Robion

Robion ( Roubioun , C-W communication mistralienne) is a common French, located in the department of Vaucluse and the area Provence-Alp-Coast of Azure. Its inhabitants is called Robionnais. Its territory consists of three different parts: the mountain of the Luberon, nipples tertiary bordering the mountain and the plan of Robion, quaternary alluvial plain of the Coulon. The altitude of the village east of 140 meters.

Geography

Access

Relief and geology

Hydrography

Three rivers sprinkle the territory: the Coulon (which bear the name of Calavon to the village of Baumettes), the Boulon and the Escanson. Coulon takes its source in the Alp-of-High-Provence and will be thrown in the Durance towards Cavaillon. Its name change comes from its denominations in the old Gallic tribes of the Albiques (Apt) and of the Cavares (Cavaillon). The Bolt leaves a vauclusienne source to the foot of the Luberon, it is dry in summer. Escanson takes its source in a fault of rock to the mountainside dominating the village. He also is dry in summer. This source was used to feed the water village, and was collected in a cistern which is used now as cloakroom for the open-air theater. It is this cistern which fed the fountain surrounded by plane trees, on the place vis-a-vis the town hall, called “the pump”. Robion is now fed starting from the Durance.

Formerly, the village and the houses were fed by wells. In the high part of the village will intra muros exists a named public well “well of gives Laure” where, known as the mayor of Robion to the prefect of Vaucluse in a letter of July 6th 1831 “for an unmemorable time and perhaps since the origin of the village, the commune of Robion, private individuals and inhabitants of icelle have the right to go to draw water”. Many channels, the “roubines” are used with the irrigation in the plan as Robion. Water is brought by the Canal Saint-Julien whose first mention goes back to 1171. The channel had two important roles: force motor coach used by the many mills, it allowed also the irrigation. Nowadays, the network of irrigation, wide and sophisticated, is at the origin of the agricultural richness of Robion and Comtat. It is enough to realize it to observe the difference between the irrigated grounds (below an irrigation canal) and the others - fields to the scrubland.

History

The origin of not is unknown. Formerly, according to Dom Xavier de Fourvières, people of the country said that the name of Robion came from the word roure , “oak” ( robur in Latin): “ Roubioun, disoun Li païsans, apello ansin per Co that autri fès, I avié that of roure ”. According to Charles Rostaing, the name of Robion could come from the root rup ( rup : rock with peak, direction of Latin rupes ). The situation of the village, to the foot of abrupt cliffs of the Luberon, comes in support of this assumption. The oldest mention of the name goes back to 1233 ( loco dicto AD iter of Robione : the aforementioned place on the way of Robione ). One finds alternatives in the texts: Robio , Robionum , Roubioun , Roubyon , Robbion , Robyon , Roubillon , Wrapped .

One found remainders Paléolithique S and especially Neolithic S on the territory commune. The first habitat seems to have been with the accesses of the source of Boulon, at the time Neolithic era. Several caves of the Luberon were used then of habitat, and especially as sepulchral caves: Cave of ivy, of Make blanco, of Jas de Juvert and of Fabrègues.Le site of Bolt gave testimonys of the age of iron, shards of potteries phocéennes (sixth-fifth century BC), campaniennes (third century BC), coins massaliotes. Only one epigraphic inscription: a fragment of stele with the letter PEI, letters finding itself in the inscription of one of the celto-Greek steles of Cavaillon where figure the word: MAGOUPEI . The time Gallo-Roman E gave a little everywhere on the territory of the commune of many shards of pottery, the tiles with edge, the coins, the tombs with incineration.

During the Early middle ages, the site of Bolt was abandoned and the inhabitants were installed on the site of the current village, easier to defend. It was the castrum of Robione , which one can still nowadays see remainders of ramparts. A Château was built at the culminating point of the village.

These fortifications made it possible to resist the beginning of 1389 with the troops of Raimond de Turenne. Later in 1562, at the time of the wars of religion, the huguenots of the Baron of the Adrets burned the church of Robion and reflect fire in Luberon.

Left the Comtat of Avignon, Robion initially belonged like this last to the count of Provence, then with that of Toulouse. The comtat became the property of the popes in 1348, after Jeanne, queen of Naples, had sold it with Clément VI. Although they had ceased residing in the country in 1376, the popes kept it nevertheless until the French revolution, while being made represent with Avignon by a Vice-légat, and in the Comtat Venaissin by an ecclesiastic of a row less low than vice-chancellor was called. That lasted until the September 14th 1791: a decree, returned on the proposal of the deputy Camus, joins together with Avignon France and the comtat Venaissin. Robion is French only since this date.

It is practically impossible to give the list of the lords of Robion: The habit of Comtat was that with died of the lord intestate, all his children shared its possessions and became Co-lords. there was thus much of it. One can simply say that the title of lord or Co-lord of Robion was generally carried by family members of Sabran. The last lord of Robion was Louis-Paul de Brancas, count de Forcalquier, marquis, then duke of Céreste starting from 1784, knight of Malta, brigadier at 30 years, general lieutenant in Provence, born the May 25th 1718. In 1793, it had been 75 years old and lived for several years in Paris, 366 rue de Clichy. He died in 1802 at the 84 years age. The revolutionary period was agitated a little. The January 7th 1794, a group of excited demolishes the residence of the lord of the manor, as well as the contiguous house of Therese Bonnet, which assembled all the village. The first June 1794, during the meeting of the municipal council, one of the members proposes “that the iron crosses which exist in above the parish are converted into spades, being thus purified by a republican use”. At the time of terror, with Robespierre, one cuts in Robion the elms and the mulberry trees planted in front of the town hall because “these trees were likely to support the intentions of the malevolent citizens who could, during the night, and with the favor of the shade of these trees, to draw some shots against the sentinel which assembles the guard in front of the door of the common house”. That was better than to cut heads, than Robionnais always had rather solid on the shoulders. There were two all the same robionnais guillotines: Charles Gros, father of 7 children, marked wrongly and guillotine the June 26th 1794 at 53 years, and Barnabe Bernard, shoe-maker, colonel of the national guard, guillotine the July 6th 1794 to 46 years.

The empire brought back the calm one, although Robionnais did not appreciate to have to provide more and more soldiers for the ceaseless wars carried out by the emperor in all Europe. This the more so as they were exempted of military service as long as Comtat belonged to the pope. There was again a certain agitation. Thereafter, the history of Robion is that of the country. There were 79 Robionnais killed during the war of 1914-1918, 5 during that of 1939-1945. The electrification of the village was done between 1924 and 1926.

Demography

Administration

Blazon

The armorial bearings which seem to date from the end of the nineteenth century are mouths, with a gold square posed with dextral, the angle directed towards the dextral canton of the point, the senestrée square of a crowned gold dolphin, posed with sinistral , the whole accompanied at a peak by the currency: “ Robio civitas ”: i.e. there is ecu on the left a square, and on the right a crowned dolphin. There is no explanation to the presence of the dolphin. not more than with that of the square besides.

Economy

Agriculture

Its economy is mainly rural. Oldest archaeological testimonys indicate an especially pastoral activity. This activity of breeding - mainly ovine - continued up to one recent time, using the part of Luberon on the territory of the commune. One can still see a sheep-fold by going up the combe of Vidauque. A census carried out the 6 nivôse year IV (December 27th, 1795) indicates 210 large animals (horses, mules…) and 2.430 animals with wool. Robion at that time produced 50 quintals of wool, of which a part was transformed on the spot in factories of cadis (light wool fabrics). There were also goats for milk, and of the pigs raised jointly by a communal pig-keeper. Agriculture started very early, with arable lands producing of the cereals (rye, barley, corn), of the orchards (olive-trees, almond trees), of the meadows, the vines. As in the majority of the Mediterranean countries, the production of corn was hardly sufficient, and the current food shortage - especially in period of epidemic or war. The nonfood cultures were: the mulberry tree, for the garance, silkworm, little hemp (in places known as “canebières”). One collected in the mountain of the lavender to be used as manure. About 1860, it if produced an agricultural and industrial crisis: The sériculture was ruined by the pébrine, disease of the silkworm. The culture of the garance was abandoned in 1875, because of the competition of the chemical dyes. The olive-tree was victim of cold and diseases. It was also the time of will phylloxéra, but Robion was likely to be in one of the sandy zones in which the destroying insect has many difficulties of moving. Had however to be planted American type of vines. About 1900, agriculture profited from many progress: improvement of the processes of culture and the tools, use of artificial fertilizer (prefectoral authorization of February 27th, 1905, in Pascal Manon, to manufacture superphosphates in a factory of the district of Eyssariades), realization of a whole system of channels of watering (roubines), the construction of the railway line with a station with Robion about 1860, then development of road transport. the farmers turned to cultures specialized high capacity rounds towards export: market gardenings, fruits, grapes wine and table. It is always the current diagram, the agricultural produce being sold on the markets of Cavaillon, Carpentras, Châteaurenard to be dispatched in France and abroad.

Industry, craft industry, services

Robion does not have an important industrial activity: two factories, that of manures Manon (SODEMM, company of manures Manon Michut) and the lime kiln (limes of the tower) employing 20 to 30 people. The other companies are rather artisanal:

BIOSUD, manufacture of médico-chirugicaux apparatuses
CERIP, Manufacture of equipment of lifting and handling
Fabre Kitchens, Manufacture of pieces of furniture of kitchen
House GOUA, Work of the stone, in particular for the tombs.

It is also necessary to mention the excellent jams manufactured by the handicapped personnel of Roumanière.

Among the services:

Establishments Etienne Gauthier, fruit forwarding and vegetables
GENESIS, cabinet of engineering.
B E S m, research department of metal structures.
Workshop OSTRAKA, company of architecture and town planning.

One finds in Robion of many trade, the restaurants, the automobile garages, the departments of health, of the linked activities to tourism, like rural lodgings.

For a few decades, many people working in Cavaillon, It Isle-on-Sorgue or Avignon have settled in Robion.

Some Robionnais

the reverend father Dom Xavier de Fourvière, the white father, born and died in Robion (1853-1912). Of its true name Joseph Rieux. Prémontré of the Abbey of Saint-Michel of Frigolet
Félibre, made majoral of the Félibrige by Frederic Mistral on May 30th, 1889. He is the author of many works in language of Provence, of which:

Dins uno cabaneto , a Christmas carol (1875)
Lou pichot treasure dictionary Of Provence-French (1902)
Elements of grammar of Provence (1899)
Small guide of the conversation of Provence (1899)

Henry Gauthier, painter (1929 - 1954)
Armand Meffre, movie actor, writer, painter.
Andre Dumoulin, teacher with Robion in the years 1950, then preserving of the archaeological museum of Cavaillon. Author of booklets:

a jewel of French judaïque art: the synagog of Cavaillon (1970)
Robion, monograph (1976) to which this article must much.
Visit of the monuments and museums of the town of Cavaillon (1968)

Sites and monuments

Luberon dominates the old village, from where share the draille of Robion, a way in the middle of the cedars and of the rocks leading to the top of the mountain. One sees also by far the bell-tower of the clock, with his two bells. The bell of left goes back to 1851, that of right-hand side, carrying the inscription: AVE MARIA GRATIA PLENA DOMINUS TECUM the year Millet CCCC LXXXIX. IRS. XVS ” date of 1489, it is one of oldest department. The first clock was installation in 1648 per Claude Quintrand, clock and watch maker, the current clock goes back to 1743 and was produced by Nicolas Mouchotte, of Avignon.

Ramparts, the old village

There remain some elements of the ramparts, dating from the fourteenth century. The old village was abandoned at the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of twentieth. In the years 1950, the old village was nothing any more but ruins in the medium of which one could see a spiral staircase going up towards the sky: that of the castle. The ruins were cleared, of the rebuilt houses. The calades were restored in 1992.

Names of the streets, according to a plan drawn up in 1798: Main street (become street Andre Ricaud), street of the calade, street of the lower part of the old castle, street of the escanson, street of Vallabrègues, street of the hospital, street of the furnace, street of the juivery. This last name, like that of Vallabrègues (name of Jew comtadin), makes it possible to think that there was a Jewish district. The texts do not speak about it. At all events, and as the states of Comtat decided into 1623 that the Jews, in the province of the pope, could not reside any more that in the towns of Cavaillon, Carpentras, Avignon, the isle on sorgue, there could not any more it be Jews with Robion after this date. Downwards one finds the town hall, the pump, the coffee and the parish church. And the post office, of this whole of buildings to have only profited with the hand of an architect.

The open-air theater

Vis-a-vis a cliff of Luberon, and close to the source of Escanson, the town hall installed an open-air theater to open sky. The cliff of Luberon, decorated with ivy, is used as wall of scene. The old water tank of cloakroom and slides… The festival of Robion organizes there each summer in July a festival devoted to the musics, songs and dances of the Mediterranean world. The evening, of course: in the course of the day, the weather is too hot and the deafening noise of the cicadas.

Concurrently to this theater leaves the draille Robion, and the paths “nature” and “botany”. One sees in the vicinity an old lime kiln installed by Eugene Boulot of Fish ponds (Ardeche), authorized by an order of the prefect of November 23rd, 1859 to establish a lime kiln “heated with coke and the coal” with the foot of the mountain. This furnace ceased its activity about 1900, it was restored in 1996. Also in the vicinity: the fountain of the year 2000, and the staircase rather vertiginous allowing to go up to the source of Escanson.

The parish church

It is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and Sainte Quitterie. Its older mention goes back to 1261, but construction is former to this date, probably towards the end of the twelfth century. This church located out of the ramparts was damaged on several occasions: at the time of the catch of Robion by Guillaume of the Beams in 1215, and during the fourteenth century, by the large companies. What brought the construction of a new church inside the ramparts, under the term of Saint Pierre. That there even of which there remains the bell-tower: the clock. The nave of the parish church is Romance, with three spans separated by arcs beams. The apse, directed towards the east, pentagonal is arched warheads. Of each with dimensions of the nave, three vaults. Those of the low right-sided having a Romance vault, those of the low left side an ogival vault. While starting with the left while entering, one finds:

the vault of the baptismal font, with a baptismal tank of the eighteenth century.
the old vault of NR. - D. of Pity or “Durands” This old vault gives access to the vault of the Rosary or the Virgin, built in 1656 per Michel Aubert, Esprit Goudon and Nicolas Blanc, masons with Maubec, according to the plan of Barthelemy Grangier, sculptor with Cavaillon. The woodworks are the work of Spirit Grangier, wire of Barthelemy. The stained glasses of the two windows go back to 1856.
the vault Saint Roch (old vault of Brancas-Céreste). It was in the beginning that of Jacques de Forcalquier, lord of Robion of 1455 until its death in 1479.

These three arched vaults of warheads were built about 1465, after the visit in 1464 of the bishop of Cavaillon, which had ordered the repair of the demolished church, the lord having to contribute to it for a quarter within two year, under penalty of excommunication and of a fine of 25 pounds.

Low right-sided, starting from the entry, one finds three vaults arched in semicircular arch:

the vault Joseph Saint, with the statue of the saint, out of gilded wood, offered by Joseph Faraud in 1848.
the Holy vault Anne
the Saint Eloi vault. The ornamentation of this vault is the consequence of a wish of the brotherhood of “domestic”, of December 9th 1770. She goes back to 1771, and comprises a beautiful carved and gilded wood furnace bridge, surmounted by a large table representing holy Éloi, bishop, owner of the cartwrights, the marshals-ferrands and the farmers.

The bell-tower arcade, supporting the bell, was carried out in 1849 by Véran Aillaud, mason. The bell was blessed on March 13rd 1851 by the priest of Robion.

The frontage of the church was rebuilt with new in 1810 by has Ricaud, mason. The leaves of the gate were carried out in 1705 per Jean Bellanger, main carpenter with Cavaillon, according to the drawings of Louis Sentin, sculptor with Maubec. The church was restored in 1983.

Opposite the church the old presbytery is, builds on the old cemetery. When the priest worked his garden, it frequently happened that a blow of spade makes leave a bone. This cemetery was removed in 1840 because it had become too small, and also too close to the pump, where much of robionnais were going to seek their water.

Notre Dame vault of the Angels

With the foot of Luberon, with the district of the angle, this small very simple vault is drawn up in the middle of the orchards. Inside the date of 1709 is engraved, but construction is probably older. Its plan is rectangular, it is covered with a groined vault. Given up during years, covered with ivy, she threatened ruin. In 1994, on Robionnais decided to restore it, which was made with the assistance of the Regional natural park of Luberon. On this occasion was made up an orchard of botanical conservation of the varieties of fruit trees of the area: Cherry trees, fig trees, almond trees, olive-trees, apricot trees. many varieties are planted there, and Robionnais (and the others) invited to get seedlings for it to be planted on their premises to take part in this conservation of varieties being likely to disappear. A little further, in direction of Maubec, is the glissette. A rock presenting a tilted plan of a few meters length, on which generations of small Robionnais slipped - using their funds of breeches and giving to surface stone a polish mirror.

Vault Roch Saint

The plague made its appearance regularly. In May 1631, it was in Cavaillon. A barrier is built between Cavaillon and Robion, monitored by guards. Any person wanting to enter in Robion must undergo forty. It in Robion only two had not died there: a child on July 2nd and a woman on July 12th. In 1632, any danger appearing drawn aside, the community of Robion decides - in sign recognition - to make build a vault dedicated to Saint Roch, owner of the pestiferous ones. This vault “with the place or will be indicated by the consuls, will have 3 canes length, 2 canes of width in work, and 3 canes height, included/understood the bases which will have 4 ground sides” (the cane measured approximately 2 meters and side 0.25) " It will be arched, with a stone door of size with double vessel of 4 sides and half of width, a window of each with dimensions of the door, having 2 sides of width, a window on the side of the furnace bridge of 1 side and half broad and 2 sides and half height, which vault will be with cruisings and glaze of tiles; to make from here Easter prochain" The contract was awarded in 1633 to Christophe Lebrun, mason of Paris residing at Robion. Construction was to leave something to be desired because it was necessary to make repair the frontage and remake the cover in 1705, by Jean Goudon, mason of Robion. The vault was sold on September 23rd, 1793 like national good to Jean-Joseph Casteau. Transformed into dwelling house, it was included in construction industries, the flush mouldings of the frontage. This unit has been repurchased by the town hall which envisages to restore the vault, and has just installed a tourist information center. The vault gave its name to the district. With a few tens of meters while going up to the top of the village, one sees the “cross of Roch Saint”: it is a cross of mission, set up the first February 1789.

Bolt

First site of the village, one still finds by places of the Gallo-Roman ceramics shards. Dominated by impressive cliffs: rocks of Baude. During the last war, a Chantier of youth was installed there. It is a very pleasant place, especially in winter: sheltered mistral, with the brook which runs in the middle of the meadow, the olive-trees and the vine.

The tower of Sabran

In antiquity, the Way Domitienne - Roman way energy of the Pyrenees in the Alps and in Italy while passing by Nimes, Cavaillon, Apt and the collar of the Mont Genèvre crossed the territory of Robion. The way, built on raised an enough fill, passed close to the career of the lime kiln. After the cruel invasions of V° and VI° centuries, when in 536 Provence passed from the domination of the Ostrogoths to that of the Francs, part of this province was joined together in Auvergne austrasienne; Auvergne and Provence formed a territory of only one holding, whose border passed to Robion, around the current lime kiln. This border located on the way domitienne was protected by a military station which took the name of “castrum of assembles alvernico”, then Vernègue. In 1195, the renewal of a treaty of alliance between the count of Toulouse and that of Forcalquier indicate like limit between the counties “the vernègue of Lagnes, on Right Bank of the Durance”. In 1237, the count of Toulouse Raymond VII gave to Guillaume de Sabran, under military operating condition, le" stronghold of Alvernic Mount. The field then took the name of “Turn of Sabran”. It changed many times of owner and, in 1789, it belonged to the abbey of Chair-God. It was sold like national good on April 7th, 1795 to Pierre Portalis, of Avignon at the cost of 305000 pounds.

The toponym “Turn of Sabran” remained and gave its name to the company exploiting the career to make lime.

With proximity the vault Saint Peyre, or Saint Pierre is, dating from the XI° or the XII° century. Used as agricultural handing-over, it is in bad condition.

The wall of the plague

The epidemic of plague of 1720-1721 was a calamity without precedent, which more particularly reached Provence and Comtat Venaissin. It is to try to stop the epidemic which came from Marseilles that was built the wall of the plague. It left the throats of the Nesque, passed to the tower of Sabran and went until Luberon. In Robion, with the district of high the royères, one still sees a rectilinear slope in fill which, according to the tradition, would be a vestige of the wall. The precautions taken were effective because the epidemic saved Cavaillon and did not appear in Robion.

Activities, animations

Festival of musics, songs and dances of the world: second fortnight of July.
Festival of olive: first Friday of August.
votive Festival: second weekend of September.
agricultural, commercial and artisanal Fair: Third weekend of October.
Gone of Christmas and festival of jam: Second Saturday of December.
Gone weekly: Thursday morning, of 8:00 to 13:00 In front of the town hall.

Excursions

The GR. the 6 “Alps Océan” passes to Robion. It is also possible to make many circuits in the bicycle.

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