Saint-Cirgues-de-Prades
At the foot of the youngest volcano in Ardèche, Saint-Cirgues-de-Prades is a small village with breathtaking views of the mountains, an ideal haven for those who want to associate holidays with tranquility!
The village stretches from the stream of the Salyndre River to its northern limit, up to the ridge line of the Crepon mountain range, which marks its boundary. From the center of the village, don’t miss a beautiful view of Mount Sainte Marguerite and the village of Fabras, as well as a panoramic view of the Escrinet Pass and the Coiron Massif… enough to make dreamers dream!
What awaits you…
A true peaceful cocoon
Did you know? Saint-Cirgues-de-Prades, a very small municipality that charms with its setting, has the particularity of not having a town center! Indeed, urbanization has developed in the form of hamlets ranging from 4 to a maximum of 15 dwellings, spread over several agricultural areas around it.
A panorama of cultures
The agricultural activity of the village of Saint-Cirgues-de-Prades has marked the municipality and its landscapes, leaving at every turn of the village a distinctive aesthetic that testifies to the work of these farmers and offers views from the sky with a truly Ardèche aesthetic!
For history enthusiasts…
Flamboyant history
The name of the municipality comes from Saint-Cyr, honored in the parish church that bears his name. One of the Occitan forms of this name is indeed “Cirgue,” currently used. The municipality is also the capital of a pozzolan quarry (volcanic rock): a grandiose site in a very forested environment surrounded by pines and chestnut trees.
The quarry mainly extracts dark red or black pozzolan with blue reflections, which is used locally and nationally in construction. This natural material is an observable legacy of a geologically rich area with volcanic soils, in the heart of the Geopark of Monts d’Ardèche, not to be missed!
The church of Saint Circie
Ce petit bijou d’art roman niché dans la vallée du Salindre, monument emblématique de la commune de Saint-Cirgues-de-Prades date du 11ème et 12ème siècle. Elle figure en 1179 parmi les possessions de l’abbaye Saint-Chaffre du Monastier confirmées par une bulle du pape Alexandre III et fait partie de la route des églises romanes du bassin de l’Ardèche.
Elle ravira les amoureux d’architecture par son clocher à peigne, sa nef avec deux travées voûtées, ses deux chapelles et statues. Son portail roman sans tympan présente de larges voussures et des colonnettes.
