A village of charm, old world heritage, and mystery!

January 19, 2022

Puimosson is quite a convenient location for it surrounding adventures. While staying there, we visited the commune Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, a natural reserve listed by Unesco including 60 towns and villages in the Alpes de Haute Provence. It is literally located on the side of a mountain! This little commune is mostly financed by tourism and traditional ceramics. If driving, be very careful as the roads are quite narrow and very, very (I mean built on the side of a mountain) very steep with some sharp turns. There were several paid parking lots, but with tourism being its number one form of economy, parking can be quite difficult to find. 

Once we found a parking spot, we got out to walk the town. Our first stop was Notre-Dame de Beauvoir Chapel built between the 12th and 16th centuries. Mind you, you have to climb up 262 steps to get there! Watch out for crying children (I know my youngest was among them). The steps have been traveled so much that many of them are worn down to a smoothness that could be quite dangerous if you don’t watch your step. As you climb the steps, you will pass the seven oratories, which in the past marked the path, and replaced by the fourteen Stations of the Cross in 1860 decorated with ceramics made by Simone Garnier. An interesting fact about this particular chapel is that during the 17th century, rumor has it, stillborn infants were brought to this chapel for baptism because it was said the infant would come back to life for the duration of its baptism and then its souls would pass onto Paradise. The Chapel of Notre-Dame de Beauvoir was listed as a historical monument in 1921.

Once finished at the Chapel, we made our back down to the township and walked through its picturesque streets. There are several shops and local vendors lining the streets. You can choose from more than twenty restaurants to eat at should you get hungry. We are not quite so adventurous and simply chose to purchase sandwiches and drinks from one of the boulangeries (bakery). We were not disappointed!!! The town also hosts 8 workshops dedicated to the old ways of creating traditional ceramic craftsmanship. Moustiers has been labeled as one of the “most beautiful villages of France.”

One last thing, when visiting Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, be sure to look up!!! There is a star situated between two peaks of the mountain. Though no one knows for sure how the star got into its position, here are two theories:

  • The Legend of Chevalier de Blacas: Blacasset d’Aulps went on the Crusades in the 12th century. He was captured by the Saracens who attempted to convert him to Islam during is imprisonment. However, the knight Blacasset could not be moved from his religion inspiring the Caliph to release him for his devotion to his faith. Back in his homeland, Blacasset placed a star above Moustiers to thank the virgin for allowing him to come back to his home. The star was meant to resemble his family coat of arms which boasts a 16 pointed star.
  • Star-crossed lovers: There once lived two children in the village of Moustiers. They loved each other so very much. However, their families forbid the children to see each other. Thus, the children committed suicide by throwing themselves from the two cliffs surrounding the village. Sadden by their actions, the two families hung a star between the cliffs as a symbol of reconciliation.

    • You choose, which one do you believe?

    Moustiers-Sainte-Marie Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Mountain-side-town Near-Gorge-de-Verdon Near-Provence-Plateau
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