Small articles on current or past local life
A sundial hidden beneath the stairs
A contemporary of Leonardo da Vinci, Jean Borrel, a mathematician from the Drôme region of France, created a reflecting sundial hidden beneath a staircase in a tower of the Abbey of Saint Antoine.
This testament to Renaissance ingenuity is unfortunately not open to the public.
The Tragic Story
In the memoirs of the La Teppe establishment in Tain-l'Hermitage, there is a horrifying page:
the year 1941!
The Patron Saints of Grape Harvesters
The first cuts of the pruning shears began in Saint-Péray, then on the Saint-Joseph hillside, and then in the Crozes-Hermitage appellation...
But which saint should we pray to: Vincent, Paul, Victor, Vernier, Didier, Martin, Morand...
N°597 of the Drôme magazine
This issue contains a special report on Valence under the Occupation. Daily life, supplies, the evacuation of works of art, the militia...
Available from the Drôme magazine
Maps of wells, fountains, and wash houses in the Drome-des-Collines region
Read the article published in July in the JTT about the work of a collective of associations that has just been published around a map listing water points to discover in 63 communes of the Drome region. Further research is expected to follow.
Read the article
What's new among the Ardèche people of Paris
The Amicale des Ardéchois de Paris met on June 23, 2025, at the Petit Chatelet restaurant on the quayside opposite Notre Dame Cathedral. The agenda included a schedule of various events, the visit to Ardèche in August, and the election of the board; Ardèche flavors were served for dessert.
With several hundred members and a newspaper, the Amicale focuses on the Ardèche region through tours, symposia, and conferences. It supports young people from Ardèche with scholarships, housing assistance, and job opportunities.
Two members were running for the presidency, and Béatrice Rigaud-Juré, originally from Chomérac, became deputy president for 2025-2026, alongside Astrid Marchial Tauleigne. Ms. Rigaud-Juré will serve as the future president for three years, from 2026 to 2029.
Dignitaries from Ardèche were present, including lawyers from Valence and Privas, and Mr. Georges Fréchet, who presented the bicentennial of the Seguin Bridge at the end of his speech.
Let's hope to see the Association, loyal to Tournon, return to the Seguin Bridge once again.
The latest edition of the Drômoise Review
The Drômoise Review No. 596 has just been published, featuring a feature on the study days devoted to the architect Pierre-Marie Bossan and the Valence School. Architectural and religious heritage remains little-known, misjudged, and often threatened.
Then come research works such as "The Bouterne River, Source of Trials" in the Tain-l'Hermitage region by Jean Roquebrun, "Foreigners in the Drôme" (1901-1954) by Jean-Luc Huard, "Practicing Comfort and Disaster-Stricken Regions" (1919-1945) by Franck Tison, "The Tour of the Valence Hospice in the 19th Century" and Twins in Valence in the 18th Century" by Alain Balsan, "The Furious Roland of the Château de la Rolière" by Hélène Moulin-Stanislas, and many other topics covered.
It can be obtained from: Revue Drômoise, 46 allée Girodet, 26500 Bourg-les-Valence
QR codes for the Seguin route
On both banks of the Rhône, from the Marc Seguin statue in Tournon to the Linaé space in Tain, 11 QR codes are waiting to be discovered.
Not always easy to find, on walls or small displays, it's a veritable treasure hunt, and it was a hit with tourists this Easter weekend.
These QR codes recount a multitude of technical details and anecdotes surrounding the construction of the first footbridge by Marc Seguin in 1825. Design, testing, administrative problems, construction issues, completion... and finally the inauguration, the occasion for a week of great celebrations on the bridge!
Let's applaud the creation of these highly informative texts and videos, which all Tain-Tournon residents should make their own before enjoying the bicentennial festivities that will punctuate the summer.
Nicole Cordier
The new Heritage House of the"Drôme des collines"
The Maison du Mouton, located on the tiny Rue du Mouton, currently boasts a superb Gothic façade of molasse stone with two twin bays, topped with the emblematic sheep's head.
This information, sharing, and educational center highlights local history and heritage. The history of Romans, with Saint-Barnard, the Jacquemart, the Shoe Museum, and more. The history of buildings in the surrounding hills, chapels and fortified houses built of molasse stone, rammed earth, and pebbles, with wooden frames, and a study of the landscape and the riches of the Drôme des Collines region.
The Maison du Mouton in Romans is open Tuesday to Friday: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. - 6 p.m.
Nicole Cordier