History of the monument

The monument features heritage from a number of different eras, including a necropolis dug directly into the rock complete with a cave chapel from the 11th century (the “Ermitage Saint Pierre”), the 12th century Sainte-Croix chapel, unique in Provence by virtue of its trefoil-shaped layout that evokes the image of a reliquary, a 12th century church with a six-beam nave and highly ornamental cloister, the 14th century Pons de l’Orme tower, and the Saint-Maur Monastery and 18th century buildings, including a cellar added in the 20th century by Rudy Riciotti.

The Montmajour site offers stunning, panoramic views across the Alpilles mountains and the Crau plain – a marsh in the Middle Ages and now used as grazing land for horses and bulls, as well as for rice-growing. The area is part private property and part land managed by the Conservatoire du Littoral.