Reillanne

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This large village (or small town) is interesting looking, with the ancient church and bell tower on the hilltop [photo-1], but isn't very attractive and doesn't seem very active. It is a picturesque site, with the old perched village dominating the large Place de la Résistance [photo-2], and the gothic Eglise de l'Assomption on the main square.

Photo gallery of 8 photos for Reillanne

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04110)
Population: 1,197
Altitude: 600 m

Sunday is market day (with a smaller market on Thursday), bringing some life to the town. There are a few basic shops (boucherie, boulangerie, post office) along the main street and on the square [photo-3], and a few terrace cafés. The café-restaurants are OK as cafés (but rather dingy); as restaurants they're very basic, and just as dingy.

Contributed by Sylvia Rosenberg, Californai, July 2006:

Have just spent 12 days at the little town of Reillanne, and did not agree with your description of "dingy" to describe the cafes etc. I thought the town was charming, if not quite as picture-esque as some of the surrounding "village perche".
The best part of visiting that area was the lack of tourists, it was a wonderful area to explore.

All towns and villages have their fountains, and Reillanne has a fine 19th-century one [photo-4], in the center of the main square. On the side of the nearby Eglise de l'Assomption, with its double bell tower, is an ancient stone sundial (cadran solair) [photo-5].

Outside the center around the north side of town is a large residential area, and this is a very nice place to live. A large forest to the north has places to walk and hike, and the Couvent Notre-Dame back in the woods. Surrounding it all, but a few kilometers away, is the Parc Naturel du Luberon. A couple of km south of the town, the N100 passes east-west along the valley, at the foothills of the Luberon mountains.

A walk up to the hilltop offers a nice view of the area, and there are a few little streets for exploring [photo-6]. The remains of the stone ramparts and porte near top of hill [photo-7] date to the 12th-13th centuries. The stone church with the tall, square clock-bell tower is the 18th-c Chapel St-Denys, rebuilt on the ruins of the 12th-c Chapel St-Pierre, with the round tower [photo-8]. At the top of the hill, just below the ancient chapel, a large spring (source) provides fresh water for the town.

About 3 km west (as the crow flies), between Reillanne and Céreste is the ancient Prieuré de Carluc, Roman and 7th-12th centuries.

Camp

Le Vallon des Oiseaux, camp naturistes

Location: La Serpatière et le Vallo

Language: French, Dutch, English, German, Italian

Club affiliate: FFN

Open: 1 Apr - 30 Sept (reservations taken all year)

Tel: 0492 764 733; Fax: 0492 76 44 64

Contacts: Jean, Madelein Pasma

History

Name
First record, 909 Reglana

Gallo-Roman: The large Roman village of Alaunia was on the plain below, on the Via Domitia. Alaunia was devastated by barbarian invasions, and moved up the hill to its current location.

Medieval: Reillanne was an important town in the Middle Ages. It was well fortified and protected by the chateau on top of the hill. The town escaped from much of the troubles during the War of Religion, although the chateau was destroyed.