Crédit photo: Julien Grondin
one of the most beautiful villages of France
Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, its terroir
The song of the cicadas, the Provencal scents, the colors and the light of the sun – present 300 days per year: you will find easy living and authenticity in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie. It’s its authentic and tempting specialties (truffles, olive oil, lavender honey) that were chosen by great chefs like Alain Ducasse – featured in the greatest restaurant guides – to open their own restaurants inside one of the most beautiful villages of France. With a choice ranging from traditional taverns to gastronomic restaurants you will have no trouble in discovering the regional delicacies.
More than 20 000 olive trees grow in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, mainly on the dry-stone terraces of the Claux hill, where saffron used to grown in the 18th century. They paint the landscape with green and silver shades (depending on the season and the light). 2 000 of them have been rehabilitated and are exploited today to produce the « Cuvée spéciale de Moustiers ». Located in the zone AOC « olive oil of the Haute-Provence », its spicy savor is present on the most distinguished tables worldwide.
The pre-alpine treasures of Haute Provence can be found in the local delicacies that you can discover in the village shops: truffles, Moustiers olive oil, tapenade, lavender honey, seasonal vegetables, biscuits, goat’s cheese or “charcuteries” (salted meats).
Crédit photo: Julien Grondin
The Provençal market inside the village
Le village possède deux édifices classés monuments historiques. Son église paroissiale, appelée Notre Dame de l’Assomption. Construite entre le XIIème et le XIVème siècle, mélangeant style roman et gothique, elle est classée monument historique en 1913. Son clocher lombard du XIIème siècle est l’un des plus beaux de Provence.
La Chapelle Notre Dame de Beauvoir est elle aussi classée monument historique en 1921. Construite entre le XIIème et le XVIème siècle, elle est bien connue pour ses « suscitations » : au XVIIème siècle, des enfants mort-nés y reprenaient vie, le temps de leur baptême, gagnant ainsi le ciel. Vous connaîtrez tout sur l'histoire du village grâce aux visites guidées.
Crédit photo: Philippe Murtas
