to protect the forest against fire and the preservation of the Mediterranean biodiversity.

Under the authority of the counts of Provence, a castrum (fortified site) was built in the 13th century to defend Tarascon and the traffic routes. The number of soldiers present varies depending on the events until the end of the 16th century. Today, only the main tower and vestiges remain. The facing of the tower is adorned with a remarkable boss. On the blocks of stones, the different signs makes it possible to identify the stone carver and to pay him accordingly.

L'artiste Yoann Crépin a utilisé des matériaux locaux et naturels glanés dans les Alpilles (cyprès, génévrier, olivier, clématite et asperge sauvage) pour constituer son petit troupeau de chèvres du Rove qui rend un hommage poétique à cette race caprine patrimoniale qui se rencontrait fréquemment au sein des grands troupeaux de Provence. Dans les massifs forestiers, elle joue aussi un rôle important : friande d’épineux délaissés par les moutons, elle participe à réduire le risque incendie.

In the early Middle Ages, a first church was erected in the place of a former place of pagan worship. Dedicated to the archangel Gabriel, it is a milestone in the Way of St James trail. The present chapel was built in the 12th century and reflects the splendour of early Romanesque art in Provence, as shown in its architecture: its Antique façade, monumental gate, sculpted friezes, or its oculus decorated with symbols of the four Evangelists.

The Aleppo pine is common in the Alpilles. Indeed, beyond the fact that it enjoys low altitudes (900m below) and the Mediterranean regions (hot climate, dry soils, lots of sun), it has the distinctive feature of growing very quickly. This is why we can see its presence after a forest fire, because this is the first variety which will restore the landscape. Highly flammable, its bark was once used for tanning hides or dyes.

The White-fronted Dectic is a typical Mediterranean grasshopper that lives in hot, dry places. He frequents the scrubland and sometimes vineyards and orchards. With a size between 32 and 40 mm, the White-fronted Dectic is one of the largest Orthoptera present in Western Europe. His diet consists of various plants and small insects. The insect is adult from the month of July and remains until November.

The Rove goat is a countryside breed, easily recognizable with his lyre-shaped horns. It is generally found within large sheep flocks of Provence, which in summer, transhumance on foot towards the Alps. They had multiple roles: leading the sheep flock, feeding lambs, food subsistence for shepherds with goat milk and goat meat. After nearly disappearing in the 1970s, the breed now exceeds 10 000 goats.