Discover Les Mages

If you’re looking for a hotel in Les Mages, you can assess the town through its specific cultural themes. The Eglise des Mages, with its 12-metre-high façade fresco, represents a religious tradition; the Capitelle de la Tourette points to earlier agricultural work. The Moulin à huile Rodier is associated with olive oil production, while the Lavoir du Moinas has its own historical context through its construction and restoration dates. This can help you choose a destination based on which of these themes best suits your stay.

Fresco and tradition

The Eglise des Mages is in the centre of Les Mages. Its façade features a 12-metre-high fresco painted by Jean Marc Fraisse in 2012. It tells the story of the Three Wise Men. According to tradition, they are said to have passed through this village and given three gifts: the secret of olives, or olive oil; the secret of black stones, or coal; and the secret of silkworms on the mulberry tree, or silk. The fresco thus combines religious visual art with a specific local tradition. The artist, year and legend offer different ways to approach the work: through its design, its place in time and the story it tells. If you’re interested in religious visual art and local traditions, the fresco is a clearly defined highlight in Les Mages.

The Capitelle de la Tourette

The Capitelle de la Tourette offers a different perspective on the town’s history. It is a simple limestone hut, with stones joined using mortar. In the past, it provided temporary shelter for farmers, their tools and their agricultural produce. Its former use helps explain the practical purpose of this type of structure: people, equipment and produce were temporarily sheltered in connection with farming. The capitelle is on La Tourette hill, which overlooks Les Mages, and has become a symbol of the village. Here, the masonry, former shelter function and special significance to Les Mages come together. If you’re more interested in historic structures than visual art, it offers a distinct focus.

Building history and olive oil

The Lavoir du Moinas was built in the 1930s and restored in 2012. These two dates mark the construction and later restoration as separate phases in the history of the same building. Alongside the fresco and capitelle, the lavoir adds a perspective on the town’s building history.

The Moulin à huile Rodier brings together historic use and ongoing olive oil production. It was already an olive oil mill in 1887 and is still in operation. Traditional oil production involves grinding on a stone mill, scourtins and a hydraulic press. Visits to the mill and olive grove are possible. If you’re considering a visit, check the specific visiting arrangements in advance. Unlike the capitelle, the mill focuses on oil production, while the hut is associated with its former role as shelter in everyday agricultural life.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Césaire-De-Gauzignan, Notre-Dame-De-La-Rouvière, Laval-Saint-Roman, Codolet, Pougnadoresse, Saint-Laurent-De-Carnols, Saint-Geniès-De-Comolas, Clarensac.

For the broader travel overview: Gard.