The village of Mondragon, between Bollène et Orange …

A pleasure break in Provence…

With lavender just breaking into bloom and lime trees in flower, winter is the time when the truffle is the belle of the ball…

Places to visit:

• The Hôtel de Suze (14^th C)
• Remains of the Château des Dragonet (12^th C)
• Parish Church
• Chapel of Notre Dame des Plans and Chapel of Derboux

Leisure activities:

• Walking. Mountain biking

Strolling round Mondragon, you will discover that, even today, there are still the remains of its medieval ramparts within the village.

In the Rue du Moulin, there is a crenellated gate bearing the town’s coat of arms, which echoes the harsh, battle-riven appearance of its medieval fortress. The castle, perched on a rock, was severely damaged during the wars of religion and yet is still inhabited. Its commanding position allowed it to keep control over the Rhône and the road through the valley.

As you walk through the village, on Rue Jean Jaurès, you will come upon the Romanesque Chapel of the Penitents, with its bell tower. Just a few steps further on, there is the Hôtel de Suze (14^th C) with its elegant Renaissance façade. It once belonged to the Comte de Suze, lord of Mondragon.

On the other side of the village, in the courtyard in front of the town hall, stands an impressive coloured dragon. This Carnivalesque animal is a reference to the local legend about a dragon. It is said that this mythical beast lived in the cliffs above the village and haunted the banks of the Rhône. You will also find statuettes of the dragon in the village. Old people in the village will be only to happy to tell you chilling tales about the life of the dragon in Mondragon… .