As with most locations in Southern France, I’d by no means heard of Saint Guilhem le Désert previous to residing in Montpellier.
Saint Guilhem le Désert is just a little village is located in what’s now often called the Parc Naturel Régional du Haut-Languedoc, 30 kilometers (19 miles) west of Montpellier. It was established in 804, when Guilhem, the County of Toulouse and Duke of Aquitaine based the Abbey of Gellone.
Guilhem, which is “William” within the regional Occitan language, was additionally first cousin to Charlemagne, aka Charles the Nice.
Sidebar – in case your data of Charlemagne stops at his title, you’re not alone – mine did too. In accordance with Encyclopedia.com, Charlemagne is legendary as a result of he “based the Holy Roman Empire, stimulated European financial and political life, and fostered the cultural revival often called the Carolingian Renaissance. In distinction to the final decline of western Europe from the seventh century on, the period of Charlemagne marks a major revival and turning level.”
So, what does this imply for our fondateur of what’s at this time a French village emblematic of historic occasions? Effectively, previous to founding the Abbey of Gellone from which bloomed the broader village group, Guilhem completed vital army victories in opposition to the Saracens alongside the southern border on behalf of his cousin. Nonetheless, after taking management of Barcelona in 803, he determined to radically shift gears and have become a monk. Previous to establishing his personal abbey, he was mentored by the founding father of the Aniane Abbey, Saint-Benoît.
He additionally, crucially, acquired a relic of what’s believed at this time to be a bit of the True Cross of Jesus Christ from Charlemagne in thanks for his service. This relic garnered intense curiosity in Guilhem’s abbey and ensured its related longevity. Moreover, the village grew to become a stopping place for pilgrims making the journey to Santiago de Compostela or St. James Means.
Guilhem would develop into often called Saint Guilhem after the tenth century, and his village acquired the ending “le-Désert” after his demise as a consequence of its extremely remoted location.
On account of this advanced historical past, the little village at this time is cloaked in mystique and implausible tales, even because it beckons to throngs of vacationers who quantity within the 1000’s each day in the course of the summer time season.
One such story facilities on the intriguingly named Pont du Diable, which is French for “Satan’s Bridge”
Because the story goes, Saint Guilhem was supervising repeatedly failed makes an attempt to assemble a bridge when one evening, he went out and encountered the Satan manifest within the strategy of destroying the bridge. He provided the Satan a deal: if the Satan would assemble the bridge himself such that it may by no means be destroyed, Guilhem would allow him to assert the soul of the primary residing being to come across the bridge. The Satan agreed and created the bridge, which obliged Guilhem to meet his finish of the discount, which he did – however solely technically. He despatched a canine to the bridge the place the Satan waited in keen anticipation of the soul he was due. The Satan, infuriated by the deception, turned on his personal building and tried to destroy it. However having fulfilled his finish of the discount to create an indestructible bridge, even he couldn’t destroy it.
In the present day, Pont de Diable serves as a beautiful medieval backdrop and entry level to the Gorges de l’Hérault for guests and native beachgoers
The mouth of the gorge itself attracts native youngsters, who collect on the boulders that line the shore to smoke, drink, and periodically hurl themselves into the water to chill down, in addition to canyoners, kayakers, paddleboarders, and folks simply seeking to lounge within the sunshine. On the entrance to the bridge and a moderately melancholy signal that blares a warning about leaping from the bridge into the water beneath, imploring adolescents to withstand the urges of their underdeveloped pre-frontal cortex by itemizing the quantity of people that have leapt to their deaths throughout the previous 12 months.
From atop the bridge, you possibly can see the mountains inside which Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert is nestled, however should stroll or drive round three kilometers (two miles) up the winding street earlier than getting into the village.
Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is an offbeat journey and postcard location with one thing to supply solo vacationers, {couples}, and households. It’s a small place, inconceivable to get misplaced in – however in the long run a part of the magic is in feeling you’re being transported to a different time though you’ve simply arrived. Hikers will discover accessible trails ringing the world, in addition to many artisan outlets to wander out and in of. The Abbey, after all, is a must-see, and you will see that a listing of essentially the most up to date suggestions on the Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert vacationer web site.
All in favour of climbing within the South of France? Listed here are some nice suggestions.
Analysis Notes
This text was largely knowledgeable by Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert : Les secrets and techniques d’un village classé aux Grands websites de France and GRAND SITE DE FRANCE® SAINT-GUILHEM-LE-DÉSERT. Thanks!