From St Affrique to Tournemire (maison de la vigne) (vine house)

Pourquoi Saint-Affrique avec deux F ?Au Vème siècle, les Wisigoths Ariens persécutaient les communautés catholiques et interdisaient l’accès aux églises. Africanus, évêque, fut chassé du Comminges.La légende raconte qu’Africanus aurait terminé son exil dans un hameau au bord de la Sorgues et qu’il en aurait profité pour évangéliser les habitants. Il y aurait aussi accompli de nombreux miracles (voir  les vitraux du Chœur de l’église Notre Dame de la Miséricorde).Le nom de cet évêque trouverait son origine dans la langue parlée par les Wisigoths et plus précisément dans la racine Affric ou Effric, signifiant « puissant et affreux ».Le nom de Saint-Affrique fut attesté en 942 dans le cartulaire (recueil des droits et des titres d’un monastère ou d’un évêché) de Vabres l’Abbaye. Une anecdote : Saint-Affrique n’a pas toujours conservé ce nom là. Pendant la Révolution Française on appela la ville Montagne sur Sorgues. En effet, à cette période il était de coutume de modifier les noms à consonance ecclésiastique.

Classé monument historique, il est reconnu comme l'un des plus beaux ponts médiévaux de France. Il existait déjà en 1368, il est attesté en 1408 grâce à une crue qui emporta l'arche rive gauche avec le moulin, reconstruite en plein cintre en 1418 (les arches d'origine sont en arcs brisés). Depuis le Pont n'a subi aucun réaménagement. La construction est tout à la fois hardie et légère. Une grand arche encadrée par deux plus petites, des piles minces, un profil en fort dos d'âne (pente de 14%). La grande arche atteint 21,40 m d'ouverture. Les piles, remarquablement minces, n'ont que 3,40 m d'épaisseur et sont terminée par des becs triangulaires effilés qui se poursuivent jusqu'au parapet pour former refuge.Conséquence  du classement du Pont Vieux comme monument historique, seuls les toits en tuiles romanes sont autorisés dans un rayon de 500 mètres autour de lui.

This rock was used as the bedrock for the building of the Counts of Caylus’ Castle of which nothing remains todayThe castle was destroyed in retaliation of Count of Caylus’ rebellion against his overlord Raymond VII, count of Toulouse, marquis of Provence and of Gothie.

The castle is situated 3 km south east of Saint Rome and was rebuilt after the French revolution. Written references to the ancient castle mention the year 1322 when it was occupied by Raymond de Vanco de Banc d'Anglars, and again in the 15th century when it was owned by the Armagnac family. It was then passed on to the Morlhon family, the Vernhet de Grandval family and the Sambucy de Sorgue family. The Laumière seigneury was granted to the Vernhet’s during the 18th century who became Vernhet de Laumière. A general named Vernhet de Laumière distinguished himself on taking command of the Imperial Guard artillery during the Second Empire. He died in Mexico during the 1863 siege of Puebla. During the 19th century, Maria de Sambucy gave the castle as a wedding dowery to the Count of Toulza

The imposing rocky chaos that surrounds us comes from the numerous and profound movements that the plateau of Combalou has undergone: landslides, rockslides, erosion… The diagram highlights the primitive and current structures of the whole Combalou plateau.

Once the milking season was over, shepherds and their flocks would reach the Combalou pastoral routes via the slopes to the rear of the Combalou plateau rather than climbing up the cliff using the ladders. Shepherds used these ladders to scale down directly to Roquefort and climb up the same pathways when the ewes needed to be sheltered in the jasse. The flocks would be kept on the plateau until the first cold of autumn.The jasse was a two storey building: the ground-floor consisted of two sheepfolds, one of which had a vaulted ceiling, the first floor was a huge barn used to store the hay.

The Saint-Pierre chapel dates back to the 11th century and is located on top of a rocky spur of the same name. It was the chapel of the castle and was never a parish church. The castle, which dates from the same period, was attached to the rocky vertical face (remains of a tower). The structure of the chapel is made with a fine stone-setting and is proof of the quality of the construction of this small religious building. The squat and vaulted semi-dome choir was restricted by a semicircular arch with an enlarged triumphal arch that stood in front of it and led to the short nave.

The cliff towering over our heads is really impressive with its steepness, the smooth appearance of the rock and the feeling of solidity it conveys. Actually, the huge screes we are walking on have been created by a rockslide. The bottom of this valley is called “sotch”, which is the local name for sinkholes