Cairanne

French commune
nomcommune=Cairanne
Cairanne Vieux Village - Autanne Gate
région=Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
département=Vaucluse
arrondissement=Carpentras
canton=Vaison-la-Romaine
insee=84028
cp=84290
maire= Vincent Seve
mandat=2001-2008
intercomm=Pays Voconces
longitude=4.93416
latitude=44.2338
alt moy=184 m
alt mini=98 m
alt maxi=339 m
hectares=2,251
km²=22.51
sans=850
date-sans=1999
dens=37
date-dens=1999

Cairanne is a commune of the Vaucluse "département", in southern France and the region of Provence-Alpes-Cote-d'Azur. It is located midway between Orange and Vaison-la-Romaine.

History

A settlement “Queroana” was first mentioned in 739 and became later known as Cayrane and finally Cairanne. Early on the Church played a pivotal role in the political and cultural formation of the region. Christianity arrived in Provence very early and the region was already extensively Christianized by the third century CE with numerous monasteries and churches being constructed. The small fortified settlement of Cairanne became first a fortified village of the Templars, who in 1123 began with the construction of the ramparts. As was usual during these times the ramparts served both as a fortified wall and as housing for the local population. In 1312, the order was officially disbanded by Pope Clement V, and some of its properties were assigned to the Knights Hospitallers, with much of it somehow remaining in the hands of King Philip the Fair of France and King Edward II of England. Cairanne was henceforth ruled by the Knights Hospitallers, who later became known as the Maltese Knights.

There were many years of war, marauding bands and diseases, such as the Black Death in 1348. Economic conditions for the common people were difficult and a slow but steady decline set in. Cairanne was added to the papal territory in 1317 under the reign of Pope John XXII. It was ruled by a succession of noble families, the last one being Jean-Jacques Vidaud, who was guillotined in June 25, 1794 during the French revolution.

Only during the eighteenth century did the region start to revive somewhat as wine growing increased in importance. A decree of 1766 is proof that the local winegrowers were thinking in terms of an appellation: "Innkeepers may only sell to private individuals wine of the place, in sealed bottles. In consequence, kindly ask the Police to place the seal on said bottles, and innkeepers must justify the provenance of their wine".

A serious setback came in 1863 when phylloxera first appeared and progressively destroyed the whole of French wine growing except for some sandy terrain. At the beginning of the twentieth century the winegrowers struggled to revive the ravaged vineyards and enhance the quality of their wine. Pivotal was the use of resistant rootstock from the Five Finger Lake region in upstate New York to guard against phylloxera as well as a focus on quality rather than quantity. Finally Baron Pierre Le Roy Boiseaumarié, a trained lawyer and winegrower at heart, successfully obtained legal recognition of the "Côtes du Rhône" appellation of origin in 1937. From the nineteenth century the winegrowers started to move closer to the vineyards, which multiplied in the hills and plains around Cairanne. The lower village of Cairanne gradually became the focal point of commerce, education and local government and the old village partly fell into disrepair. Starting in the 1960s, as with to other fortified villages in Provence, the French government began an effort to preserve and renovated these historic places. In 1960 the old Saint Martin church, which was totally in ruins, was rebuilt and dedicated as Notre Dame de la Vigne et du Rosaire (Our Lady of the Vine and the Rosary). Many of the stones of Saint Martin had been pillaged during the previous centuries and were used to construct houses in the area. Simultaneously the village sold to private owners, mostly from the region, the apartments and houses which had been built into the fortified walls constructed by the Knights Templars. The revival of the old village had begun and by 1980 most of the work had been finished.

Cairanne Wine

Cairanne is on the southern Côtes du Rhône wine route and its excellent wines belong to the "A.O.C Côtes du Rhône–Villages" denomination. Other notable wine villages nearby are Gigondas, Rasteau, Seguret, Sablet, Beaumes de Venise, Vacqueyras and Châteauneuf–du–Pape. Wines labeled simply "Côtes du Rhône" are usually of quite acceptable quality, although there are a number of top quality producers. Wines labeled "Côtes du Rhône Villages" are a significant step up and the best of these are permitted to add the name of the village. Cairanne is one of the most respected among this category. The Cairanne wines are fruity and spicy (black pepper), their finish is very smooth. Most bottled wines are in the $7 – $20 range.

Buildings

The village is made up of two distinct parts: the old village (population 80) on top of the hill and the village proper below (population 850). Most of the buildings in the old village are from the eighteenth century except the old ramparts which date back to the twelfth century when first the Knights Templar and then the Knights Hospitaller lived in the village.

A steep stairway leads up to the Keep and then on to the St Roch chapel (1726) located next to the Autanne Gate. From there the visitor can walk along the path of the ramparts (1123), which surrounds the old village for a few meters and enjoy superb views of Mont Ventoux and Mont Saint-Andéol. On the path round the battlements are two round towers and a square one called the "Templars' Tower".

Historical remains that can be seen include:
* Old village
* The Keep
* St Roch chapel (1726)
* The Ramparts (1123)
* Autanne Gate (18th century).
* Chemin de Ronde de St Roch (path round the battlements)
* Templars' Tower.
* Chapel of Notre Dame des Exés (1631)