Saint Maurice de Ventalon

Saint-Maurice-de-Ventalon is the canton's most centrally located village, at the crossroads of Mont Lozère  and the Cevennes. To reach the hamlets of Le Tronc and Le Masmin, you have to cross over the Ventalon ridge. The village's families are mostly multiple job holders, living partly on farming, bee-keeping (restored trunk-hive at the entrance to the village), livestock rearing and renting out horses for hikes. The village was once a very convivial place, with a post office, school, shop and cafe that drew the inhabitants of this vastly spread out village. “In Saint-Maurice-de-Ventalon, an accordion-player was hired for the ball on the saint's name day. This took place in July on the little square. The organisers went around the village to sell the “fougasse de Paillasse” (a Provencal bread made by Mr Durand, the baker in Vialas, nicknamed Paillasse). People played skittles. Many came – the inhabitants of Saint-Frézal, Soleyrols, etc.” (Léa Carrière. Vent des Bancels. issue 31)