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Riez, Provence Vacations and Luxury Travel Packages When the Burgundians invaded this part of Provence, Riez was Reia Apollinaris - an important administrative centre in the Roman Empire. It was Julia Augusta Reia Apollinaris in full, but that was too long even for the Romans. Arriving from Valensole, you will see, on the right, four columns of grey granite with Corinthian capitals and an architrave of white marble, the remains of a first-century Roman temple, presumably dedicated to Apollo. The nearest quarry of grey granite was at Pennafort near Callas in Var, 73 miles (117km) away. Another uncommon relic is the baptistry at the edge of Riez on the road to Allemagne-en-Provence (named after Alemona, a fertility goddess). Experts disagree about when it was erected, though most favour the fourth century. Outside it is square with a later dome; it is octagonal inside with four apsidal chapels let into the thickness of the walls. A ruined baptismal font is surrounded by eight Corinthian columns of grey granite (as at the temple), again surmounted by marble capitals. A collection of sarcophagi, a taurobolic altar, slabs with inscriptions, carved masks and fragments of pillar can be seen through the iron grille. There are some charming places in Riez and a sundial of 1806 in Place St Antione bears a reflective message, 'The most serene moment is marked by a shadow'. The town's Musée Nature en Provence explores the geological history of Provence with over 3,000 samples of rocks, minerals and fossils. The best of the fossils is an almost perfectly preserved wading bird found in marl deposits in the Luberon hills and dating back 35 million years. After visiting the baptistry, continue along the same road, the D952, to reach Allemagne-en-Provence, worth visiting to see its Renaissance chteau, looking like a refugee from another part of France. Further along the D952 is Gréoux-les-Bains, where the thermal waters have been used since the Romans were here in the first century AD. The town, dominated by the ruins of a twelfth century castle of the Knights Templar, was most prosperous during the early nineteenth century when visiting spas became the high point of the social calendar. Today the warm, sulphurous waters are used in the modern spa buildings for the treatment of arthritis, rheumatism and respiratory problems. North of Riez lies an empty corner of Provence where the Asse Valley cuts the Plateau de Valensole in two. One or two farm roads meander across this more severe part of the plateau. To savour this isolation, take the D953 past Puimoisson, then the D8 northwards from Bras d'Asse through the Ravin des Cardaires to reach the River Bléone opposite Malijai on the Route Napoleon (the N85). |
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