Les Crottes d'Aubert

7 points of interest

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  Flora

  The almond tree

  The almond tree is the first tree of the year to bloom, it is the symbol of the arrival of spring. Originally from the Middle East, it arrived in France in the 5th century and became, with the Olive Tree, the symbol of Provence. Nevertheless, its number has greatly diminished in recent decades Actions are now being put in place to permanently reintroduce it into the landscape of the Alpilles.

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  Patrimony and history

  The mill of Daudet

  The mill Ribet or St Peter was built in 1814 and functioned until 1915, when the wheat was requisitioned for war. It is the newest of the four mills of Fontvieille. In 1935, it was the mill, which is now the best preserved, as the Society of Friends of Alphonse Daudet restores. This is why it is commonly called Daudet's windmill.

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  Flora

  Provence Cypress

  Native to Minor Asia, the Provence Cypress has acclimatized very well around the Mediterranean basin, until becoming one of its symbols. It can reach 20 to 30 m high and 2 m of tower, it withstands -20 ° C and tolerates a relative drought. Its dense wood is appreciated by cabinetmakers since ancient times ;The Phoenicians, Romans and Greeks used it for the construction of ships, temple doors and coffins. ;

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  Patrimony and history

  Roman aqueduct of Barbegal

  In the 1st century AD, the Romans built two parallel aqueduct bridges, which converged in a basin from which a single conduit leading to Arles. The Barbegal aqueduct was diverted in the 2nd century. AD to feed the Barbegal mill, while the western branch continued to supply the city of Arles. The modified bridge trenched the link of the Pene to feed the mill. The waters were then collected by a channel that evacuated them into marshes.

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  Patrimony and history

  Barbegal hydraulic mill

  This mill was built in the 2nd century. and would have served 100 years. Built in a hillside on a slope of 30 ° and fed by the eastern branch of the Barbegal aqueduct, this mill consisted of two parallel rows of eight water wheels that operated sixteen mills. It formed a rectangle measuring 42 by 20 meters and produced about 4.5 tons of flour a day.

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  Produits du terroir

  The olive tree

  Emblematic culture of the territory of the Alpilles, the olive tree is the symbol of the dry Mediterranean climate. Its multiple trunks are the result of a release at the strain level following a significant frost in 1956. Today, some of the olives and oils produced in the Alpilles are recognized nationally and internationally, benefiting from the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO).

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  Patrimony and history

  Saint-Pierre-ès-Liens Church

  In the classical style, the parish church of Fontvieille, Saint Pierre-ès-Liens has two bell towers. Its construction began in 1695, the old parish church having become too small to accommodate the inhabitants of the village. From 1790 and throughout the post-revolutionary period, the building was transformed into a communal hall. It regains its original vocation in the early nineteenth century and its second tower was built in 1866, which explains the difference in style.