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As early as 30 000 BC, humans roamed the plains and sought shelter in the caves above Moustiers as the hunting scenes discovered on the Ségrès Plateau attests.
In the bronze age, ligure tribes occupied the plateaus and built fortified settlements called « oppida ».
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Much later in the 5th century, monks from the abbey de Lerins settled in travertine caves and founded a monastery – hence the name « Moustiers ». The history of the village is closely linked to the monastic communities that often had to endure invasions and pillages.
In 470, a temple stood where today stands the chapel Notre-Dame.
In the 13th century Moustiers is a popular destination for pilgrims in search of miracles.
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According to the legend popularised by Provençal poet Frédéric Mistral, the knight Bozon de Blacas was held captive by the Saracens in the 10th century and pledged to hang a star above his village if he could ever return home safely.
The star that shines above Moustiers today is only fifty years old but was painted gold following an unfortunate fall ten years ago. Worn thin by the wind, the forged had snapped sending the star crashing into the ravine below. One month later, the star was once again hung above the village.
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The 19th century marks the golden age of Moustiers with a population of 5000. The seventeen mills operating along the stream attest of an important industrial activity. The water from the spring powered mills for flour, paper, oil, faïence enamel and even a small electric plant – in fact, Moustiers was one of the first village in the country with public lighting.
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If ceramic has always played an important role in Moustiers Sainte-Marie, it’s in the 17th century that faïence blossomed thanks to Pierre Clerissy, artisan and possessor of the secret of enamelled crockery.
To finance costly foreign wars and fatten the state coffers, Louis 14th requisitioned the kingdom’s silverware and replaced it with fine crockery, including faïence from Moustiers.
"The finest production in the kingdom" continued to grow until the early 9th century when it began to slowly decline. |
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In 1927 Marcel Provence rekindled the pottery kilns and the workmanship carries on today thanks to the several artisans living in Moustiers.
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