The first inhabitants of Graveson...
In recent years, the La Roque site (formerly known as "Bellinto"), situated between the villages of Barbentane and Graveson, has become the setting for fascinating archaeological excavations. This is where the traces of Graveson’s first inhabitants were discovered in an area spanning over 10 hectares. Money, pottery, kitchen utensils… all remnants of a population which dates back to prehistoric times. The site is rare because of its diversity (dwellings protected by thick city walls, presence of a place of worship, a place of business with a small crafts shop, a necropolis...) and its position (elevated site on the flanks of the Montagnette). Knapped flints and fragments of shaped ceramics attest to the presence of man since prehistoric times. The site was then more densely populated during the 6th century BC. The late 6th and early 5th centuries BC saw the introduction of a more complex construction with stone wall foundations. The Gallo-Roman period lasted a long time as the Roman occupation continued on through the 5th century AD. Discoveries from this period are abundant; not only do they include ceramics and money, but they also reveal road structures which link different oppida (settlements) and especially the famous Via Agrippa route which connected Arles to Lyon. Following the Roman period, this site became a necropolis from which 26 graves have been excavated. The site was then long abandoned before entering its “modern period” starting in the 18th century. Site excavations uncovered a rampart, a tower (6th century BC) and a well. In 1793, a beautiful cippus in white marble dating back to the 1st century was discovered. The cippus was part of a funerary monument and it is currently on display at the Musée Lapidaire in Avignon.
The Middle Ages...
Following 500 years of peace under the Romans, the La Roque site was invaded and destroyed. The name Graveson first appeared in the 9th century in the Chartes du Pays d'Avignon. The region was structured by a feudal system inherited by powerful military families of Burgundian origin. Like many villages at the time, Graveson was protected by city walls. Built atop ancient ruins, these walls were built on an orthogonal North-South path to form a continuous enceinte of corridors studded by alternating round and square towers whose doors and posterns were open. One meter eighty thick and eight meters high, lined by a guardsmen road with ditches, these ramparts were crucial to the protection of the city during the political and religious wars of that time (they disappeared in the early 19th century). Located in the center of the village, the castle (of which there remains today only the North side) was the stronghold of the noble Lords of Provence (Sabran - Amic, Gantalmo, Pierre de Beauveau, Grand Sénéchal of King René, and Pierre Robin, King René’s physician, among others). The Main Gate (Grand Portail) edifice which today houses the welcome desk of the Office of Tourism, is the symbol of that era: its primary function was the main city entrance for the west side of town.
Religion...
Graveson has always been an important place of worship and religious gatherings. In the 12th century, the Archbishops of Arles and Avignon shared the rights and revenues of the parish whose Romanesque church was dedicated to Notre Dame de Grâce (Our Lady of Grace). After the Counts of Provence ceded the land to the Montmajour Abbey, the community was run by trustees. The church was built before the 11th century in an ancient place of culture, and despite numerous renovations and extensions of the edifice, it stands today in its original location.
Once adjacent to the Lord’s castle, the church now opens onto a large square. Its partial reconstruction and extension in 1847-1848 (after part of the old castle was demolished during the Revolution), make it one of the largest churches in the département. During this reconstruction, the 12th century Romanesque barrel vault nave and its Gothic aisles disappeared, while the two apsidal chapels and the choir which supports the dome and the steeple were preserved. The Romanesque apse of Graveson is one of a series of monuments found throughout Provence dating back to the 12th century in which the apses are decorated with a series of arcatures inspired by Ancient times. Few churches can boast such beautiful works as its 17th-18th century paintings (Mary at the foot of the Cross, or Souls in Purgatory ...). Today, the church keeps alive its age-old traditions ; the St Eloi mass and the Pastrage ceremony at Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve take place in the church.
Golden Age : 18th century to today...
These are the “golden” years of Graveson. Starting in the 18th century, the village began to grow in size and in importance and its activities were developed. Until the 18th century, the village had not extended past its original city walls but for two neighborhoods – towards the east, the Vieux Marseille and towards the west, Lamanon. “Following the French Revolution, domains previously owned by clergy and nobility fell into the hands of the bourgeoisie.” During the end of the 18th century, demographic and economic growth benefited the village. Most of the land was suitable for crops and irrigation hence the development of farming (gardening, fruit cultivation...).
Graveson’s architecture in the 21st century resembles that of its past. The city’s ancestors had an eye on modernity: La Roubine (open for visits), La Vierge (“They placed me here to watch over them.”), the Town Hall and the friendly neighborhoods. Le Cours appeared in the early 19th century following the demolition of the city walls whose large rocks can be seen lined up along its edges.
At the end of the 19th century, the rural community in Graveson experienced multiple crises which lead to the loss of traditional crop cultures. These crises were later diverted by the development of roads, railways, irrigation by drilling, mechanized farming and the creation of daily markets.
The beginning of the 20th century was calm for Graveson. It was during this last century and following numerous crises (namely agricultural and war-related) that the commune (3787 inhabitants) found a dynamic in which a certain art de vivre and a respect for tradition were cultivated with the reappearance of popular festivities. The modern aspects of the city also attract an increasingly young population. |
