The Tour du Briançon # 7 (by mountain-bike)

3 points of interest

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  Agriculture

  The Can de Ferrières

  This limestone plateau continues to be grazed by flocks of sheep. Note the piles of stones, called clapas. They are not there by chance! They are the result of locals clearing their fields and pastureland of stones. These piles shelter many species.

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  History

  The Château de Saint-Julien-d'Arpaon

  This 13th century castle was the property of the Lords of Anduze, who owned the barony of Florac in what was then the Gévaudan. In 1618, when the Gabriac family owned it, the castle was demolished. In the 18th century, it was inherited by the Montcalm family from Rouergue province, which owned several properties in the Gévaudan. The family restored the building, but it has suffered from the effects of time and is currently in ruins – though in a better state of preservation than other castles in the Gévaudan.

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  Agriculture

  The Cévenol chestnut grove

  The vast expanses of sweet chestnut groves that still occupy a part of the Cévennes are all man-made. From the Middle Ages onwards, and especially in the 16th century, locals replaced oak and beech with chestnut, essentially for its nuts. In the mid-19th century, a new population boom pushed the Cévenol chestnut grove to its maximum extent.

  The tree supplies regular, balanced and abundant food, with chestnuts largely replacing grains. The locals' diet (about 2 kg per person per day) was complemented by some rye, pork products, vegetables and pulses. The Cévennes did not experience the great famines that struck other regions, and witness accounts describe the vigour and good health of the inhabitants of the Cévenol valleys.