- The Regordane Way
The Regordane Way is the southernmost section of the historical route that links
Paris to LowerLanguedoc and theCamargue . It runs fromLe Puy-en-Velay , south west ofSt Etienne toSaint-Gilles-du-Gard to the south west ofNîmes , a distance of 211 kilometres or 140 miles.The origin of its name is most likely that of the ancient Province through which it passes – la Regordana. This Province corresponded approximately to the triangular area linking the towns of
Alés ,Pradelles andL'Argentière .Its existence dates back to the dawn of man and its importance certainly grew from the year 843 onwards, when it became the most easterly route of a nascent Gaul. The Regordane was the fourth most important pilgrimage route in Christendom during this era, bolstered by its strategic position as a point of departure for
Santiago de Compostela , the Holy Land (St Gilles was a port at the time) andRome .Sources
* Marcel GIRAULT. Le Chemin de Régordane. Nîmes, Lacour, 3e éd. 1988.
External links
* [http://www.regordane.info Regordane Info - The independent portal for The Regordane Way or St Gilles Trail] (in English and French)
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