Mouriès (; , ) is a commune in the

Bouches-du-Rhône Bouches-du-Rhône ( ; , ; ; "the Mouths of the Rhône") is a Departments of France, department in southern France. It borders Vaucluse to the north, Gard to the west and Var (department), Var to the east. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the sout ...

department in southern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Population

Economy

Mouriès is known for its

olive oil Olive oil is a vegetable oil obtained by pressing whole olives (the fruit of ''Olea europaea'', a traditional Tree fruit, tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin) and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking for frying foods, as a cond ...

production, calling itself "the olive oil capital of France" (a claim disputed by

Nyons Nyons (; ) is a subprefecture of the Drôme department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Southeastern France. In 2021, the commune had a population of 6,771. Nyons is a sub-prefecture of the department. Its olives have PDO status.

, further north). There are still two working olive oil mills in town, including one which allows tours. In December of every year there is a festival celebrating the end of the harvest and the new oil, with a small parade and the benediction of the oil, along with various markets. Wednesday is market day. The small tourism office in town supplies a list of all of the market days in the area. In winter the market here is much larger than in the other towns in the area ( Maussane,

Aureille Aureille (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southern France. The commune has been awarded one flower by the ''National Council of Towns a ...

or Eygalières). File:140604-Mouries-Markt-03.jpg, market in Mouriès, Cours Paul Revoil File:140604-Mouries-Markt-01.jpg, market in Mouriès, Cours Paul Revoil File:140604-Mouries-Markt-02.jpg, market in Mouriès, Cours Paul Revoil File:140604-Mouries-Markt-04.jpg, market in Mouriès, Cours Paul Revoil File:140604-Mouries-Markt-11.jpg, marché dans Mouriès, Cours Paul Revoil, Café de l'Avenir, which has been existing at least since 1900 File:140604-Mouries-Markt-10.jpg, market in Mouriès, Cours Paul Revoil File:140604-Mouries-Markt-08.jpg, market in Mouriès, Cours Paul Revoil File:140604-Mouries-Markt-05.jpg, market in Mouriès, Cours Paul Revoil

Sights

The town sits on an old

Roman road Roman roads ( ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Republic and the Roman Em ...

, and there has been a settlement here since the Celto-Ligurian days. The old

oppidum An ''oppidum'' (: ''oppida'') is a large fortified Iron Age Europe, Iron Age settlement or town. ''Oppida'' are primarily associated with the Celts, Celtic late La Tène culture, emerging during the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, spread acros ...

built by the

Ligures The Ligures or Ligurians were an ancient people after whom Liguria, a region of present-day Northern Italy, north-western Italy, is named. Because of the strong Celts, Celtic influences on their language and culture, they were also known in anti ...

is still visible on the ''Caisses de Jean-Jean'' at the eastern end above the golf course.

Transportation

A bus connects the town with

Arles Arles ( , , ; ; Classical ) is a coastal city and Communes of France, commune in the South of France, a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture in the Bouches-du-Rhône Departments of France, department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Reg ...

to the west and

Salon-de-Provence Salon-de-Provence (, ; or , ), commonly known as Salon, is a commune located about northwest of Marseille in the Bouches-du-Rhône department (Metropolis of Aix-Marseille Provence), region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Southern France. It ...

in the east.

References

External links