Saint-Jean-de-Cuculles
Saint-Jean-de-Cuculles stands out for its astonishing geology, the white limestone contrasting with the surrounding landscapes and its AOP Pic Saint-Loup wine.
On the southern foothills of the Pic Saint-Loup, the village of Saint-Jean-de-Cuculles overlooks a wine region with a reputation that is well established. The vines and wines are meticulously cared for, matured in very old vaulted cellars or in very modern wineries, so much so that the product boasts of rivaling those of the Bordeaux vineyards.
As for the village itself, Saint-Jean-de-Cuculles is huddled around its Romanesque church, which was fortified during the Hundred Years' War (classified as a historical monument). At that time, an enclosure was built, replacing the previous one, the nature of which is unknown; a tower and some remains of walls remain.
Outside, the houses reflect the form of housing linked to the expansion of wine-growing in the 18th and, above all, 19th centuries.
A little further on, nature gives the visitor a lesson in geology: the heart of the Pic Saint-Loup fold, which is merely a backwash of the Pyrenean thrust, has been carved out by erosion.
The oldest soils of the Combe de Mortiès are now exposed and, thanks to their nature, contrast with the surrounding white limestone.
The Yorgues bridge, which spans the Yorgues stream which flows out of the Combe de Mortiès through a small canyon. It was built in the 12th century, certainly on the route of an ancient Roman road.
Why "Cuculles"?
If the name of the commune sometimes lends itself to a smile, the etymology remains uncertain, from the pre-Celtic term kuk kuk, meaning "hill" to the more Latin cuculla, which designates the bonnets of the monks.
Mairie de Saint-Jean-de-Cuculles
Chemin du Pic Saint-Loup
04 67 55 25 60
Heritage and culture in Saint-Jean-de-Cornies
- Le Bois de Lèque (PR) pdf
- Romanesque church (XIᵉ century, fortified in XIVᵉ century)
- Cave, dolmen, prehistoric stations, tumuli
- Medieval bridges
- The Combe de Mortiès
- The Nativity Scene and Santon Festival (1st weekend in December)
Flower festival (1st May) - Tambourine
- The commune is classified Pic Saint-Loup (vins AOP)
- Notre Dame de la Cabasse, a statue dedicated to the Virgin Mary and offered by the inhabitants of the village
The partners of the Tourist Office du Grand Pic Saint-Loup in Saint-Jean-de-Cuculles :