Sablet () is a commune in the

Vaucluse Vaucluse (; or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.

department in the

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (commonly shortened to PACA), also known as Région Sud, is one of the eighteen Regions of France, administrative regions of France, located at the far southeastern point of the Metropolitan France, mainland. The main P ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

in southeastern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. It is a fortified Provençal village rich in history.

Population

Geography

Sablet is situated at the foot of the

Dentelles de Montmirail The Dentelles de Montmirail are a small Mountain range, chain of mountains in Provence in France, in the ''département in France, département'' of Vaucluse, located just to the south of the village of Vaison-la-Romaine. They are foothills of ...

in the Côtes du Rhône

wine-producing region Wines are produced in significant growing regions where vineyards are planted. Wine grapes berries mostly grow between the 30th and the 50th degrees of latitude, in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, typically in regions of Mediterranean ...

. It is located to the west of

Mont Ventoux Mont Ventoux (; ) is a mountain in the Provence region of southern France, located some northeast of Carpentras, Vaucluse. On the north side, the mountain borders the department of Drôme. At , it is the highest mountain in the region and h ...

, in a transition zone between the Prealps and the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

. Sablet is very close to the larger towns of

Vaison-la-Romaine Vaison-la-Romaine (; ) is a town in the Vaucluse Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region in southeastern France. Vaison-la-Romaine is famous for its rich Roman ruins and mediaeval town and ca ...

to the north,

Carpentras Carpentras (, formerly ; Provençal dialect, Provençal Occitan language, Occitan: ''Carpentràs'' in classical norm or ''Carpentras'' in Mistralian norm; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Vaucluse Departments of France, department in the ...

to the south and

Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower ** Orange juice *Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...

to the west, with the much larger regional center of

Avignon Avignon (, , ; or , ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river Rhône, the Communes of France, commune had a ...

30 minutes away.

Features

The oldest part of the village "inside the walls" (''les remparts''), is made up of narrow streets or ''ruelles'', built in a circular fashion around the beehive shaped hill, which afforded inhabitants protection against numerous invaders over many centuries. Streets are named to reflect the activities of the village inhabitants over the centuries, for example climbing the "Escaliers de l'Eglise" to the twelfth century church of St. Nazaire or visiting the shoemaker on the "Rue du Cordonnier." Today, the village has expanded beyond the "Remparts" and has an active group of "commercants" who provide for the day-to-day needs of its residents and the surrounding farms. It has two ''boulangeries'' (bakeries), one butcher, two grocery stores, a florist, a drug store, a small Medical Center with resident Doctors and Dentists, a tabac/gift store, a bank, a "press". There is a cafe, two restaurants and Pizza "to go" in the main square, while a short walk along the "Route de Vaison" takes you to Restaurant Les Abeilles. In the village square, the "Bureau du Tourisme" has information about the village, and the surrounding communities. They offer

wine tasting Wine tasting is the sensory examination and evaluation of wine. While the practice of wine tasting is as ancient as its production, a more formalized methodology has slowly become established from the 14th century onward. Modern, professional w ...

samples from all the wineries in Sablet. The "Maison de la Retraite" or Retirement Home for Sablet's senior citizens is in the village square. Local children attend elementary school in the village and high school in

Economy

Main industries in Sablet are Wine Producing and Tourism. Although the village is a support center for the tourism that takes place in the area, it retains its primary role as a living village.

History

Sablet has experienced many invasions and waves of migration over the centuries. Its history really begins however, in the 9th century when to guard against the invasion of the

Saracen upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens ''Saracen'' ( ) was a term used both in Greek and Latin writings between the 5th and 15th centuries to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Rom ...

s, the villagers built its first fortifications - ''les remparts''. The ''remparts'' were again rebuilt during the 15th century, and more recently refurbished by the Companions of the Barrys - (les Compagnons du Barrys) - an active group of Sabletains dedicated to the preservation of the history of the Village. During the Middle Ages, Sablet was owned by the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

, and unlike many other villages in the area, it was never under the control of feudal lords - thus also unlike many other villages in the area, there is no castle (chateau). Its citizens have always earned their living working the rich land in this part of the Rhone Valley. At this time the church was the law making and the administrative entity in the area. In 1577 the village was taken by

Calvinists Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyterian, ...

and the Pope appointed a governor to oversee the village until the end of the religious war. The home of the Papal Vice Legate in the center of the village has undergone many changes of ownership, more recently being owned by the then village doctor who established it as a Hospice for during the 1950s until its more recent conversion back to a private home. In 1721 the Plague ravaged the area but Sablet remained untouched. The grateful villagers built the Chapel of St. Roch to the Saint whom they credited with having saved the village. It was placed under the parish of St. Nazaire with its twelfth-century church, which stands at the highest point of the village - the illuminated bell tower marking the position of Sablet in the surrounding countryside. Today, the Chapel of St. Roch is also a functioning church. The 15th-century Chapel of St. Nazaire (as distinct from the Church of St Nazaire) is the home of many art exhibitions each year. When, in 1867, the vineyards of France were devastated by

phylloxera Grape phylloxera is an insect pest of grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America. Grape phylloxera (''Daktulosphaira vitifoliae'' (Fitch 1855) belongs to the family Phylloxeridae, within the order Hemiptera, bugs); orig ...

, it was a Sabletain, Francois Leydier, who invented the grafting machine which helped enormously in saving the wine industry in this region and throughout France. Acknowledging this significant contribution to the village, Rue Francois Leydier was named in his honor.

Culture

Every Friday morning, a small fresh market visits the square. Stalls include fresh fish, a goats cheese stall, a cheese/ fresh pasta stall, two fresh vegetable stalls and several others. The major "fete" each year is the book fair or ''Journees du Livre'' which is held in the first week of July. Well-known authors from all over France and literary enthusiasts come to the village for this two-day event. During the first week of August the village celebrates its annual '' Fête Votive'''' Fête Votive'' - an approximately week-long annual celebration in French villages dedicated to the patron saint of the village which has to be experienced, entertaining for all ages. (as do most villages in the area) has music, dancing and events for children. Various other events such as an Antiques Markets, re-enactments of historic days, open air movies, art expositions and a Boules tournament also take place during the spring and summer months. It is a vibrant, welcoming authentic village.