Le Petit Luberon, from Maubec to Oppède-le-Vieux

On the story side...

La Noria by Maubec

In Provence, water is rare and precious, which is why Provençals, had to show ingenuity to recover it, regardless of its origin.

In Maubec, there is a fabulous testimony, attesting to the ability of the inhabitants to adapt to the scarcity of water, a magnificent Noria dating from the 18th century.

Noria de Maubec © Coll. OT LCDP

What could a noria be used for?

Noria is a system that supplies agricultural land with water, using a wheel. The latter is fixed above the well, buckets attached to a chain drive the wheel. The buckets have the function of descending upside down into the water, rising up filled and emptying into a tank by passing over the wheel.
In Maubec, the noria worked thanks to a donkey, it allowed to irrigate the farms around the village, until 50 years ago.

The well at Oppède-le-Vieux

The lack of water in Provence has made it necessary to store it for the populations of cities, villages and countryside. For a very long time, the well has been one of the only sources of water supply, along with springs, rivers and rainwater harvesting.

To the east of the village of Oppède-le-Vieux, outside the walled enclosure, there is a well, testifying to this need to store water.

Puits à Oppède-le-Vieux - © Coll. OT LCDP

Well water is precious, in the Middle Ages it is often a source of confrontation and becomes a real issue. It is a vital and indispensable element. First of all, water is essential to the daily needs of drinking, food, and hygiene. But it is also true for different sectors of activity: agriculture, and craft trades (bakers, shoemakers, barbers...).

Water is a fundamental asset, which it is imperative to protect. That's why wells are quite inconspicuous constructions, which can sometimes be accessed only from the inside. Siege pits attest to this need for protection. Indeed they were found in castles, and fortresses, they are generally very deep, allowing a large storage capacity, so as not to run out of water in case of siege. These constructions were extremely expensive.

On the nature side...

The eagle owl around the valley of Combrès and in the village of Oppède le Vieux

It is the biggest nocturnal bird of prey in France and Europe. It is just as effective at night as during the day, thanks to its plumage, ideal camouflage in rock environments and its perfectly silent flight.

It haunts the large limestone cliffs of the Petit Luberon, the earthen cliffs or the forests with or without rocks. It therefore occupies many environments from the mountains to the plain through the hills, which are very present in Provence. He can even venture into the heart of villages and barns.

The Grand Duke is a protected species, it is sometimes the victim of human stupidity, climbing on nesting sites, poaching, poisoning...

Its activity is more marked at sunset and sunrise. Although it is a nocturnal bird, it is quite capable of hunting in broad daylight to be able to feed its young. Powerful greenhouses allow it to hunt all types of prey on any terrain: its prey is rabbits, hares, birds, hedgehogs and other small rodents. These birds are sedentary and territorial. In January, love begins and her particular song is heard for several kilometers around.

Great Horned Owl - © Coll. OT LCDP

Lizards & scrubland

The dry stone walls typical of the Luberon are the kingdom of reptiles. It is not uncommon to see curious and quite original little beasts. Although quite discreet, with the exception of the wall lizard that we see a lot frolicking on the walls, reptiles are nevertheless very present in our ecosystem, and in all environments: forests, meadows, points of water, agricultural or urban areas... Finally unknown to the general public, we may be led to wonder about their way of life.

The green lizard is an integral part of the walls and fields of the Luberon. With its bright green colors, it takes advantage of summer to bask in the sun and then becomes easy to observe.

It is well known that reptiles like to warm up in the sun. This behavior is physiological, because reptiles map their body temperature to that of their environment. So you can easily see them in the morning and evening in good weather and all day in mild weather. But the life of a reptile is not just about sunbathing in the sun! It is insectivorous, and loves small snails or slugs present in Provencal gardens.

Another species of reptile that has colonized the South of France and a good part of Provence, the Taranto de Maurétanie which belongs to the category of geckos. The latter is a mainly arboreal and nocturnal lizard living on the Mediterranean rim. It is a small or even medium-sized gecko.
Its color goes from light beige to dark brown, quite irregular, it can vary depending on the time of day (more or less dark to regulate the temperature). It has adhesive bumps under the legs, which allow it to move through trees and walls and even on the windows of houses and on the ceiling. We see it mostly at night, but it is sometimes active in the early morning and at the end of the day. Taranto is exclusively insectivorous, it loves mosquitoes and ants.

The Bee-eater

The Bee-eater d'Europe est un oiseau de la taille d’un merle, il est très coloré. D'autres espèces existent mais toutes vivent en zones tropicales et équatoriales en Asie et Afrique par exemple. Ils sont tous aussi colorés avec des variantes parfois surprenantes.

Guêpier - © Coll. OT LCDP

This bird is mainly present in the southern European zone including the south of France. Migratory, it appears with us around the month of May and leaves us in September once nesting is over. They arrive in groups from Africa in the spring, which earned him the nickname of 'African hunter' in Provence.

Once in their territory, they nest in compact colonies taking possession of a sand or dirt cliff to dig their nest, often inaccessible to predators such as martens and other snakes...

The Bee-eater est un consommateur d'insectes qu'il capture la plupart du temps en vol. Les proies vont du frelon, au bourdon, abeille, en passant par les cigales, libellules, papillons, criquets etc… The Bee-eater est doté de grandes qualités de vol qui lui permettent des captures parfois spectaculaires pour l'observateur.