Dentelles de Montmirail
Encyclopedia
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
in Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, in the département of Vaucluse
Vaucluse
The Vaucluse is a department in the southeast of France, named after the famous spring, the Fontaine-de-Vaucluse.- History :Vaucluse was created on 12 August 1793 out of parts of the departments of Bouches-du-Rhône, Drôme, and Basses-Alpes...
, located just to the south of the village of Vaison-la-Romaine
Vaison-la-Romaine
Vaison-la-Romaine is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France....
.
They are foothills of the highest peak in the Provence, the Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux is a mountain in the Provence region of southern France, located some 20 km northeast of Carpentras, Vaucluse. On the north side, the mountain borders the Drôme département. It is the largest mountain in the region and has been nicknamed the "Giant of Provence", or "The Bald...
, which is situated just to the east. The dramatically jagged shape of their peaks was formed by horizontal strata of Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
being folded and forced into a nearly upright position and subsequently eroded into sharp-edged ridges and spikes. The highest peak of the Dentelles is St-Amand, at 734 m (2,400 ft). The range, which is about 8 km wide, offers over 600 trails for walking, rock climbing, and mountain biking. The foot of the Dentelles is surrounded by vineyards of the Rhône Valley.
Etymology
Their name dentelles, the French word for lace, refers to their shape obtained by erosion, while Montmirail is derived from the Latin mons mirabilis meaning 'admirable mountain'.History
Located on the territory of the communes of Beaumes-de-VeniseBeaumes-de-Venise
Beaumes-de-Venise is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-Name:The word "beaumes" comes from the old Provençal word balma meaning "cave" or "grotto"...
, Crestet
Crestet
Crestet is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-References:*...
, Gigondas
Gigondas
Gigondas is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-Geography:Gigondas lies in between Vacqueyras and Sablet at the foot of the Dentelles de Montmirail mountains.-Wine:...
, La Roque-Alric
La Roque-Alric
La Roque-Alric is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-Geography:Placed on a rocky outcrop, La Roque-Alric is in the centre of the Dentelles de Montmirail.-Sights:...
, Lafare
Lafare
Lafare is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-References:*...
, Le Barroux
Le Barroux
Le Barroux is a village and commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It had a population of 615 in 2006.- History :Its current name derives from the latin Albaruffum....
, Malaucène
Malaucène
Malaucène is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-Geography:Malaucène is a typical provençal village located in Provence at the foot of Mont Ventoux.-Sights:...
, Suzette
Suzette
Suzette is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-References:*...
, and Vacqueyras
Vacqueyras
Vacqueyras is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-See also:* Dentelles de Montmirail*Communes of the Vaucluse department*Vacqueyras AOC*Raimbaut de Vaqueiras-References:*...
; the Dentelles de Montmirail were an important natural frontier during the Antiquity between the tribes of the Memini in the south, and the Voconces in the north.
Further reading
- Scheibli, Isabelle (2002) Les Dentelles de Montmirail. Invitation à la flanerie, Conseil d'Architecture, d'Urbanisme et de l'Environnement de Vaucluse, Avignon ISBN:2951883706