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Description

Banne, in the Ardèche, has developed a strong identity that is reflected in its two neighborhoods: the church district, whose spire catches the eye from the plain, and the “Fort” district, whose stables now serve as a prestigious setting for summer cultural events: performances, exhibitions, and the Festival d’Art Singulier.

LANDSCAPE AND GEOLOGY
Nestled between sandstone and limestone, Banne lies at the foot of the first foothills of the Cévennes. The village overlooks the Combres (an extension of the Païolive Woods), which form a rocky labyrinth created by the dissolution of limestone by rainwater.

MARKETS
On Monday evenings in the summer, the Place de l’Eglise hosts a local farmers’ market, and the Place du Fort hosts an arts and crafts market.

FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
Inspector Rando takes the whole family on his wild investigations! Children (ages 4 to 12) can make their visit to the village more exciting with puzzle sheets available for free at the tourist office or for download at cevennes-ardeche.com

HISTORY
The name “Banne” comes from a pre-Indo-European root meaning “summit.” The area was inhabited during the Neolithic period, and twenty-seven dolmens have been identified within the town. It wasn’t until the 12th century that evidence of settlement reappeared: the Church of Saint-Pierre de Banne (07) is mentioned at that time when it was donated to the House of the Temple of Jalès, in the municipality of Berrias-et-Casteljau.
The village of Banne consists of two hilltop hamlets separated by a valley with terraced farmland. The Fort district corresponds to the former medieval fortified settlement. At its summit lie the ruins of two castles. The first dates from the late Middle Ages. Only the foundations of a square tower remain. The second was built during the modern era and destroyed at the end of the 18th century. Its stables and foundations can still be seen. The other settlement includes the parish church, which overlooks a large square.

The Battle of Banne in the Ardèche: Below the castle, a straight road can be seen leading toward Les Vans and the Païolive Woods. It was at this very spot, on July 29, 1944, that the “Battle of Banne” took place, marking the first victory of the Maquis fighters over the Nazi army in the Ardèche: an ambush by the F.F.I. forced a German convoy to retreat. The next day, the village faced reprisals. For this heroic act of resistance, the town was awarded the “Croix de Guerre.”