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NEWSLETTER No. 19 - MARCH 7th 2006 Theme of the fortnight is Sauve, one of the most striking medieval villages of the Gard with a compelling history. Sauve clings to a hillside overlooking the river Vidourle and while in the middle ages was a focal point for trade and manufacturing in the Languedoc, is now one for the arts and crafts. Its former riches give it great character with its narrow winding roads, its arcaded alleys and squares and it is the departure point for long walks on the surrounding Coutach plateau. Sauve is 50 minutes north of Montpellier and 40 minutes north west of Nîmes. Top property is a spatious and newly restored 'magnanerie' (used originally for the cultivation of silk worms) close to Nîmes. Should you wish to be removed from this mailing list, please use the link provided at the bottom of the page. Otherwise, kindly read on. Theme Of The Fortnight: A concise history of Sauve Before Sauve, there was Mus, a small Gaul and no doubt subsequently Roman settlement a mile to the north. The abandoning of Mus in around the 6th century would seem to coincide with the advent of a settlement in Sauve - the first mention within archives of Sauve dates to 675. Numerous are the reasons for creating a settlement there, the predominant one being a plentiful supply of water: the river Vidourle emerges after an 8km path underground. The Vidourle is practically always crossable in Sauve due to a natural ford and besides being a reliable source of water, long provided useful power to run various mills.   The second constituent for a healthy settlement was its defenses. Set up against a rocky cliff face, the task of building considerable fortifications, 3 metres thick, was vastly simplified. These no longer exist due to demolition in 1629 brought about by a peace treaty. Its position between the woods and grazing areas of the Coutach and cereal growing areas of the Vidourle plain were no doubt instrumental in healthy growth of the village through trade. Equally, the road network left by the Romans was to serve Sauve well, with the migration of herds of animals, trade - in particular with the development of the textile industry - and pilgrims that moved within a network of monasteries across the region. Sauve had a chateau, the remains of which are a simple sentry box and its own monastery, founded in 1029 and which had as many as 48 Benedictine monks in 1250. A huge renaissance window in one of the facades is among the few visible remnants of the abbey. The gardens, situated on the present town hall square were also levelled. Sauve also had a synagogue to serve a considerable Jewish community, which brought a certain prosperity through trade. Marriage of the noble family of Bermond de Sauve with a family of Toulouse at the end of the 12th century brought greater affluence - Sauve not only had its own money at the time, but also its own system of weights. It is thought that Sauve and neighbouring Anduze were the most highly populated and active communities of the lower Languedoc. However the Albigensian crusade, which set out to eradicate Catharism brought a blow to the city, along with the Hundred year war, and the plague. The 16th century brought renewed prosperity through economic activity that was to benefit particularly the bourgeois and tradesmen who invested their fortunes in property - the period saw the construction of noble town houses.    At the same period the town turned largely to Protestantism in order to evade the so called abuses of the Roman Catholic church. This fueled new disputes with the monarchy in the 17th century, which set out to eliminate the reformist church by outlawing it. The 18th century brought another bout of the plague, and the Vidourle caused great devastation in 1723. The continued underground meetings of Protestants brought about the construction in the mid 18th century of military barracks under orders from the monarchy in order to intimidate the so called heretics. A military presence was maintained in Sauve until the peace treaty in 1787. Continued disputes in the 19th century between Catholics and Protestants brought about the division of the town between communities, Protestants occupying the barracks area, while the Monarchists, Catholics and Bonapartists settled around the Pont Vieux and the church. Each community had its own shops and cafes. The century also saw the arrival of the railway linking Nimes with Le Vigan at the southern edge of the Cévennes three times a day. Sauve became the largest manufacturer in the Gard of silk stockings and cotton garments. However ensuing crises in the silk manufacturing and wine industries caused by an outbreak of phylloxera provoked an exodus. To top this, there were two cholera epidemics in 1835 and 1884, during the second of which the city was quarantined and free eau-de-vie put at the disposal of all inhabitants by the town authorities. Revitalisation at the end of the century came in the form of new industries: the cultivation of cherries for export to London, Brussels and Russia, the agricultural fork made from branches of the nettle tree (micocoulier) and shoe and slipper manufacturing.  Electrification of the town came in 1907 and homes were equipped with running water in 1934. A formidable source of water, the Vidourle - whose source is 15 km to the north west in the Cévenol foothills - is also vulnerable to flooding. The term 'Vidourlade' refers to the Vidourle in spate and Sauve is the departure point along a route southward to the Mediterranean for flooding. Built on a hillside, Sauve fortunately has little to fear, contrary to Sommières and other villages downstream. Nevertheless the Vidourlade of 1933, claimed 6 lives locally. Sauve today Sauve is a picturesque village which has retained an accentuated medieval feel and now has a population of 1700 year round inhabitants, down from 3200 around the year 1800, but up from 1200 in 1950. Pleasant restaurants and cafés add to the experience of a walk around the village, and a hearty stroll outward from the top of the village leads onto a plateau dotted with large weather eroded limestone rocks.  The village has drawn considerable interest among artists. The first of May is an opportunity for local artists to open their doors to the public. On May 25th, the village holds exhibitions of flowers and paintings in the streets. At the end of May is a celebration of the nettle tree fork and cherry tree, and in July there is a 3 day African Festival with street parade. Those looking for a considerable restoration project in Sauve might like to consider a noble town house (Maison de Maître) in the heart of the village. Details are available on the following page: http://www.jamespropertiesfrance.com/viewpropNP.php?id=319 Top Property Of The Fortnight: This former magnanerie (used for silk worm cultivation) has undergone a brand new and very tasteful restoration. The house is set in a small hamlet with another magnanerie, a noble town house and a former sheepfold. It has an interior surface area of 170m² and stands on low maintenance grounds of 780m². The house is a 35 minute drive from the centre of Nimes and 40 minutes from Uzès. The ground floor of the house comprises a living room (38m²) a kitchen (23m²), a bedroom/office and living room. On the first floor are four bedrooms, two of which share a shower room, and a third has a walk in wardrobe and ensuite shower room. Exposed stone and timberwork give considerable character to the house and blend well with recent yet traditionally styled floor tiling. Double glazing is fitted throughout along with a gas fired central heating system. The garden requires is a very manageable size and format. The asking price is 365,700€.         http://www.jamespropertiesfrance.com/viewpropNP.php?id=318  +33 626 581 415 Enquiries can be made through the following page: http://www.jamespropertiesfrance.com/contact.php www.jamespropertiesfrance.com About James Properties France: Based in Montpellier in the south of France, bringing to you a carefully picked selection of properties within a 70 mile radius - with the occasional more distant exception - that are chosen for their combinations of attributes, most notably: - Setting of outstanding natural beauty - Distinct character or unusual features - Quality of renovation or authenticity - Value for money James Properties France serves primarily an English speaking, though often highly Francophile clientele looking to move or own a second home in the south of France around such places as Uzes, Nîmes, Montpellier, Anduze, St. Hippolyte du Fort, the Southern Cevennes, Gignac and Clermont l'Herault and the Hauts Cantons. Besides being a rich source of housing options, James Properties France represents a useful accompaniment during the process of viewing and purchasing a house. If you would like to unsubscribe from this newsletter, please click on the following link: www.jamespropertiesfrance.com/unsubscribe.php |