Les Vans

History

Les Vans was a dependency of the Abbey of Saint-Gilles. The town became Protestant in the 16th century; in 1629 it returned to Catholicism, and its fortifications were dismantled. On the death of Professor Ollier (1900), who lived near the village church, a world-wide subscription paid for the erection of two monumental bronze statues, created by Boucher. One at Les Vans on Grande Place Ollier, the other at Place Ollier in Lyon. The Vanséens' cunning preserved the first from the covetousness of the Germans during the Second World War, though the second was melted down by the Wehrmacht in 1941. In 1973, the commune of Les Vans absorbed the former communes of Brahic, Chassagnes and Naves.

Geography

The village of Les Vans, the principal settlement of the canton of the same name in the south of the Ardèche, lies at the centre of a basin near the Chassezac river. Dominant to the south is the Serre de Barre, the last western summit of the Cévennes du Bas-Vivarais range. In 2001, Les Vans became the "gateway town" of the Monts d'Ardèche Natural Regional Park. The village is a tourist haven in summer; a traditional market is held every Saturday morning. A night-time craft market is held on summer Tuesdays at the Place de la Fontaine. Many activities are available in the vicinity of Les Vans: walking, climbing, caving, horse riding, canyoning, swimming, fishing and kayaking in the Chassezac gorges.

Most-observed species

• Common Chaffinch

  Fringilla coelebs Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  884
• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  744
• Scarce Swallowtail

  Iphiclides podalirius (Linnaeus, 1758) · Insecta
  742
• European Robin

  Erithacus rubecula (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  695
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  658
• Eurasian Blackcap

  Sylvia atricapilla (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  640
• Black Redstart

  Phoenicurus ochruros (S.G.Gmelin, 1774) · Aves
  625
• Eurasian Blue Tit

  Cyanistes caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  538

Most recent

• M 4.8 — 2019-11-11
  5 km WNW of Rochemaure, France
• M 4.3 — 2011-08-03
  4 km ESE of Barjac, France
• M 2.8 — 2008-11-25
  2 km N of Malataverne, France
• M 2.7 — 2008-08-18
  7 km W of Langeac, France
• M 2.7 — 2008-08-18
  7 km W of Langeac, France
• M 2.6 — 2008-01-24
  7 km S of Le Cheylard, France