Montagne de Saint Maurice

A 252 hectares site registered in the « Espaces Naturel Sensibles Locaux » network. A chapel is built at the top and has a breathtaking point of view on the Saou syncline and the Rhône Valley.

It is a Zone Naturelle d'Intérêt Ecologique, Faunistique et Floristique type 1.
Throughout the year, the Commune organizes events and awareness-raising activities, for example for young visitors. The site is also open to the public all year round. It is possible to get there by hiking along various trails, or by car, on request from the Mairie (the Mairie can provide you with a free badge, to be returned, allowing you to open the entrance gate to the site, on presentation of your vehicle registration document, a cell phone number and your contact details).

Certain species of flora and fauna on the site are of great local and regional interest. The site has a number of special features: remarkable landscapes both for their aesthetics and for what they tell us about human presence, a high-quality and diverse natural heritage in terms of both flora and fauna, and a leisure and recreation area for the local population, who are very attached to this place.
This site is classified as a Zone Naturelle d'Intérêt Ecologique, Faunistique et Floristique de type 1 (ZNIEFF type 1), which confirms its interest from an ecological point of view. This ZINEFF also extends to the communes of Eyzahut, le Poët-Laval, Dieulefit, Félines-sur-Rimandoule and Rochebaudin.
The flora consists of high-altitude grasslands and a diverse forest, as well as remarkable and/or protected plants such as the red pulsatilla, the large-flowered sabline and the Grenoble carnation (regional protection, regional red book, regulated harvesting). The site has been recognized by the Conservatoire National Botanique Alpin (CNBA) as the most exceptional in the Baronnies, for its flora, as part of the study of remarkable habitats for the proposed Parc Naturel Régional (PNR) des Baronnies, an enlarged territory.
The imposing cliffs, the geographical continuity, its role as a biological corridor, the altitude and the tranquility of the area all contribute to the site's rich fauna. Indeed, this natural mountain corridor is home to some remarkable and emblematic species, such as the chamois and the golden eagle.
From the summit grasslands, a fabulous landscape is revealed. All the surrounding mountains are visible to the contemplative walker. The landscape values of an area are just as important to preserve as its natural environment.

THE CHAPEL OF SAINT MAURICE

The Chapelle de Saint Maurice (Saint Maurice Chapel) is perched atop the mountain.
It can be described as Romanesque in style. A building is often said to be Romanesque when the dating is uncertain, but its style, spirit, spirituality and technique are close to Romanesque in today's eyes. The chapel's massive form, the absence of large openings leaving the interior in semi-darkness, and the vaulted ceiling and choir give it a strong spiritual atmosphere.

Even today, this chapel is traditionally honored by pilgrimages twice a year, at Pentecost and on September 22 (Saint Maurice's Day), providing the Dieulefit community with an opportunity to meet up and celebrate together.The access gate to the site is permanently open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on these days, offering free access to everyone, especially cars.

The Chapelle de Saint Maurice is located on a promontory at an altitude of around 930 meters, giving it a fascinating and bewitching view over :
- The valley of Soyans, Saou and Bourdeaux, through which the Roubion flows;
- The Saou forest massif and its famous Trois Becs (Veyou, Signal and Roche Courbe);
- Couspeau mountain, whose highest point is Grand Delmas at 1544 meters;
- Mont Sainte Euphémie and Roche Colombe, where the hermit Maurice could observe the locations of the oratories of each of his brothers (see § "The legend of the hermit Maurice");
- In the distance, the Rhône valley and the Valentinois plain are still visible as far as the Vivarais hills;
- From the Col de la Chaudière, the high cliffs of the southern Vercors can also be seen in the background.

THE LEGEND OF THE HERMIT MAURICE
Excerpts from Abbé Robin's book "Manuscrit de l'abbé Robin", Plein-Cintre Éditions, 1990, the main historical source on the subject.

On June 25, 842, three brothers, Maurice, Guigues and Odon, sons of the old lord of Dieulefit (the coseigniory of Dieulefit was shared between the lords of Comps, then Vesc and the Hospitallers of nearby Saint-Jean de Poët-Laval), set out to hunt timid deer and ferocious wild boar in the mountains north-west of their castle.
One year to the day before this date, the three brothers fought the terrible battle at Fontenoy-en-Puisaye (Yonne, Burgundy) against Prince Louis the Debonair and Charles the Bald, in support of Lothaire I (in this battle, the victory of Louis the Debonair and Charles the Bald separated France from the Western Empire and founded the independence of the French nationality). Maurice addressed his brothers: "Was it not after this battle that the three of us vowed to withdraw from the world to live in solitude and atone, through penance, for our sins, especially those we committed in bearing arms? This place where we are seems to me secluded and suitable for raising the soul to God, so I chose it to build an oratory in honor of my patron saint, Maurice, that generous leader of the Theban legion, and there I will spend the rest of my days in fasting and prayer".
Guigues chose the top of the mountain overlooking the château de Pont-de-Barret to build an oratory in honor of Saint Euphemia, while Odon chose the top of the mountain protecting the Saoû forest, and dedicated his oratory to Saint Dove.
Following this joint decision, the three brothers soon contacted the holy bishop of Die to authorize them to lead this eremitical life.
Two months later, on June 25 842, three oratories were erected on the summit of the mountains that have since taken the names of Saint Maurice, Sainte Euphémie and Roche Colombe, and three men saw the dawn of their eremitical career, which was not to end until their earthly days.

Every evening, after sunset, they would light a lamp, a lantern, to greet each other and congratulate each other on having taken another step towards eternity.
Only once did the humble hermit of Saint Maurice leave his beloved solitude, and that was to go and close his old father's eyes and help him, with his invigorating words, to pass from exile to the celestial homeland. After giving wise counsel to his fourth brother, heir to his father's manor, he returned to his mountain where, every Sunday, a Benedictine from the monastery of Notre-Dame-de-la-Calle (in Dieulefit) would celebrate the holy sacrifice and give him communion, the bread of angels.

Many a time, during the long years of the humble hermit's life, the inhabitants of Dieulefit climbed the steep path of Saint Maurice's mountain, to consult, in their sorrows, the one who was placed between earth and heaven.

One Sunday, the Benedictine monk who, according to custom, climbed the mountain to say holy mass in Saint Maurice's oratory, found the noble hermit on his knees, his eyes fixed on heaven, in the attitude of ecstasy. His heart, on which the religious laid his hand, was beating more strongly than usual. In the next hour, Maurice revealed to the holy man that he was about to shed his mortal shell: "Give me the holy viaticum, the sweet bread of angels, from the divine lamb who loved me so much; then you will anoint me with the anointing of the infirm, for God is calling me from this earthly sojourn to the heavenly homeland". After receiving all the spiritual help that the Church lavishes on its children about to enter the immortal abode, the humble hermit spoke with an accent that no longer had anything earthly about it: "Farewell my father, the gentle Jesus calls me, the divine Mary holds out her blessed hands to me. Bury my mortal remains in this oratory where I have spent such peaceful days, where I have tasted consolations unknown to the world".
Joining hands for the last time over her heart, which was palpitating with love, heavenly Love received her pure soul, and heaven counted one more saint in its eternal abodes.

The next day, the monks of Notre-Dame-de-la-Calle monastery, followed by the nobleman's relatives and a large number of Dieulefit's inhabitants, climbed the mountain of Saint Maurice. They dug their own grave in the chapel (oratory), where they deposited the mortal remains of the noble Maurice to carry out his last wish.

For a long time, the people of Dieulefit came to pray at this venerated tomb; but on this earth, the most precious memories fade. As the years went by, and then the misfortunes of the times, the memory of the saintly hermit was gradually forgotten, and his neglected oratory eventually fell into ruin.

In the year 1160, shepherds tending their flocks on the summit of Saint-Maurice mountain, near a mound of stones that appeared to be the remains of an ancient dwelling, raised these remains to form a wall designed to shelter them from the northerly winds. Digging into the ground, they discovered a long stone, lifted it and were astonished to discover a human corpse, its bones perfectly preserved. Frightened by the sight, they decided to make their way back. However, one of them lifted the head with his foot and rolled it down the steep mountain slope.
The next day, the shepherds returned to the same spot, but were stunned to discover the skeleton's head in the same place from which one of them had rolled it down the deep ravine. "Isn't that the skull that rolled down there, on the Truinas side? Without giving it much thought, they picked up the skull and drove it back along the same path as the day before.
They returned the following day and saw the same skull in the same place. They tried to flee, but were so frightened that they fell to the ground, only to get up again a long time later and run back to Dieulefit to recount the marvel they had just witnessed.
The story they told on their return aroused an indescribable surprise in the religious people, and above all a burning desire to go and venerate the holy relics.

In the meantime, Guy de Vesc had come to spend a few days at his château in Dieulefit. On hearing this news, he decided to set off for the site, accompanied by the main inhabitants and their parish priest, in order to repatriate the sacred bones. On his return to Dieulefit, Guy de Vesc had the relics placed in his chapel until a suitable shrine could be prepared for them.
The next day, Guy de Vesc opened the doors of the chapel, to which he had taken the key, and said his prayers. He then approached the holy relics to venerate them, but was astonished to find that the chest was empty. "What has become of the precious bones I had placed in this box myself yesterday?
Remembering the tale of the two shepherds, he sent his squire to the mountain of Saint-Maurice, to see if the venerated remains had returned to the same place where they were taken yesterday.
On his return, he declared that he had found the bones in the same place, arranged in perfect order. The noble Guy, admiring more and more the goodness and power of God, went to the monastery of Notre-Dame-de-la-Calle to consult the venerable abbot and ask him for some details about this unknown saint.
The monastery's librarian, an octogenarian, found writings which read: In the year 842, during the reign of Emperor Lothaire, the noble lord Maurice, son of the lord of Dieulefit, after having long borne arms, had an oratory built in honor of his patron Maurice, leader of the Theban legion, on the summit of the mountain. He became a hermit and lived out his days there. When he died, he recommended that his body be buried in the oratory where he had spent such peaceful and happy days.

Charmed by this story, Guy de Vesc resolved to raise the oratory of Saint Maurice and leave the hermit's relics there. The name Maurice borne by the hermit, and the oratory erected in honor of his patron saint, later led people to believe that the body of the noble leader of the Theban legion was buried in this chapel.
Pious pilgrims once again climbed the mountain to implore the holy hermit's protection. The Religious Wars of the 16th century destroyed this oratory once again, as they did others; but they could not destroy the memory of Saint Maurice.

In 1660, Balthazar Thomé, the parish priest of Dieulefit, wanted to raise the chapel's status and, to this end, organized a collection among his Catholic parishioners. Tradition has it that, when the masons wanted to lay the foundations of a new chapel, not on the ruins of the old one, but on the slope overlooking Dieulefit, the next day they found their previous day's work destroyed and the materials transported to the site of the old chapel. They repeated their work several times, but always to no avail: The new materials they used always disappeared to find the original ones. They recognized the hand of God in this prodigy, and rebuilt the chapel in place of the old one. But as the lord of Dieulefit at the time, Mary (Marius) de Vesc, was Protestant, and Catholics were few and poor, the oratory was rebuilt on modest proportions.