Roquefort-La-Bédoule: Wine, Nature and History

As a destination, Roquefort-La-Bédoule brings together subjects that span very different time periods: winegrowing, a protected natural area, historic buildings and a geological layer containing marine fossils. If you’re looking for a hotel in Roquefort-La-Bédoule, these highlights can help you decide which aspects of the area are of particular interest for your trip. Historic sights include the Chapelle Saint-André-de-Julhans, the ruins of the old castle, the Château de Julhans and the Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste; the Bédoulien adds geological history to the story of the buildings.

Wine and Natural Areas

Château Barbanau has 27 hectares of vineyards with the AOC Côtes de Provence and AOC Cassis designations. Wine tastings and wine sales are available at the winery. If you’re planning a wine tasting, confirm its availability before your visit.

Fontblanche, meanwhile, is a protected natural area covering more than 850 hectares and spanning the municipalities of Ceyreste and Roquefort-la-Bédoule. At more than 850 hectares, Fontblanche is significantly larger in area than Château Barbanau’s 27 hectares of vineyards.

Buildings and Local History

The Chapelle Saint-André-de-Julhans is a Romanesque monument dating from the 12th century and a protected historic monument. It was listed as a historic monument on June 18, 1987. It is located in the Fontblanche forest and can only be reached on foot. If you’re planning to visit this chapel, bear in mind that access is on foot.

The ruins of the old castle are located on the site of a Celtic-Ligurian oppidum. The castle was built in the 11th century and destroyed on Richelieu’s orders.

The Château de Julhans is a 17th-century monument. Joseph Bonaparte and Julie Clary were married there. Unlike the ruins of the old castle, the recorded history of this building includes a specific event as well as its construction period.

The Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste stands in the hamlet of Roquefort and dates from 1734. Reused materials from the old village were used to build the church. Together with the medieval buildings, it represents a later phase in the area’s history.

Geology of the Bédoulien

The geological layer known as the “Bédoulien” adds a much older time frame to the history of the buildings and the area. It formed during the Mesozoic Era, between 121 and 117 million years ago, and contains marine fossils, especially ammonites. The chapel, castle, château and church belong to historic building periods; the Bédoulien is a geological layer from the Mesozoic Era, formed between 121 and 117 million years ago. Roquefort-La-Bédoule thus offers a perspective that ranges from specific buildings and historic events to the distant history of the Earth.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Andiol, Carro, Venelles, Vauvenargues, Paradou, Saint-Étienne-du-Grès, Roquevaire, Le Grau-Du-Roi.

For the broader travel overview: Bouches Du Rhone.