Veroncle, through its depths!

16 points of interest

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  Patrimony and history

  Moulin Cabrier

  Dating most probably from the 16th century also, this milldid not have a dwelling unit. Given the modesty of the building, the hydraulic device upstream is spectacular. The pipe carved on the side of the rock comes out on a triangular well in ashlar stone. It is fed by a substantial resclause (small reservoir upstream) partly under rock. In 1874, the owner then built a dam across the Véroncle to increase his water reserves.

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  Geology

  Gorges de Véroncle

  The water flow between the collapsed ditch of Murs located on the heights of the limestone plateau and the Apt basin downstream, dug this impressive canyon called "raccordement". Then the corrosive action of rain water containing carbon dioxide has gradually, through dissolution, enlarged cracks to create true underground networks. The Gorges de Véroncle are not used or hardly used by water, but contain an amazing industrial heritage.

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  Patrimony and history

  Jean de Marre II mill

  This mill probably dates back to the 16th century. The building is simple in form: a water chamber partially collapsed and the grinding room above. Special feature of the site, the resclause (water supply) is quite far from the mill. Also, in order to emphasise the waterfall effect, a vertical well was used in way of the water chamber. Like all the mills of Gordes and unlike those of Murs, they did not belong to the Lord but to several private owners.

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  Patrimony and history

  Jean de Marre I mill

  It is the first mill of Gordes. Built in the 16th century, it was expanded in the 18th century, as evidenced by the collages of masonry. It is a more complex construction on 4 levels: the water chamber, the grinding room, the sack floor and the dwelling (you can still see a fireplace and a sink). In the 19th century, an independent farming developed with arable lands, vineyards, mulberry trees, olive trees, almond trees, pigs, chicken coops.

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  Flora

  The tuff waterfall

  The waterfall, where the Jean de Marre I mill was strategically located forms also a beautiful natural curiosity called tuff! Product of dissolved limestone redeposited, having captured plant and animal debris, the tuff is a very tender and friable rock. When the river is not dry, it is home to lush mosses and ferns particularly enjoying the saturated humidity of the place. This habitat is still rare and located in Provence.

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  Patrimony and history

  Moulin du Puits de Cata

  It is the fourth and last mill of Murs. It owes its name to an abyss probably belonging to the karst-hydraulic system of Monts-de-Vaucluse which feeds Fontaine-de-Vaucluse. From this mill, only the cannon cut into the rock remains and which carried a vertical wheel, which is quite unusual here. We can assume that this is not a flour mill for which an horizontal wheel is preferred; it was probably used for industrial purposes:: a grinder to sharpen.

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  Patrimony and history

  Moulin de la Charlesse

  The third mill of the Gorges in Mursit is based on the same construction principle as the first two (a water chamber which is under the grinding room and the dwelling). The year 1753 is engraved on a stone corresponds most likely to the year of remodellingthan the initial construction. Here, we can easily distinguish the cannon in ashlar stone which allowed to create a waterfall and so a driving force between the resclause (small reservoir upstream) upstream and the water area below.

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  Patrimony and history

  Moulin du Dévissé

  It is the second mill of the Gorges in Murs. Also built in the 16th century as indicated by the year 1573 engraved on a stone from the entrance door, it is now in ruins. It was fed by a béal (channel) which is none other than a leak of the mill of the pond. Today, we can only make out the grinding room which is in flint. Below stood the water chamber today obstructed, and above, the dwelling of the miller.

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  Patrimony and history

  Moulin de l'Etang

  First mill of the Gorges and located on the lands of the Lord of Murs, the current building was probably built in the 16th century, as evidenced by the date 1581 on the lintel of a door. It was probably enlarged in the 18th century and more recently converted into a private housing. Initially, it operated with an horizontal wheel turned into a vertical wheel at the end of the 19th century. It was fed by a resclause (small reservoir upstream) located near the old pond.

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  Patrimony and history

  The dam of the pond

  Built in the 16th century, This large tank was used to supply the first three mills of the Gorges belonging to the Lord of Murs. It also served as a fishing reserve. Remodelled several times over the centuries, it no longer works nowadays but remains in place. Two parallel walls 80m long held back a pile of earth forming a earth-fill dam. On a quoin, we can see a badge dated 1584 which could be a date of remodelling of the building.

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  Flora

  Small garrigue (scrubland) in Genêt de Villars

  On this arid hillside, you can see a discreet broom (shrub) against the ground: Villars broom (Genista pulchella subsp. villarsii). Its meagre look is an adjustment to sunny and dry environments: It sweats very little! While fearing competition from other species, he deigns to share its habitat with few neighbours hand-picked, like here, Perennials (Minuartia capillacea) family of carnations with beautiful white flowers.

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  Water and rivers

  Grasslands of Murs

  Until the late 19th century, 15ha of natural hay meadows and pastures of this valley floor were partly submerged by the dam water feeding the mills of the Gorges. Today, these grasslands are wetlands, biodiversity supports, which fill the role of water storage, purification, protection against soil erosion and the run-off of the stream. They also have an important place in the local agricultural economy which is based on livestock.

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  Geology

  The ditch of Murs

  The village of Murs dominates to the southwest a depression occupied by farmland. These grounds fit perfectly with the limestone and clay outcrops bordered by an imposing limestone mass. About 35 million years ago, during the Oligocene, deep fractures (faults) outlined a zone which sunk gradually: a Graben (german for ditch). This is the story of the ditch of Murs, which is also the story of Sénanque ...

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  Savoir-faire

  First wood fuel boiler of PACA

  All of Remourase houses the very first collective energy wood boiler in the Luberon ... and even in the region! Established in 2000 during the redevelopment of a former holiday camp, it can heat 6 public housing, a lodge, a community hall and 5 local professionals. It is a renewable energy that contributes to the maintenance and the enhancement of the forest land. Since then, more than 40 boiler rooms of this type were carried out in Luberon.

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  Patrimony and history

  Crillon le Brave, life of a warrior

  At the heart of the village of Murs hides the birth house of Crillon le Brave, born in 1543. Born Louis de Berton des Balbes, he will then become Crillon and will continue to wage war. He accompanied 5 kings of France, Henri II, François II, Charles IX, the Duke of Anjou who became Henri III, and it was Henri IV, his comrade, who gave him the name Brave Crillon. His life was made of battles, wounds and victories. He died in 1615 in Avignon, a victim of his countless injuries.

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  Patrimony and history

  The castle of Murs

  It was around year 1.000 that the land of Murs is given to the Agoult family who will build a castle. For four centuries, it was mainly a stronghold for the soldiers of the lord and the dungeon was then built there. After the Agoult family, came the weapons of the Astouaud family which you can see on the castle gate. The church was built in a Romanesque style in the 12th century inside the castle. The building is private and therefore closed to the public.