La Motte-Chalancon, Drôme, France

La Motte-Chalancon, Drôme, France

La Motte-Chalancon, whose inhabitants are called Mottois and Mottoises, is a commune in the Drôme department, located in the Rhône-Alpes region of France. It was the chief town of the canton until March 2015 (following the redrawing of the cantons of the department, it is now in the canton of Diois). The commune is located, more precisely, in Drôme provençale, 9 km north of Rémuzat, 43 km east of Dieulefit and 25 km southeast of Saint-Nazaire-le-Désert. La Motte-Chalancon is surrounded by mountains that rise to over 1,500m, and is watered by the Arnayon torrent, as well as by the river Oule. The nearest communes are : Cornillac, Chalancon and Cornillon-sur-l'Oule, Rottier,

HERITAGE

• The choir church, which dates from the 12th century, dominates the village from all sides. It was built within the walls of the old 10th century fortified castle. It is Romanesque in style and the present choir is in this style. In the 14th century, work was carried out to give it a Gothic appearance, but for financial reasons it was not completed. During the following centuries, various consolidation or reconstruction works were carried out to deal with damage caused by lack of maintenance or caused by the Wars of Religion or the Revolution. From 1896 to 1897, major works transformed the church with the construction of the Gothic vault of the nave. In 1961, the restoration was undertaken in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council, under the impetus of the Brothers of the Campagnes who had just moved to the village. The two stained glass windows in the choir and the one to the west are non-figurative (giving very different and warm lights during the day and according to the sunshine; blue at sunrise and red at sunset). They were made by the master glassworkers, Mlle Girardet and M. Thomas, from Valence. The stained glass windows in the nave are the work of the Austrian artist Florian Jakowitch, whose task was to represent the main characters of the holy story. He had to work on site for three summers in a row to complete his tasks.

• Altiport of La Motte-Chalancon

TOURISM AND ACCOMMODATION

La Motte Chalancon, a picturesque medieval village, will welcome you and surprise you in a sunny setting. All this is thanks to its location in the Drôme Provençale, between the Diois and the Baronnies, in the heart of the Oule Valley, at an altitude of 550m. In this circular village, perched on a hill (natural mound), you can discover the "Calades": charming flowered lanes which tell you their history, typical fountains and wash houses, and at the bend of a shaded square, play a game of pétanque. Visitors and tourists can stroll through the market on Monday mornings, discover the local craftsmen and the local products...
In a setting conducive to "nature" holidays (label "green holiday resort"), La Motte Chalancon offers many possibilities of activities

Several accommodation options are available in the village and its surroundings: campsites, natural areas, hotels, inns, guest houses, gîtes and furnished accommodation, stopover and holiday gîtes, a holiday centre. The main shops, restaurants and services are located on site...