Vénéjan
Gard, Occitania
A festive wind blows over Vénéjan. A vast area for walking, the little town has an unexpected historical heritage and natural landscape. At the top of the hill, the windmill, remarkable for its framework, built in 1813 and entirely restored, is the witness of festivities which make the public aware of the environment while promoting the city’s heritage. © Jérôme Buigues
The small town of Vénéjan lies in Occitanie, in the Gard region. With Greco-Roman roots, the perched town continued to develop in the Middle Ages around the castle and Romanesque chapel of Saint Jean-Baptise, built in the 12th century. The town became a centre for sciences with the creation of the Atomic Centre of Marcoule. It overlooks the Côtes-du-Rhône valley of vineyards. Vénéjan can be discovered leisurely, strolling its cobblestoned alleys lined with stone houses, its main square and secular plane trees. Further along, the presence of a 19th-century mill brings to mind the farming days of yesteryear. Built at the request of Joseph Dumas, a Bagnols-sur-Cèze miller, the peasants of Vénéjan became fully independent from neighbouring villagers for nearly a century thanks to the mill. In 1997, the ruined monument was saved thanks to the municipality and an association called “Renaissance du moulin.” Surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, the town has become an ideal destination for a breath of fresh air. Its harmony and picturesque atmosphere will surprise its visitors.