The Civadières with a Mountain bike

Once you have reached Aureille, I invite you to make a detour in the center of the village to admire the church of Notre Dame de l’Assomption. The construction of this neo-Romanesque church was initiated by the parish priest, named Father Pauleau, who arrived in 1867 at Aureille. The first stone was laid by the Archbishop of Aix, George Chalandon, on 31 March of that year. His plans are the work of the architect Auguste Veran from Arles.

L'amandier a les fleurs blanches rosées qui apparaissent avant les feuilles. Premier fruitier à fleurir (février/mars), il annonce l’arrivée du printemps. L’amande, « amendo » en provençal, est originaire d’Asie occidentale et fut implantée en Provence au Ve s. av J.-C. Elle a connu son essor au Moyen Age, avec son introduction dans la cuisine traditionnelle. Depuis le gel de 1956, sa production a fortement diminué, mais aujourd’hui des initiatives cherchent à la restaurer.

Following the tectonic pressures of the Eurasian and African plates, and the pleating of the rocks that it created, the Alpilles massif allows to find visible geological strata, called "limestone bench". These strata each correspond to a more or less homogeneous sedimentary set which has formed over many years between two parallel surfaces. These surfaces ;correspond mostly to rapid environmental variations.

Located at the south-eastern end of the crests of the Alpilles, the Vallongue estate has a surface of 38 hectares on which are produced wines and olive oils. These vineyards have been grown organically since 1985. Reds, rosés and whites benefit from the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Les Baux de Provence and the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) Alpilles de la Vallongue, witnesses of a real know-how.

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!

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!

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).