Du Gard à l’Ardèche : découverte des plus beaux parcs régionaux de France | Trésors du Patrimoine
Located between the Rhône Valley and the Cévennes,
the Gard owes its name to a watercourse: the Gardon. For centuries, this river has carved
impressive gorges into the limestone. A wild landscape that shelters a marvel
of antiquity. One of the treasures of our heritage: The Pont du Gard.
– With its three rows of arches, this bridge
is the most impressive in the Roman world. – It is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
– It’s 8:30. The first visitors arrive at the Pont du Gard.
Pascal Sabatier begins his work day. For 16 years, Pascal has been
responsible for maintaining the site. A native of the region, he chose this profession
to continue living alongside the giant he has always worshipped.
“Here he is, here he is, the magnificent one, the king of the place. It’s mine. I still share it
with 1,400,000 visitors. But hey… How are you doing! He is there, he stands
there in front of us. It’s still extraordinary, it’s magnificent. And on top of that, you come here to
work in the morning. Since you were little, you come here because you are taken there for the holidays, to
come and have a picnic, to go fishing and I am lucky enough to come here in the morning and in addition to
cleaning and making sure that it is clean, to leave it in its natural setting like that…
– Pascal heads towards the beach on the right bank, the busier beach of the Pont du Gard.
“We’re going down.” We’re still better off here than in the city center, right
? Who gets tired of this? -For Pascal, taking care of the cleanliness
and cleaning of the site is more than a job. This is his way of preserving
the bridge. But every day, he sees a lack of respect for the site from visitors.
“So people were told that for their health, they should drink mineral water. That
was good. That it purified their bodies. And 50 meters from the trash can, they throw it
on the ground. I don’t know. Once it’s done them good physically, it’s
not doing them good mentally. If I have a little pride in collecting garbage
at 40 years old, it is first of all to do it here because it is not a source of pride to collect
garbage even if it is important. Above all, forgiveness! It’s especially that when people
talk to you about the bridge, they come and say there’s this, there’s that and above all each time, it comes back,
it’s clean and that, that makes me happy and that makes my guys happy too! So ! »
– Classified as a Grand Site de France, the Pont du Gard is today the
most visited ancient monument in our country. 10:04:40 COM – Sonia Sabatier
is Pascal’s wife. Like him, she has a real passion for the bridge. She has
been a guide for 12 years, and what she likes is to remind people why such a structure was built.
“Here, it is only the support of this part which is the most important which will be used for the
transport of water. So we are really in the construction of a utilitarian monument”
– A utilitarian monument which has overlooked the Gardon for 2000 years.
– A testament to the genius of the Romans, its construction began in the 1st century AD.
Its construction required a thousand workers over 5 years.
– Today, Sonia takes us to her
favorite part of the bridge. A place guarded by a door that is always locked.
“So, here, I’m taking you to a somewhat hidden place on the Pont du Gard, it’s the canal,
where the water flowed in ancient times. It is a place that is not necessarily accessible
to the public for reasons of conservation and preservation of the monument. We open it
occasionally for guided tours or special events.
“So here, we are in a place where the Pont du Gard is about 100 meters short.
Between 90 and 100 meters. It was at the end of the life of the Nîmes aqueduct that people, the
locals, came to take stones from the Pont du Gard to build churches, castles, and
houses surrounding the Pont du Gard” – In Roman times, the construction of this
work was a true technical feat. 400 liters of water per second flowed here, following
an imperceptible slope. A pipeline made watertight thanks to a very special element.
“So here, we are really at the heart of the aqueduct pipeline. We are in a
place which is very important in the construction of the Nîmes aqueduct and the Pont du
Gard in particular, it is the sealing system to prevent leaks, precisely, inside
this pipeline. So, we have a kind of Roman concrete which is made from, based on
lime, and on top of this concrete we will apply a paint which is reddish, therefore based on
ferric oxide and which had the function of stopping the worker who was going to come and work
inside to remove the limescale deposit since the water was already very hard at that time and
this limescale is deposited on both sides of the pipe and it is especially important not to damage
this sealing system so the primary function, it seems, of this paint was
to say stop when cleaning. » Director question: “So
, we’re actually underwater here? » “We are underwater, yes. So there
was about 1.80m of pipe height. So here we are,
truly immersed in the very heart of the aqueduct and the water that will reach Nîmes.
“When we know the means they had 2000 years ago, we are far from our
current machines. This is the Roman Empire. That’s what fascinates me, it’s this
Roman organization of major works” – Symbol of Roman power, the Pont du
Gard is a masterpiece. Its dimensions are colossal. 360 m long, 48 meters high.
– In addition to the need to transport water, there was also the difficulty of
building a structure strong enough to cross a river with formidable floods.
– But the Pont du Gard was only the centerpiece of a much larger whole.
– A 50 km long aqueduct which had its source in Uzès.
– An unusual pipeline that transported water to the thermal baths and gardens of Nîmes.
– Nîmes has been a Roman city for more than three centuries. A city at its
peak, one of the most important in Roman Gaul. This prosperous period saw the birth
of grandiose monuments such as this amphitheater, one of the best preserved in the Roman world.
– This is the wildest part of the Gardon. Upstream from the Pont du Gard, the river winds its way for around twenty kilometers.
– Over time, water has shaped these impressive cliffs, almost 200 meters
high. She designed this canyon to create a passage from the Cévennes to the Rhône.
– This spectacular landscape is home to a
very rich natural heritage. Every year 450,000 people come to enjoy
the wonders of the Gardon Gorges. A fragile site, under high surveillance.
– It ‘s June. It’s the beginning
of the tourist season and the environmental police are already hard at work.
“There is a beautiful view. We’ll see if there are any people there. »
– Their tour begins with a visit to an exceptional place: the Castellas site.
Castellas site – Gard “In general there is quite a lot
of traffic. Plus, there is water. There may be canoeing. We do
n’t see any traces of motorcycles… We don’t see anything…” “The goal is to inform, to explain and to
get people to communicate with each other and explain why this
place is protected and we see why it is protected because it is magnificent. »
– Canoeing, swimming, hiking, climbing, nature lovers will find something here to
satisfy all their desires. ” : Good morning !
Good morning ! Where are you from?
t: From Seine-et-Marne! From Seine-et-Marne, oh yeah, okay!
Is this your first time here? Yes, it’s the first time.
And did you leave from Collias or are you going to Collias?
We come from Collias. Oh okay, ok! You take a big tour.
We went camping and now we’re going for a little walk.
All right ! It’s a beautiful area.
Good afternoon ! Happy holidays!
Come on ! Bye ! ” -At each exit, the police cover
about ten kilometers. “Hello ladies and gentlemen!
, environmental police. Are you on vacation in the region? ” Exactly
! We’re having a little weekend. All right ! We would like to take this opportunity to tell you that
this is a relatively protected site, so remember to pick up your rubbish and not to make
fires, as this is prohibited in the department. ” Yes, we know.
Besides, I see there’s one smoking there. A cigarette like that in the
summer when the vegetation is really dry, with a light wind like there, a
butt like that is capable of starting a fire… Okay, no problem.
Listen, thank you, have a good afternoon and maybe see you soon! Bye ! Bye
! Happy holidays, goodbye! »
– At the top of the gorge, the police want to make sure that no one uses this
path closed to the public to protect wildlife. “Hello, environmental police!”
Good morning ! “Hello, you are on a path you
cannot take. Did you notice the sign a little further on? ”
No ! So we will ask you to take another
path to bypass the protection area. Ca n’t we walk?
“Absolutely, you can walk on the other hiking trail but
you cannot access this site. If we go there, what consequences does it have for…
Generally speaking, this site is protected for large birds of prey, with the bonitelli and the
Egyptian vulture. These are species that nest in the area, in the gorges, and the simple fact
of passing by, of disturbing them, can cause the parents to move and leave the eggs.
The eggs will cool. If there are chicks, leaving the chicks like that without
protection can lead to predation. So that’s why it’s forbidden.
Honestly, I advise you to go around” woman: Well, we’ll go around…
OK, you take it there, we’ll follow you anyway, we’ll
leave the place… Have a good walk. Goodbye, thank you!
– The birds of prey that these police officers want to protect live in the
cliffs. Some are in great danger of extinction, such as the Egyptian vulture, an
extremely rare bird. Discreet and very shy, the adults live in pairs and settle
in hollows in the wall to give birth and raise their young.
– In the Gardon gorges, there is
only one pair of Egyptian vultures left. The two birds
are therefore the object of all attention. – Elodie Appessetche and Guillaume Fréchet
work for the joint union that manages the gorges. Every week, they distribute these
offals to birds of prey that can no longer find enough food in the wild. They hope to
attract new Egyptian vultures. So that the species can establish itself here permanently.
“In the square, we can regularly see common ravens and large numbers of black kites
. There are about sixty of them running around. And finally the Egyptian vulture. »
– Very fearful, the birds wait until everyone has left to come and feed.
– The first to arrive are the black kites. These scavengers nest in very large numbers in the gorges.
– But we have to wait a very long time for the famous Egyptian vulture to finally dare to land.
– Alone facing the kites, this female initially hesitates to approach. Finally, she scrounges up
small amounts of meat which she eats away from other birds.
– This image is unique. This is
the first time this vulture has been filmed in the region.
– A few days later, at the foot of the cliff, we find Elodie.
– With Thibaut Clémencet, she is part of the teams which, all year round, preserve
the biodiversity of the Gardon gorges. – Today, they are attacking an invader
that is colonizing the scrubland: the prickly pear cactus. – On this steep terrain there is only one means of control:
manual uprooting. A long-term task. “We’ve been there for a few months now, in
teams of two, since the fall, and after that we ‘ll have to repeat the process with an annual visit,
in fact, before the figs appear and the seeds can propagate again.”
– Originally from Mexico, the prickly pear tree was imported to Spain in the 16th century. Very
prolific, it then colonized the entire Mediterranean basin. Today, this plant with
its racket-shaped leaves is present in all the gardens of the region. But
prickly pears are a real scourge for all other plant species.
“So the prickly pears are most of the time spread by birds
that eat the figs and by releasing the seeds, they regerminate and re-establish themselves
elsewhere and otherwise it is a species that can multiply by vegetative propagation.
When you have snowshoes that fall from the top of the slope, they take root and are held
by the existing vegetation. There you can see, there are already young shoots. These are
snowshoes that have fallen, the roots develop and then we have young shoots that
take root on them and that gives rise to individuals as we saw a little higher up. And so
these species like the Phoenician juniper, it is a typical species of the garrigue,
a heritage species that is interesting to preserve, and the fig tree will establish itself at the foot of
this species, will quietly grow and little by little will suffocate it and this species will die. »
– Since the beginning of the year, Elodie, Thibaut and their colleagues have uprooted more than 5 tons of
fig trees. But the work is far from finished. – In the heart of this arid environment, made of limestone
and scrubland, the river has always offered refuge to another extremely rare species: the
beaver. Long hunted for its fur, this animal is a survivor.
– More than fifteen years ago, Gilles Larnac
created an association to make him better known. Today, this enthusiast
takes Dominique Pain, a naturalist, to discover the gorges for the first time.
“One of the meanders of the Gardon… Quite exceptional. It is also curiously the habitat of the beaver and
I think that for areas like this, difficult to access, atypical, there you go, hidden in
caves, well it is thanks to these sites that the species was able to survive in the end.”
– Below, Gilles spotted the traces of a family of beavers. He set up a
camera trap because he wants to check if there has been breeding. As soon as he arrived, he noticed
a detail on the bank that was unmistakable. “Good news, the camera trap is
here. And if you look, you see, there ‘s a new deposit of castoreum there, the little
mound of sediment that’s been scraped away. It is a liquid that the animal secretes to mark
its territory. To let other beavers know that this is his place. » –
In this box, Gilles hid a camera. At night, when an
animal passes nearby, a cell triggers the recording of a video.
“It’s a fox. Excellent ! It’s not a beaver, it’s actually a fox. We’ll
go straight to the next night. So, we ‘re going to try this one. So, there is one who
comes to scratch. He is on the bank. Attentive, what’s going on… He smells his surroundings a little
and he scratches a small mound of sediment with his front paws. He’s going to make his
castoreum deposit. If we look at the big female, we can clearly see the teats with… which
come out of the fur. It’s a big female who is breastfeeding her young.”
So there has been reproduction on the site. There has been reproduction on the site.
And hop, she goes back into the water…” – To better raise public awareness of the presence
of beavers, Gilles became a photographer. He is currently preparing
several exhibitions and a book that will bring together his best photographs.
– Fifty years ago, there were fewer than forty beavers left along these banks. There are said to
be more than 1,000 people living there today. These beavers are also the concern of Elodie
and Thibaut. This morning, they set out to collect evidence of their presence. At the foot of this
cliff, they spotted a cavity that could shelter a family.
” So there, we have several lodgings to
go and inspect under the rocks just opposite. We prepare ourselves so that we
can access the underwater caves to see if we have any individuals or not. »
– Unlike their North American cousins , Gardon beavers do
not build large wooden dams across the watercourse they inhabit. It is difficult to spot
signs of their presence due to the lack of visibility. From the shore, Elodie is on the lookout.
“I keep an eye out for any beavers that might be disturbed and try
to escape to the other side.” – To protect themselves from predators, beavers
dig the entrance to their den underwater, 1 or 2 meters below the surface. It is
accessible by a gallery which leads to one or more dry rooms.
And this is where the females give birth to their young and raise them.
Question from the director: “Elodie, isn’t the presence of wild species like
the beaver and the use of the river incompatible?” Elodie: In a canoe! No, what happens is
that the beaver is a nocturnal species, so the attendance does not take place at the same time.
And then as we saw today, it is a fairly discreet species. People
walk along the Gardon without realizing that there are traces on the banks,
that there are shelters or burrows. So that’s what works in his favor. How are you, Thibaut? ” ”
How are you ! There are quite a few gîtes that are not occupied but I think there is at least
one main gîte. There are quite a few traces of gnawed wood at the bottom. There must be at least
one family with sub-adults there. Okay, great!
I’m going to take a little GPS point. Yeah !
“This inspection allows us to have very detailed monitoring of
families. We can find out a little about which lodgings are used, at what time of year.
And then, by inspecting these shelters, we also hope to see animals there, even if it is quite
rare. This allows us to have information on reproductive success, and possibly on
the presence of sub-adults in families. » – A few kilometers from there, it is
near the bridge of Collias, a small village located on the edge of the
Gardon, that we find Gilles Larnac. Today, he is leading a
group to discover the behavior of beavers in their natural environment.
“Ah, ah, Mr. Beaver has arrived!” With the naked eye you can guess an animal swimming from left
to right, which is in that direction and going very slowly. And you see the head
sticking out. So, I’m going to focus” – Quietly, a beaver heads towards
the riverbank to look for food. Gilles’ group is in the front row.
– A few minutes later, a second beaver returns to its burrow. It is
probably a female, in a hurry to find her young.
“Is this the first time you’ve seen beavers like this?” ” ”
Yes ! Impressive ! Impressive ! Especially since these are places I know.
We come here regularly and we don’t imagine that there are these animals under our feet. And
being there watching them, you can walk past them ten times and not even notice.
When we take the time to observe, indeed, especially I believe that this evening we are very
lucky from what I understand because we see a lot, a lot more
than usual, it is impressive. » – Always as passionate, Gilles has his own way
of telling how the beaver gnaws the trees to eat the leaves.
“Our beaver friend is approaching, slowly. It’s dark, it’s night. He looks
around. He looks around. It’s okay, he’s calm. He will tilt his head
to the side, sink his upper incisors into the trunk and bite down with his
lower incisors. And the tree… it falls.” “Sharing these rather powerful moments with all these
people who are experiencing a powerful moment, it seems to me, in their lives, these are things that they will
remember for a long time, I hope so in any case, it contributes to the conservation of the species, to
the awareness that we have of our natural heritage. A species like the beaver
which is little known but which is so endearing.” – About fifteen kilometers from the
Gardon gorges, between beach and scrubland, here is one of the jewels of Languedoc: The town of Uzès.
– This medieval city dominates the entire region. – At the top of the hill, the streets wind
around a unique monument: the Ducal Palace. – This castle has belonged to the same family
for almost a thousand years. The Duchy of Uzès is also the oldest duchy in France.
– A title awarded in the 16th century by King Charles IX to the first Duke of Uzès,
Antoine de Crussol. Half medieval fortress, half Renaissance palace, this castle has been
extensively remodeled over the centuries. In the main courtyard, this classical decor
is one of the first of its type in France. – Above, the Bermonde tower.
A 12th century dungeon. – The interior of the castle retraces the life of
this illustrious family which spanned all eras from the Middle Ages to Modern Times.
– On the 1st floor, this succession of 18th century salons and this Gothic chapel are
open to the public all year round. But the Duchy also contains more secret jewels.
And well kept. Today, Jacques de Crussol, the current Duke of Uzès, wishes to share
this heritage. With him, we access a small medieval tower which adjoins the keep.
– At the top of the steps, a real treasure that he decided to pass on to the National Archives.
“We are in the duchy’s archives room, the old castle chapel, and the
oldest document in this charterhouse dates from 1144. So it preserves the entire memory
of our house for 9 centuries.” – In this charterhouse are documents
as varied as travel stories, property titles and inventories.
Among them, this document which dates from 1461. “Written in Latin…”
– This collection of archives, unique in France, almost disappeared in 1789.
“At the time of the revolution, this charterhouse was saved because the revolutionaries wanted to
burn it. It was first walled up by the manager of the time and then evacuated in
barrels. He put it in wine barrels. He said he took his wine out of the Duchy,
put it in barrels, left with it and that preserved it. So we have a chartrier that
is intact. This allows us to have this testimony which goes beyond the family but of the history
of our nation, a collective history” – We also find letters of
inestimable value. The letters exchanged between the Duke of Uzès and Voltaire during the Age of Enlightenment.
“This letter is an extremely moving document because it is the first of the
7 letters that Voltaire wrote with the Duke of Uzès and which describes a little of the history,
customs and events of the time. So, this letter is dated September 11,
1751 and then its signature: Voltaire. » – Jacques de Crussol now takes us
into the attic of the castle for a new discovery. At the end of this corridor, cabinets
containing objects kept by his family for centuries. Once restored, the entire
collection will be presented to the public. “I’m going to take a personal livery from you, let’s
say from the 19th century, with the buttons bearing our coat of arms, and here you have
a few additional elements, such as this coachman’s hat,
I’ll show you. You will see it matches the livery. It has the same braids,
the same buttons. This is an interesting element, let’s say, because each livery also had
its own stripes, its number button and its own colors. You see here on the cockade we find the
colours of the house of Crussol, blood and azure, that is to say red and blue which are also
the colours of the house of the King. My wish is to be able to bear witness to an era through
these objects which, attached to the same family, to the same house, give this continuity over
time and this evolution over time. » – Uzès does not owe its reputation
solely to the ducal palace. A few streets away, another exceptional building,
a church which has also dominated the city for 1000 years: Saint Theodorit Cathedral.
– Destroyed by the Wars of Religion, its reconstruction was completed in the middle of the 17th century.
– And next to it, a curiosity: this round bell tower, unique in France: the Fenestrelle Tower.
– Inside the cathedral, a very rare place located above the choirs. A
richly decorated chapel intended for the use of high dignitaries of the Clergy of the time.
“So here we are in the bishop’s chapel, which is a place that we don’t
usually visit, where you can see, you can see,
paintings as they were originally made at the end of the 17th century.” –
It was out of passion for the hidden treasures of Uzès that Anne-Lise Moreau came to live here.
– For several months now, she has been working as a guide there. She organizes tours
to discover the wonders of the city.
– Among these jewels, this organ which overlooks
the nave of the Saint Theodorit cathedral. The only one in France to have retained
its double painted shutters covered in gold.
– Uzès is also a true conservatory
of architecture and styles. A city notable for its private mansions.
They bear witness to the success of merchant families at the end of the 16th century.
– Installed around the ducal palace, these rich residences grew larger
as fortunes increased. Prestigious complexes organized around
interior courtyards and gardens. – Over time, notables displayed
their prosperity through the decorations and splendor of their interiors and facades.
“So, here we are on the Place aux Herbes, the largest square and perhaps the
most beautiful square in Uzès. So on this square you have different
private mansions which go from the 17th century, like the Hôtel d’Almeras, to the 18th century. ” –
But 50 years ago, this exceptional heritage almost disappeared due to lack of maintenance.
“In 1960, two buildings collapsed on Place aux Herbes and
the people of Uzès really became aware of the extent of their heritage and
the dilapidated state in which it was. ” – At the time, in Uzès as elsewhere in France,
hundreds of dilapidated historic buildings were threatened with destruction. To protect them,
Malraux, Minister of Cultural Affairs, created a law in 1962 which established the first
protected sectors. Uzès then became a pioneer with one of the largest
protected areas in France. Today, construction work is still underway there. The one at the Chambon
la Tour hotel for example. A few years ago, this private mansion was practically abandoned.
“You read the 199 part very well…” – Ariel Balmassière is in charge of its
renovation. Today, this architect, passionate about history, inspects the facade with
Jacques Dreyfus, from the Bâtiments de France. “A very composed facade. You would think it
was built in one go. This is not the case at all. Because they first
built this part, there, up to the edge of the snowy gate. And we can see very well…
– The second part was built a century later in the same style.
“It’s one of the best things about Uzès, it must be said. This is the era of Louis
XIV. At that time, Louis XIV wanted the people who assumed a certain
number of responsibilities to be very representative of the central power of Louis XIV”
– In a few months, a luxury hotel will open here. For Ariel
Balmassière the challenge is huge. “It has changed its appearance, it’s
superb, the cleaning of the facades…” – Because the architect must restore the building
by adapting it to modern constraints while respecting the original layout. Like this
monumental 17th century grand staircase, which connects the building’s courtyard to the third floor.
– In this future sequel, Ariel Balmassière decided to add a decorative element.
“These are brand new French ceilings. We opted for a creation,
because there have never been any, of typical French ceilings from Uzes. All of this will remain
natural coating, the trowel finish…” – The transformation of this unique building into a
palace is now giving it a second life. A real plus to ensure its sustainability.
“A protected area is not designed to seal off a historic center,
it is not designed to create a museum. It’s a population that lives there, it’s a population
that wants to live there. These are residents who live in a neighborhood, who live in the
city center and who need to have all the amenities that a city center needs”
– Soon, the protected area of Uzès will expand further to include new neighborhoods.
– Return to the Place aux Herbes where a colorful market is held every Wednesday and Saturday
. – A place very popular with all those who are
attracted by these authentic products. – Among the market stars: Bernard
Coudert. He has been coming here twice a week for 40 years to sell his products.
“Uzès is a good market and there’s a good atmosphere. It’s fun, huh
! And then people are nice” Director question: “So
what is your clientele like? Are they regulars, are they people passing through? »
“There are regulars and then there are a lot of people passing through too, because people
like to see the stones. They come to the grass square mainly to see stones.
At the same time, I place my cheeses” – But Bernard does not only sell
cheeses, he also offers a strange product: ostrich eggs.
“Means, but I don’t have the means… It’s a kilo and a half. Lift up!
Man: Is it hard to break? No, you make a hole on
top there. How many of you are there? Woman: How many of us are there? 4
4, normally that’s 1.5 kg . So that makes an omelet for
8 to 10 people. Try with one already. » – Selling eggs and raising ostriches in
the Gard region, that’s the challenge that Bernard set himself about fifteen years ago. On his
strange farm located around fifteen kilometers from Uzès, he raises nearly 350
animals. Among them, the famous ostriches. “Come on, chicks!” Come on ! you come,
a little croissant go! Here’s a little croissant. Hold ! These are all
females. The males, right now, it’s hot, are they calm? Well, that’s fine, there’s
nothing to say. There will be more soon. Come on, sweetie. It goes there. It’s there, it
goes down. Now we’re going to collect the eggs. Cocotte, let me pick up the eggs! » –
In a few minutes and without effort, Bernard collects around ten eggs
“The harvest is good. It doesn’t matter if we pick them up. You’ll make some more tomorrow! »
Director question: “But ostriches, do they lay their eggs on the ground like that? »
«That is to say, by collecting the eggs every day, normally, they make a nest but
as we collect the eggs every day, they try to hide them. You can eat them
in the shell, so you have to buy a small device that cuts like a dental drill. So
we take the whole cover off. And for soft-boiled eggs, it takes 40 minutes and for hard-boiled eggs, an hour and a half.
Hard-boiled, it’s magnificent, eh! In a hard-boiled egg, you cut it into slices like foie gras,
you know into small slices like that, into strips and then you put it on a plate, it’s
extremely good and it’s beautiful. We’ve had ostriches for 15 years now. We have brought them into being
. It was very cold, it was -15°, they resisted. They had water
so far, they resisted. They had snow. They had the great heat. We tried
to lock them up at first because we didn’t really know how it worked. They were locked up
and they broke everything to get out. So, they want to live outside. »
Director question: “And you too, do you like living outside?” »
« Well, there you have it… » – With his ostriches and the other animals on his
farm, Bernard perpetuates the agricultural tradition of the Gard in his own way .
– A centuries-old tradition, symbolized
by these constructions from another time: the capitelles. Shepherd’s shelters which bear witness
to astonishing peasant know-how. The last stone huts in Gard were saved
by members of an association: the brotherhood of dry stone builders.
– In the heart of an olive grove, they set themselves a challenge. Build a
capital in the same way as the ancients. – It was Maurice Roustan who brought together these
dry stone enthusiasts. In one month, they will build a building here, 7 meters
high and 5 meters in diameter, which will require 70 tons of stones!
– Today, Maurice is supervising a
very delicate operation: the installation of the lintel, one of the key parts of the work.
“- Gently… gently. There, stop! Take it down a bit, Hugo… Tank it,
Jacky. Tank yourself, Didier… Ah, well, – I’m tanking myself… -Come on! Put it down, Hugo.
“It’s the most dangerous operation because it’s a stone that weighs 200 kilos, so you ca
n’t miss it. It must be mounted smoothly and laid smoothly too. “There you go” –
And to prevent the stone from breaking, there is still one last step to complete.
Maurice and his friend Didier lay one of the keystones of the capital. A discharge triangle.
– At 79 years old, Maurice Roustan is the memory of the capitals of Gard. He was the first
to take an interest in this modest heritage. He counted nearly 400 of them.
Director asked: “ How long did you work to achieve this result?” »
« 32 years ago. That’s a lot of crap… I tell you… Saturdays and Sundays…
Director’s question: “What prompted you to undertake this work?” »
“Well, the love of dry stone. Because we realized that it was also an idea
to preserve a heritage and to perpetuate it and to continue to teach and to make
what was done before we forgot. » – By preserving the capitelles and
restoring some, Maurice perpetuates the character of the Gard landscapes. It also preserves
the secret of what makes them beautiful: the vault. It is made without any mortar using
an original technique: corbelling. Inside, each stone overflows from the
previous one until the building is completely closed. A fragile balance ensured by
the counterweight of the exterior stones. – To pass on this ancestral technique,
Maurice trained all the members of his team himself.
– Stone by stone… thanks to Maurice’s experience
… the dome of the capitelle is taking shape. The construction site is almost complete.
“Everyone leave… Everyone stand up!” Back off! »
– Surrounded by his friends, Maurice hoists the cope, a 150 kilo block specially cut
to cover the capitelle. This step is the second highlight of the construction.
“Is it stuck there?” -Yes -Go
! 1, 2, 3… let’s go! -Gently !
-That’s good… “What drives us…
“First of all, it’s being together. The 4 or 5 idiots who make dry stone
as we are called. That’s what we’re called, the freaks…”
“Come on, it’s fine, just like we said.” “Maurice, what do you feel
there? You just laid the screed…” “Much joy. We’re almost there. We’re
almost done, so…That’s good… We are getting there. A crucial step. This means
that it is already possible to live inside. » – and a few days later,
here is the finished capitelle. A sentinel in the heart of the olive groves.
– After the heat of the south, the green and freshness of the foothills of the Massif Central.
We are in the west of Ardèche. – Here, residents have mobilized to
preserve an emblematic heritage of the region. These chestnut groves have been cultivated since the Middle Ages.
– Gradually abandoned, they were saved 10 years ago by the creation of the
Mont d’Ardèche regional natural park. – It’s spring, the trees are
in bloom but the fruits will not be ripe until autumn. They will then be collected in
these nets that Alexandre, Philippe and Patrice prepare for the season. For several months,
the three men have joined forces to take over this abandoned chestnut grove.
More than 15 hectares and 1000 trees that must be maintained all year round.
– This morning, they are going to restore a building that has become rare
and yet is essential to the survival of chestnut trees. Led by Alexandre,
they will clear a béalière, this small diversion which leaves the river.
“We’re going to try to remove this branch and then we’re going to remove two or three stones like that,
it will give the ram a little more power. » « A béalière is used in our case to
irrigate the chestnut trees but not only that, it also irrigates meadows which serve as
fodder for the animals » – Dug by the ancients, these
stone irrigation channels help to increase the yield of the trees.
“There’s a big leak there. We have to plug it up”
“Our chestnut trees have always been used to having water for generations
and if today we take away the water at the foot of the trees, it could lead to the death of the tree. » –
For centuries, the béalières have formed a complex network several
kilometers long. Following the slope, they flow from plot to plot,
over the entire mountainside before finding the river below.
Together with the terraces, they form a typical landscape of the region.
“We are lucky that this beautiful heritage has been passed down to us and we try to
preserve it as much as possible because today, there are not many béalières left in Ardèche.”
– To highlight this forgotten heritage, Alexandre works with a friend. In love with her
region, Mireille Duvernois organizes hikes to introduce the chestnut grove to the public.
“We are going to cross the bealière. Be careful not to slip. »
“A characteristic of the Ardèche Cévennes is the difference in altitude. We are at 450m and at the
highest at 1400m, and we can see that this difference in altitude has been cut into terraces to allow cultivation. ”
– These terraces are a key element of the prosperity of these valleys. They
allowed men to survive in this harsh country. But today, few of
them are still maintained, and an entire landscape risks disappearing.
“Therefore, across the whole of Ardèche, approximately 80% of the terraces are abandoned,
collapsing, covered by vegetation and no longer in use. So there are
very few terraces in use in Ardèche; it is important to save them. » –
Through these awareness-raising actions, Alexandre and Mireille hope to
transmit their passion for this region and participate in the
conservation of this heritage. A backup that
sometimes requires taking a step back. All year round, Alexandre and his friends work
to restore this immense orchard. Like most fruit trees, pruning
chestnut trees will result in larger and more abundant fruit.
“Watch out, I’m underneath, eh!” “We take advantage of this every year to prune
parts of the chestnut grove. We stop, in quotation marks, production for a
period. He prunes a square of chestnut grove and for 4 or 5 years we put down nets to
collect underneath, which allows us to constantly
renew our chestnut groves. Historically it has fed generations,
we also talked about the breadfruit tree. It was a bit like the local cereal, people
fed themselves, fed the animals etc. – Today, the producers of Ardèche
have succeeded in their bet, they are the biggest producers in France and they have made
their chestnuts an exceptional product. “Here we are on the little pourette of Valgorge
which is one of the 65 varieties referenced in the AOC chestnut. It is a chestnut
with a controlled designation of origin. So there, we will peel them, sort them and then we will
put them in the mill to make flour. » – For generations, growers
have selected different species to achieve a diversity of flavors. Some,
like the little Alexandre pourettes, are only produced in this valley.
– The purette is an ideal variety for flour. The opportunity for Alexandre to give
free rein to his second passion… cooking. He recently opened a table d’hôte to
introduce the flavors of chestnuts. “I try to cook chestnuts in a savory way at the table d’hôte
because we often associate this fruit with something sweet. And then
it also allows us to send a message to people through the recipes and tell them that
chestnuts are not just a winter fruit” – On the menu this evening, one of his specialties
: chestnut pâté with green olives. For his guests, it’s a first.
Throughout the meal, Alexandre comes up with a series of surprises, right up to the dessert, which he makes
entirely from chestnuts. These are small 100% chestnut biscuits,
chestnut flour ice cream and panna cotta made with chestnut cream.
and biscuits of your own making? Yes, absolutely. And this is a
little chestnut marshmallow too. It’s amazing because it really
tastes like just flour. It’s impressive. There, we discover a whole range of
flavors that I didn’t even suspect. And consistency too.
And consistent, yeah! But very dietetic!
Laughs… The moment when I appreciate it the most, the chestnut,
is perhaps at harvest time because often at harvest time at midday we do
n’t come home to eat and we make a small fire and we roast some chestnuts and those are
real moments of happiness. Perhaps it is at these moments that I appreciate it the most! » –
With his friends, Alexandre is now developing a whole range of savory chestnut-based products
. An additional way for him to promote the little Ardèche pudding.
– Our journey continues in the south of Ardèche.
– In the foothills of the Cévennes, in a limestone landscape, the village of Labeaume.
– Wedged between thousand-year-old cliffs and the small river that bears its
name, Labeaume is home to an astonishing heritage.
– Hanging gardens, arranged vertically
in a cliff more than 200 meters high. Today, these unique facilities in
France are about to be restored thanks to the work of members of an association.
“Hello everyone! So we’re going to organize ourselves in the following way… Cédric and Pierre,
you’ll take the brush cutter and you’ll do the two small gardens below,
where there are the fig trees.” – For Jean-Claude Fialon, these gardens
are a true passion. Since 2007, once a year, this postman brings together around
thirty lovers of this magnificent site for a major clearing campaign.
“That’s basically it for this morning’s work. Well, there you go! Everyone has their
tasks. Grab the gear and let’s go out into the field and let’s go! » –
The objective of these two days of work: to clean all the plots.
– To reach the lower gardens, stairs, ramps and even
covered passages have been built into the rock. “Be careful because
it’s slippery. Afterwards, it will get better because it will stabilize…”
– All the gardens of Labeaume were created according to the natural hollows
of the cliff reliefs. “So Daniel, you have to take care of the top.
Hey, we have to cut everything. There must be nothing left. The aim is to
clear the area so that the perspective is clear in order to begin the restoration work on
this corner of the wall which is very interesting because it clears the passage which is a passage with
stairs in the rock to come out at the foot of the rock. Well, let’s go, everyone has their task.”
“These are elephants, they’re a scourge, they grow constantly. The more you
cut, the more comes out. » Director question: “Tell me Jean-Claude, is
this a real commando operation?” “It’s absolutely a commando operation. This is
the exact meaning of the term. It’s true. The challenge is still interesting because we will see,
when we have finished, the heritage aspect is remarkable. All these gardens were built, let’s
say, after the revolution, so there was a demographic boom in France, and the Ardèche was
no exception, so it was necessary to feed all these new mouths that were arriving and
the problem in Labeaume, let’s say exaggerating a little, is that 95% of the territory is
planted only with rocks, stones, and stones, so it’s not very productive. So
the ancients had to be ingenious. That’s what they did, so they conquered
territory on the rock, on the cliffs. » Jean-Claude,
Yeah, can you do the chainsaw?
: I’m coming ! Pierre and Cédric, you come down with the brush cutter. OK »
– Today, the objective of Jean-Claude and the volunteers is to clear the cliff of the trees
that have invaded it. To do this, he called on Mathieu Morverand, a young climbing instructor.
– But the operation is delicate because the river which passes just below is very busy.
Jean-Claude, we need someone down there. We’re cutting down the big tree there!
Yeah, yeah, that’s good, go ahead Matthew! The way is clear.
Watch out down there! Is it okay down there?
“You have to imagine these hanging gardens, completely cleared of all
vegetation and cultivated since they were cultivation areas and they were accessed by
small stairs under rocks or on ledges. And so these trees have invaded the space and
sometimes revealed some stones a little bit and the aim of the operation being to restore the
hanging gardens to their original state, we absolutely have to remove all this vegetation which is
invading the space. So we are obliged to proceed with the complete cleaning of the terraces.
– For volunteers, getting involved here is a privilege.
“What I like about this kind of activity is above all rediscovering what
the old people did… Because each clearing brings a discovery.
Whether it is on the hanging gardens, on the cliff or on other sectors
of Labeaume, the fact of clearing, because if we go back 50 years, 60 years
, we must still know that there was no vegetation on the sites. There
were goats grazing, farmers, the old people cultivated because they had to
eat, eh, they weren’t rich crops after all . And finding this habitat is something that
fascinates me, it’s my passion, and I can only find it in regions like this”
– The next day, Jean-Claude Fialon comes to inspect the terraces. The opportunity for him to rediscover
all the richness and particularities of the site. “Ah, that’s changed!” Since we
cleared all that away, it has brought back to life all these walls, these structures, these terraces. »
– Mission accomplished for Jean-Claude and his team. The contours of each garden
are now very clearly defined, revealing all the ingenuity of the
peasant builders of Labeaume in the 19th century. – From this promontory, he will be able to
admire the walls solidly made of large blocks, placed at the edge of the void.
“So here we are in the presence of this wall which is remarkable because it is built
in an arc of a circle. So this is reminiscent of the builders of cathedrals, precisely,
and it is clear that the people of Labeaume were above all quarrymen and peasants too.
– A little further down, another nice surprise awaits Jean-Claude.
“Ah, well, that’s interesting because the clearing has just uncovered
these two beautiful vaults. What is special is that the vaults are almost flat.
Of course, they are self-blocked by the rocks opposite. They went to build
gardens right under this small space to recover a garden the size of a handkerchief”
– When the gardens are fully restored, the association hopes to open them to the public.
– Return to the
Monts d’Ardèche regional natural park. This is the green Ardèche. The land of Eyrieux.
– A succession of ridges and steep valleys.
– A landlocked region where men fight to
preserve an activity that has always been linked to these mountains : working with wool.
– Julien Valade is one of the last sheep shearers in the region.
– Every spring, he travels these small roads to collect their fleeces.
“I’m going to Pierre Vidal, who is a sheep farmer in Saint-Pierreville. He has
200 sheep to shear. So, it’s the first days of the season. We
start at the beginning of March to shear approximately 25,000 sheep across the entire department”
– The sheep raised by Pierre Vidal are white from the Massif Central. A breed renowned
for its robustness and the quality of its wool. – The breeder has his animals sheared
once a year and to ensure quality work, he gathers them in an enclosure.
“We squeeze them to keep them warm, to make them sweat in fact. They will release
a grease which is the suint and which is in the wool and which will facilitate the shearer’s work. » –
To make this work easier, Julien has special equipment.
“So these are special mowing slippers. In felt. To have almost the same feeling
as if you were barefoot but still with protection. We have good stability on the
work board and this allows us to feel where the sheep is with our feet.
– To shear quickly and well, Julien
makes a series of passes in a precise order: he strips the animal from the
neck to the hind legs. In three minutes he gets a fleece like this.
“It’s a pretty tough job, physically demanding firstly because of the
position. When it’s the season it’s every day so even when you’re tired you have to
go. So I really think it’s more than a job. It’s a passion. » –
A trade revived in the region thanks to a small business which has managed to
preserve the tradition of wool here. “For a breeder, wool represents 2% of our
income. But it is still necessary to shear every year otherwise the fleeces will mat and so
Ardelaine provides us with two very important services. The first is to
have quality and professional shearers and the second, which is rarer, is to
collect the wool, because in fact, breeders have difficulty selling their wool. »
– Reviving the Ardèche wool industry is the challenge that
the founders of Ardelaine set themselves thirty years ago. They settled in this isolated village, in Saint-Pierreville, where they
took over a spinning mill that had closed in the 1960s. – Gérard Barras is one of the architects
of this renaissance. He is the one who restored this machine, which dates back to 1921.
“The problem we have is that these are machines that practically no longer exist. And
so, we are sometimes forced to redo gears, supports. It’s an adaptation,
a bit like collector cars where we have to remake the parts and then
make sure that… on the other hand, for us, it won’t be for the collection, it’s for production, so
it has to be perfect for production. » – Today, Ardelaine is the only traditional spinning mill
in Ardèche to work wool on a machine listed as a historic monument.
– This old machine cards the wool to make these sails which will be used to
make quilts and pillows. “The interesting thing is that it’s
actually about maintaining know-how. Adelaine is in the position of having extended
know-how because we picked up the story just as it was disappearing. And we
are the transmitters of this know-how.” – A know-how which
today supports 45 people and which perpetuates the tradition of the wool mattress.
– We meet Julien who, between two shearing sessions, is in charge of making them.
“So, this is a small mattress. You need to count about, I would say 25, between 20 and 25
sheep. Afterwards, what is tricky is that you can only feel the density of the wool
with your hands. As the saying goes, you have to have eyes at your fingertips. » –
By making quality products by hand, the company has won its bet. Products
made here are sold throughout France. “So now we are at the tightening stage. This is
the very last step before the mattress is packaged. This is also an opportunity
to check whether there are any significant dips in certain areas. This is really the
last check before packaging. This is also a fairly important step. » –
This adventure mobilized an entire village behind Gérard and his wife Béatrice.
“We could never have imagined that it would take on this dimension. We hoped that it would be
something beautiful, something cheerful, something interesting and something that would also support the
local economy, but we have far exceeded our expectations. »
– Thanks to the spinning mill, the small village of Saint-Pierreville is experiencing
a new life. A successful example of a rural economy to keep alive the heritage
and know-how of these remote valleys. – The Ardèche is not only renowned
for its exceptional landscapes of mountains, cliffs and rivers.
– Everywhere, water has shaped an invisible work. Beneath these olive groves, an
unsuspected world of underground networks and caves opens up. : The most spectacular: the Aven d’Orgnac.
– Stéphane Tocino is one of the cave guides. Today, he is
equipping Noé Vergez, a young trainee, for an extraordinary journey into the depths of the
Earth. Together, they will explore part of the cavity that has been closed for 30 years.
Are you ready? Yeah ! Here is the access tunnel.
– An adventure which begins, like all visits to the Aven d’Orgnac, with
this staircase carved into the stone. This cave was first explored
by a team of five speleologists led by Robert de Joly 75 years ago.
“There you have it, the natural entrance!” This is the only natural entrance
known to us on the 4 km network. This is where Robert de Joly descended on August 19,
1935, using a rope ladder at the time. “– A chasm of more than 80 meters.
“It is from the Joly room that we will leave the concrete, the steps and the ramps.
We are going to go for a walk in the new networks of Orgnac and Issirac. »
– Classified as a Grand Site de France, the Aven d’Orgnac is made up of four immense
rooms linked together by galleries. A succession of naves over 70 meters high.
– Since he started working here, Stéphane has been watching over this remarkable natural heritage. Together,
the two speleologists will now enter the undeveloped part of the cave.
“Hop the narrowness, I’ll leave the bag to you, Noah. Please pass it to me when I’m on the
other side. THANKS. Ok. » « Here we have arrived at the beginning of the second
network which was discovered from 1965. These are the undeveloped networks of Orgnac and Issirac.
Today we will go to the deepest part of the cavity in network 4, which is a
fully protected area, which we have not been to for a very long time. The idea is to go and
see how the cavity behaved during all the time we were not there. » –
This part of the cave is open only to amateur speleologists who want to
rediscover the emotions of the first explorers. – Here, monumentality and finesse
constantly coexist in the greatest harmony, in the heart of veritable underground cathedrals.
“ That’s it, Noah, we’re at the goldsmith’s. Look at !
This is a place that I like a lot because, at the same time, it is big, and at the same time you can
go into the very small, small, small detail. Very small detail. So the panel with the most
eccentrics is behind it. Watch your head, please. Come see! Look at ! ”
– An astonishing spectacle unfolds before Noah’s eyes . That of the birth of eccentrics,
concretions formed by the flow of water. Eccentrics defy the laws
of gravity by pushing obliquely, horizontally, and sometimes even upwards.
“Here, it looks like a kind of mikado!” There is a density of eccentrics there, it is
really very, very dense. And it’s curious because it seems to be going a bit off the rails, to be
a bit of a mess. In fact, the orientation of the eccentric is dictated by the
crystal structure of the calcite. If all the crystals fit together, face
to face, without constraint, the eccentric will go a little in all directions.
There are some who make loops, they go up, they go down. Look at this one! It goes back up
completely. Goldsmithing is aptly named.” “It’s huge!” It’s huge! To imagine
that it is under our feet… it is magnificent! » – Noah is not at the end of his surprises.
The cave is still far from having revealed all its wonders to him.
– They are now arriving in the saber room.
“It’s one of the places that has contributed a little to the notoriety of the networks… It’s
not huge but it’s very different from what we’ve seen up until now, you’ve seen. And then what’s
nice here is that you can really get very, very close, you know, a little bit.
The eccentrics can be seen without any problem. » “Do you know how
many years it took to form?” » “How long does it take to form
this?” The only way to know the age of a concretion is to collect material
and analyze it. So we know how to date the concretions but this has not been done here. »
“Be careful on the left, Noah, there are clay fir trees. You know forms
of erosion related to water falling from ceilings. Infiltration. »
“ It’s slippery!” ” –
After four hours of progress, the two guides almost reached their destination.
– But before entering the last network, one step is necessary.
“We’ll change here. Look at the state we are in. You saw that! Here you have to
change completely because you have crossed a part of the cave where you are soiled with clay from
head to toe and now you arrive in a place where there is practically no more clay.
We couldn’t go on the calcite flows with boots and wetsuits
that dirty, we’d get clay everywhere. » – The two men now attack the
part of the cave left untouched for 20 years. For Stéphane and Noé, it’s a first…
“Look at that, have you seen the color contrasts there? You have red and green at the same
time, that’s nice. Water is always nice. It brings something, anyway. And then
if you light it up a little more, the walls, you see, it looks like they’re reflected in the water. »
“So, it’s not an underground river, eh. The underground river is much
more impetuous. But there, it’s calm, it’s zen. I think it creates a good atmosphere. » –
They discover a rare spectacle. The water in the cave has erased all traces of human presence.
It is a completely preserved space that is offered to their eyes.
“ Spectacular, huh? »
« Grandiose! “It’s a shock, it’s completely crazy, to
see so many concretions and so much volume, I hadn’t even imagined it was possible
. With my little culture of caving, scraping, snooping, and then a little culture
of classic caving. I have visited caves, but this one… I have no element of
comparison with a similar cavity. » – These limestone splendors are a
precious witness to the work of the water which for thousands of years has sculpted the
cave before emerging into the open air. – Our journey now takes us
to the Camargue Gardoise. South of Nîmes. A mosaic of marshes and rice fields
crossed by the Canal du Midi. – At the heart of this vast expanse of water and
reeds, a natural sanctuary unique in France: the Scamandre regional reserve.
– Every year, hundreds
of migratory birds stop there. – Jeremiah Petit is the reserve’s curator
. He is accompanied by Clément, a young intern.
– From the beginning of the breeding season,
these birdwatching enthusiasts inspect the colony of Ibis and herons.
– Here, birds find ideal conditions to give birth to their young.
“The first specificity of the colony is that it is very, very large. The
largest colonies, all species combined, were around 2,000 pairs and here we have
reached up to 5,000 pairs. So it’s really , really important. This is a first
peculiarity. There are all species of tree herons that breed inside.
Second peculiarity. And especially since 2006, there is a species that recently arrived in the Camargue and
settled there, the glossy ibis, which began to breed here and it was its only
breeding site in France. And these 3 reasons make this colony truly exceptional. »
– Thanks to the conservation work of Jeremiah and his teams, the glossy ibis population
has increased twentyfold since 2006. They live in perfect harmony with the tree herons.
Birds build their nests in these trees and several dozen chicks are
born each year in the reserve. – A few days later, we find
Jeremiah Petit. He is accompanied by the ornithologist, Yves Kayser, and his
assistant, Thomas Blanchon. Their mission: to carry out a delicate operation in the heart of the
colony. They will capture the last chicks that have not yet been ringed this year.
“The ideal age for ringing chicks is 20 days. Beyond 20 days, they become very
agile. They are practically flying, so we can’t catch them anymore. It’s very sporty.
“These chicks are too big. They are not ringed but they
are too big. You can’t catch them anymore, they’re practically flying. »
– To find the chicks they are looking for, the three men embark on a real hunt.
“I looked to see if there was an ibis nest in the tamarisk trees with chicks
that we could capture. » – The search continues.
“So there is a glossy ibis nest with normally 3 chicks
that we are going to try to capture to ring them.” – The team must now act very
quickly. Before panic sets in. – To prevent the birds from
fleeing, they surround the bush. But two of the chicks manage to escape.
– Luckily, Thomas managed to catch one. “So… DB 113 049”
– The young ibis is particularly sensitive to stress. Handling may
injure him. Yves Kaiser must take every precaution to ring him. The ornithologist
then proceeds to a methodical examination of the chick. “105 the tarsus”
– After the length and thickness of its legs,
the weight, the last operation before the chick is released.
“550” “Actually, it allows us to measure the
body condition of the chicks, so we know if they are in good physical condition, and this one
looks in very good condition. He is close to taking off too. » – In order to better protect this
exceptional fauna, the reserve teams have chosen to show it to the public.
– Walkways have been specially designed for visitors and paths allow them to move freely.
– Photo safaris are also organized. An original way to discover the richness of
this natural environment. Simon Beaudoin is one of the facilitators of the regional reserve.
“Look! You have a white spatula right there. ” –
And finally, it’s a whole group of spatulas that passes in front of the lenses.
“For an experienced observer who comes to the nature reserve and already knows a little about
birds, he can, in one morning, if he arrives a little early, see
around forty species. On good days. Over the entire year,
since the reserve has existed, approximately 170 to 175 species have been counted. So it could be
rarities, birds that have gotten lost, birds just migrating. What I like
most here is really sharing with the people who come to visit this heritage, who come to
discover the nature reserve, because it is by making people discover it that we will succeed in raising
awareness and continuing this protection which is not eternal. It will be necessary
for people, from generation to generation, to continue to protect this heritage. »
– Before the eyes of the photographers, a ballet of kingfishers, the
parade of emblematic birds of the Scamandre regional reserve.
– And the great egret’s fishing trip. – As for our young ibis, in a few days
it will take flight to reach the shores of Africa.
– Return to the Pont du Gard.
– If the building makes visitors from all over the world dream, it is also a source
of inspiration for a local artist who will make it the star of an exceptional event.
“Benja, you arrive in the center…”
– Christophe Berthonneau is the artistic director of Groupe F, a pyrotechnic show company
. But he is also a local boy who grew up in the shadow of the monument. This is
why he chose this emblem of his region for his new creation.
Group F’s specialty is a blend of modern technology combined with the power of fireworks.
Christophe Berthonneau: “What people expect is an illusion, it’s
magic, it’s a souvenir, it’s a memory. Because in a setting
like this, it is still the scenography that will determine the quality of the show. “.
– Shows that have been transforming the most beautiful sites on the planet for ten years.
Like the gardens of Versailles transformed every summer since 2007
by the magic of flames and light displays created by Christophe Berthonneau.
– The design of the light costumes and special effects for
Christophe’s new show are developed here, in his HQ, right next to the Pont du Gard.
“It’s one of the places where we work. We work in the space we have and then we are good
together. There we have Anne Williams and then Pascal who are working on our
ringmaster. They are making adjustments so that when he speaks, his jaw moves. All
the characters in Group F are characters who carry their light, they are
radiant. We never work with lights that illuminate things. » –
Christophe is now setting up a scene that is supposed to destroy the Pont du Gard, using
video projections created according to his imagination. “We’re breaking here.”
“Yeah, actually it feels like there’s a precipice. Because when he
jumps it’s really funny but there he has to…” “Here we are in the process of adjusting the sequence
of Brendan who, in fact, is climbing on the remains of a half-destroyed bridge. He’ll
get to the top, make a first jump over a crack, he’ll make a second jump,
he’ll fall. And it actually recovers with firework wings
and lands nicely on the plain. » – To carry out the sequences developed
by Christophe, a team of sixty technicians are busy at the foot of the bridge.
– To enhance it like the gardens of Versailles, the fireworks experts install
dozens of pyrotechnic tubes on the pipeline. – The acrobatic actors, who will
later be dressed in their light costumes, enter the stage. They rehearse their
perilous act in front of the visitors. – The bridge is becoming an
impressive vertical theater stage. A way for Christophe to express
his attachment to this stone giant. “Every time you consider the Pont
du Gard site, it’s a whole. That is to say the relationship between the crossing of the waters, since it is
the aqueduct which passes over the river, and we are always in the 3 dimensions, it is one
of the places where you have this depth of field all the time, systematically, and therefore it is
him and the site, the site and him, permanently, it is this resonance which makes this place. »
– Working on a listed monument imposes strict rules. Everything is done to ensure that
the installations leave no traces and that the building remains intact.
“Rachel is in the system!” » – Actress Rachel Cronier knows
the bridge well, but rather from below. 80 meters above the river, she is preparing to rehearse
the jump into the void that she will have to make in the middle of the night during the show.
– “Do you do this often, Rachel?” – “Often not, but it happens to us” –
“And on the Pont du Gard, is it the first time? » –
« On the Pont du Gard, it’s the first time… » – « And what’s it like? » –
« We are stupid sometimes. Sometimes we ask ourselves why didn’t I stay
at home, no, it’s very nice, things like that happened to us, we say to ourselves ”
fuck! “. It’s normal, it’s a little scary and then once you’re there, it’s great. Well,
if I were in the place of the people downstairs I would complain about not being there anyway, that’s for sure. » –
The difficulty for Rachel: overcoming her apprehension and finding the ideal position
to descend along the zip line. “That’s not good. Rachel,
actually, you had to lift your legs to ever release your tension. » –
The first attempt is not conclusive. “There is a problem with the actress who doesn’t dare to
take the first step and who holds back, who holds back and… except that the cart doesn’t wait. So
! First technical tests. Now we will have to combine the artistic with all of this.
This is a little less our area. This is where the director can say no, it’s
too fast, too slow, not majestic enough. We will adapt, but the technique works.”
– After six days of preparation, Group F is ready. The first spectators
arrive and sit down at the foot of the bridge. – The theme of the Group F show is
games. Circus games. Video games. No games allowed. Games of Olympus.
– Faithful to their tradition of street theatre
, the actors move among the audience, dressed in their costumes of light.
– For one hour, the fire wizards will transform the
stone giant and the valley surrounding it into a gigantic land of illusions.
– They are going to reinvent the Pont du Gard…
Amoureux de la France et du patrimoine, ses trésors n’auront plus de secrets pour vous 👉https://bit.ly/4dnI1h1
Entre plaines et garrigues, falaises et plateaux, le Gard et l’Ardèche offrent une étonnante variété de paysages et un patrimoine d’une richesse exceptionnelle.
“Du Gard à l’Ardèche”
Un documentaire de la collection Des Racines et des Ailes, écrit et réalisé par Emmanuel Roblin .
© ECLECTIC PRODUCTION
Tout droits réservés – AMP
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