Calavon

The Calavon or Coulon is a Rivière French department of Vaucluse, affluent of the Durance, between the Luberon and the Monts of Vaucluse. Taking its source towards the village of Banon (Alp-of-High-Provence) to 800 m of altitude, it forms the valley of Calavon while passing by the towns of Apt and Cavaillon; 80 km lower, it are thrown in the Durance in the north of Cavaillon.

It dug spectacular the Gorges of Oppedette or Canyon of Oppedette.

With the crossing of Apt, it took care of the effluents of the city and especially of those of the candied fruits factories: it left there in the form of a sewer noirâtre and puant which was worth the nickname of the most polluted river to him France in the Eighties. Its state improved considerably since, thanks to the action of the Regional natural park of Luberon which was invested in the installation and the direct management of Calavon/Coulon and its affluents since 1990.

On the level of Bonnieux, it passes under a remarkably preserved Roman bridge: the Bridge Julien (dating from Ier century after J. - C., it is 118 m long and has 3 arches in large apparatus). For some time, a very new bridge came to preserve the Julien Bridge of circulation.

Denominations

Calavon (called thus because of its abrupt angers which flooded the valley) changes name to become Coulon while arriving in the plain of the Comtat, in the village of the Beaumettes; precisely at the place where in antiquity was the limit between the Gallic tribes of the Albiques - in the mountain, towards Apt - and that of the Cavares - in the plain, towards Cavaillon. On the Way Domitienne ( via Domitia ) which follows the valley between Cavaillon and Apt, the ancient routes indicate a locality AD fines (with the limits) which was identified with ancient vestiges with the locality Maricamp (camp of the Moors) near Notre-Dame de Lumières. Since at the time of the Gaulois, there were frequently sanctuaries at the points of passage of the limits between the tribes, it is very possible that the sanctuary - and pilgrimages - of Notre-Dame de Lumières took the continuation of an ancient place of worship. Moreover, the name was formerly Notre-Dame of Imergue, the name of the brook which passes there and joined Calavon: Imergue, perhaps ancient Liminicus (river of the limits).

Believed

Alternating periods of dryness and raw, the floods of Calavon can be as well unforeseeable as spectacular.

Thus described it in 1863 Marie Azalaïs Martin, the “felibresso dou Couloun”:

… a gaudre claperous

that - initially simple riéu sourti di cauno aupenco

quouro, crentous, encour dins Li prat fresquierous

quouro, coume a béu flume estènd located erso rousso

pièi all-with a-COP feroun, boumbis known Li roucas

sauto of baus in baus, E, dins its folo courso

emporto aubre and restanco, anouge and serpatas. … a stony torrent

who - initially simple brook left the Alpine caves

sometimes, shy person, flees in the fresh meadows

sometimes, as a beautiful river deploys its vague blondes

then all-with-blow, savage, leaps on the rocks

escarpment in escarpment precipitates, and, in its mad dash

carry trees and dams, lambs and serpents. Years of strong risings : 1935,1942,1951 and 1994.

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