Montagne de Lure et Notre-Dame de Lure

Saint-Étienne-les-Orgues

One arrives under the beeches, at the bottom of a limestone funnel, before a squat Romanesque church without a bell tower, preceded by an avenue of old lime trees; beside it, the restored hermitage and a fountain. In the Middle Ages, the mountain was often designated, according to Wikipedia, by the saints of the cathedral of Sisteron, the mountain of Sainte-Marie, of Saint-Thyrse and of Saint-Marius. Tradition has the hermit Donatus, come from Peyruis, withdraw here around 490, fight the dragon of temptation here and die here on 16 August 522; his disciples are said to have founded a monastery ruined by the Saracens. Historians, Guy Barruol foremost, have shown that Donatus did indeed live on Lure, but much further south-east, at Montfort, and that this attachment dates from the 17^th century, when the clergy wished to revive a pilgrimage at an abandoned place. The abbey is a foundation of 1165–1166: Chalaisian monks from Boscodon, led by Guigues de Revel, received the place from Guillaume de Forcalquier to develop the mountain; the donation was confirmed in 1207. Secularised in 1481, the abbey declined and was burnt in 1562 during the Wars of Religion. In 1636, the town council of Saint-Étienne and the clergy restored it; the reported miracles were authenticated in 1656 and Alexander VII authorised a confraternity. The people of Reillanne climbed up to ask for rain. The commune bought the abbey in 1791, planted twenty-two lime trees in 1824, and on 15 August still gathers the villages around the mass.

Wikipédia — Montagne de Lure ↗

Getting there : From Saint-Étienne-les-Orgues, the D 113 climbs towards the Lure resort; the abbey is signposted on the left, at the end of a short forest track, 14 km (to be checked) from the village. The church is not open to the public: it is under restoration, with reopening announced for 2027 by the conservation association; the site, the avenue of lime trees, the fountain and the surroundings can be visited freely. The road continues to the crest and the Signal de Lure, closed in winter depending on snow cover. Mass and a great picnic on 15 August.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound