Bridge and gardonnades

 
Roupt Bridge bears witness to mediaeval bridge architecture, but also to the violence of floods in the Cévennes. Gardonnades is a local word for the “Cévenol episodes” (sudden violent floods) of the various Gardon rivers, caused by rain coming from the Mediterranean. Because the rain falls on steep terrain that is partly impermeable, rivers swell rapidly and sweep away soil and gravel. In 1907, 1,650 mm of rain fell on Le Collet in 34 days. The 1811, 1861 and 1899 gardonnades were especially devastating. Closer to our day, in 1958 a flood destroyed several road structures downstream of Le Collet-de-Dèze.