Petit et Gros Calans

11 points of interest

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  Fauna

  The cicadas song

  The cicada is a brown insect measuring 5 to 9 cm in length. It has a rigid proboscis called rostrum, which it plants in roots and plants to feed themselves. It has four long transparent wings. As soon as the temperature is sufficiently high (about 25°C), the male cymbalise (" sings") to attract the females of the same species. While the larvae can live for several years underground, the adult lives only 2 months in the summer to reproduce.

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  Flora

  Badon Arboretum

  An old quarry became discharge, it is in 2009 that this one was rehabilitated to revalue this remarkable site in the middle of Alpilles. This project of revaluation goes through the creation of an arboretum, a space of Mediterranean flora adapted to the climate. From 2010, the first trees are planted by the students of the vocational agricultural school of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. About sixty trees and many shrubs represent the floristic diversity of the scrubland.

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  Geology

  Calans

  A Calan is a hard limestone escarpment formed between 160 and 90 million years BC. These cliffs are the remains of an ocean presence in distress. Indeed, the Tethys ocean was here during the Jurassic period, the same period that saw the water level decrease. It was then that massifs such as the Alpilles ridges or as the calans were formed. Here, you can distinguish the Gros and Petit Calan because of their size.

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  Panorama

  An island in the middle of nowhere

  From this viewpoint, you will have the chance to make a brief stop and admire the beauty of the Alpilles. On your right you have the Gros Calan and the Chaîne des Alpilles in the distance. These massifs are the result of tectonic plate movements and the action of the formerly present ocean millions of years ago. Today they are home to flora and fauna that are now the wealth of these places.

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  Panorama

  View of the top of the Opies

  If you look up, you will see the Opies massif. This massif, a bit away from the Alpilles, is characterized by a series of ridges where the highest point is located in the territory of the Park: the Opies, at 498m of altitude. From the lookout tower which symbolizes the summit, you can see up to the Alpine peaks! Nevertheless and despite its imposing presence, this massif is fragile and it is advisable to roam other peaks capable of receiving visitors.

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  Fauna

  Short-toed snake eagle

  Returning from the Sahara for the summer period, the short-toed snake eagle Jean-in-the-blank, Circaetus gallicus, is a raptor with a wingspan of 1.80 m and he can weigh up to 2 kilos. He has the top of the brown wings and the white underside. Its body is dotted with colorful spots, colour and density depending on the individual (between light beige and dark brown). It hovers for a long time in the manner of vultures to hunt its prey, mainly reptiles!

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  Fauna

  The Dartford warbler

  If you see the Kermes oak trees around you, keep an eye out, and the right one! As you could probably see the Dartford Warbler, characterized by its eye circled in red, fond of Kermes oaks. This species has little adaptability, making it dependent on the Mediterranean natural environment and vegetation of low altitude and high density. An insect-eating bird, it also seems to feed on plant material during the harshest season. Do not disturb it!

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  Panorama

  View of Eygalières

  The village of Eygalières as well as the ruins of the castle at its summit, are the last vestiges of the castrum of Aigueria, of which the first writings date back to the 13th century. The village was originally built on a small rocky ridge, allowing its inhabitants to protect themselves against possible attacks, before expanding on the surroundings. The name of Eygalières is closely linked to water, as indicates its Latin name "Aquilaria" or in Provencal "Eigaliero".

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  Geology

  Le Petit Calan

  The Petit Calan, like the Gros Calan, finds its origin from the Barremian. Its rocks formed with the deposition and compression of the remains of organisms living in a shallow sea about 160 million years ago. They gained altitude by constituting a rock ensemble, undergoing fractures and foldings of lesser amplitude. This elevation of the Alpilles chain is directly related to the rapprochement between the Eurasian and African tectonic plates.

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  Geology

  The Calans

  A calan is a hard limestone cliffs that formed between 160 and 90 million years BC. These cliffs are the vestiges of an oceanic presence. Indeed, the Thétys Ocean was here during the Jurassic period, the same period that saw the water level decrease. It was then that massifs, like the crests of the Alpilles, or like the calans, were formed. The most famous are the Calan de Rousset, the Petit Calan and the Gros Calan.

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  Patrimony and history

  View of the clock tower

  Built in 1672 with stones from the castle, the Clock Tower is the symbol of the independence of Eygalières. In 1660, the villagers paid the ransom of their lord, the Duke of Guise, taken hostage by the Spaniards. As a reward, they won the seigniorial rights of their village. Next to the 13th century dungeon, there remains only the vaulted ground floor. The Virgin statue was placed on the roof in 1893 to commemorate a miracle, and always seems to watch over the village.