Cavillargues in Gard Provencal

Discover the regions of Gard Provencal ::		Between Ceze and Ardeche rivers
Cevennes foothills	Tave river valley	In the Cotes du Rhone
Around Uzes	Near the Pont du Gard	Across the bridge from Avignon

	TAVE RIVER VALLEY ::
		Cavillargues

Click to visit town,
village or monument ::

Population ::	715
Village festival ::	Third weekend of July
Town hall ::	04 66 82 02 51

Cavillargues is situated at the bottom of a fertile valley which is irrigated by the Auzigue. The district is part of the region called the Gard Rhodanien. It is administratively linked to Languedoc, but it also shares a cultural identity with neighboring Provence.

shops	In Cavillargues you can supply all your everyday needs in the local shops; there is also a winery. Numerous lodgings for vacationers (self-catering cottages, furnished accommodations).
heritage	Although the old ramparts were destroyed in 1793, the two castles that were connected to these fortifications have been renovated. The castle of la Fare, reconstructed in 1570, has a Renaissance façade and a winding staircase. The castle of Nicolay, begun in 1590, is flanked by two round towers, and it features a banistered staircase and a monumental Renaissance doorway. The church dates from 1861. The Ermitage de Saint-Sépulcre is a small, recently renovated Romanesque chapel. It is currently the object of two pilgrimages.
history	Cavillargues has been populated since prehistoric times, as is proven by a great dolmen topped with a stone that is four meters long and two and a half meters wide. The Roman civilization also left visible traces. The site of a Gallo-Roman farm is currently being excavated. In the 11th century, the village was under the control of the Sabran family and then of the la Fare family in the 14th century. In the 19th century, the modern age was introduced to this town starting in 1882, with the appearance of the railroad that linked Alès to the Rhône (a line which was discontinued in 1952).
local products	Agriculture has always predominated in Cavillargues. The rise of wine-growing did not prevent the more modest and more irregular development of fruit farming (cherries, peaches, apricots), or market farming (asparagus). A large part of the territory was classified within the appellation of "Côtes du Rhône" in 1955. The production of wines of "origine contrôlée" has become the largely dominant.