Moustiers-Sainte-Marie. Descriptions & Excursions.

Moustiers-Sainte-Marie is a small fabulous town with approx. 700 residents, located in the Alps of Haute Provence 150 km from Nice and is rightfully included in the association of the "Most Beautiful Villages of France". Moustiers-Sainte-Marie is part of the Parc Naturel Régional du Verdon and the gateway to the grandiose Verdon Gorge. Moustiers is also located within the UNESCO Géoparc de Haute Provence, a natural reserve listed by Unesco including 60 towns and villages in the Alpes de Haute Provence.

The highest point in the city is the Notre Dame de Beauvoir chapel on an 830-meter cliff. The first temple in honor of the Holy Virgin was built on this site back in 470. In the XII century, on the site of the temple, the monks erected a chapel, which later received the name of Our Lady Between the Rocks, Notre Dame d'Entreroches. In the 16th century, the chapel was significantly expanded and has survived to this day.

Moustiers-Sainte-Marie is called "the city under the star": a gilded star is suspended on a 400-kilogram chain between the rocks overlooking the city. According to legend, the Duke de Blac, captured during one of the crusades, vowed that if he managed to free himself and return home from captivity, he made a vow to erect a monument to the Holy Virgin. Returning from captivity, the duke ordered to hang between the rocks above Moustiers a sixteen-pointed star - the symbol of his house. The star, unfortunately, has not survived to this day. Now you can see the five-pointed star, a replica created in 1882.

The Notre-Dame Church

The Notre-Dame Church is a beautiful combination of Romanesque and Gothic styles, and is listed as a National Historic Monument. In addition, the ruins of the city wall and an aqueduct testify to the medieval past of the city. On the streets, there are many fountains and medieval laundries - stone tubs, in which they washed clothes, washed, washed animals and even meat on market days. Unsurprisingly, laundries have been the epicenter of epidemics. Nowadays, they serve exclusively as sources of drinking water, unusually tasty and cold.

Production of ceramics

The true dawn in the economy of Moustiers Sainte-Marie began only in the 16th century, and was inextricably linked with the production of ceramics. Since 1668, more than 20 faience workshops have supplied exclusive tableware and tableware for the court of Louis XIV. Moustiers-Sainte-Marie is famous as the French capital of faience. Old shops with chic earthenware products will not leave anyone indifferent. The Faience Museum houses a collection of the most beautiful local creations from the 17th century to the present day.

The city is surrounded by olive groves - excellent olive oil is pressed from the harvest of twenty thousand olive trees. In the Middle Ages, the city developed through the cultivation of olive trees. Butter and other local produce can be bought at the city market held every Friday before lunchtime.

More informations Yo can find at the officiel web of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie.