Nyons capital of the Baronnies in Provençal Drôme

Nyons is the capital of the Baronnies, this region of Drôme located at the northern foot of the Mont Ventoux. Nyons is situated at the mouth of the valley of the Eygues reaching the Rhone Valley, the town is protected by mountains whose peaks reach 1000 meters. They form a very effective shelter against the biting winter gusts of the Mistral, which often clears the skies, so Nyons benefits from a microclimate that has earned it the nickname "Petit Nice". The olive trees are grown in large numbers, the Nyons area produces renowned olives and olive oil, classified AOC since 1994.

History of the town

Such a favourable location attracted settlers long ago. Nyons appears in the records as Niomes, a contraction of Noviomagus (meaning “new market”) in the 10th century, it is a dependency of the Saint-Césaire Abbey of Arles. The Mévouillons, lords of the Baronnies, asserted their authority in the 13th century. The town later came under the authority of the Dauphin of Vienne in 1315, and eventually the King of France. Throughout these changes of authority, the people of Nyons retained important freedoms and privileges. The town prospered until the Renaissance. Nyons embraced the Reformation, and the town did not escape the looting and unrest of the period. After the Edict of Nantes in 1598, it became a Protestant stronghold. After the revocation of the Edict in 1685, some Protestants emigrated, many converted to Catholicism.

The old town of Nyons retains many traces of its history: the Tour Randonne emerges from the rooftops of the city, topped by an unusual pyramid of arches on which stands a statue of the Virgin. The tower dates from the 13th century, and its upper structure is the work of Abbé Francou who converted the medieval military structure into a chapel in 1863. Around the "Quartier des Forts" are vestiges of the ramparts of the fortress that protected the city in the Middle Ages.

The Romanesque bridge

The "Romanesque Bridge" of Nyons is an elegant medieval bridge built in the 14th century. It boldly spans the Eygues with a single arch 43 metres long and 18 metres above the river. Its construction, which began in 1340, was not completed until 1409, almost 70 years later. Until the 19th century the Romanesque bridge was the main access road to the city, a toll was installed in its middle, in a square tower. At each end was a chapel dedicated to Saint Sebastian on the right bank and Saint Sixtus on the left bank. A fortress protected the entrance to the bridge on the left bank of the Eygues on the Rocher des Guards, destroyed by order of Richelieu. The Nyons bridge was classified as a historic monument in 1925.

The olive is a speciality of Nyons, where a local variety is grown, the "tanche", whose trees can withstand freezing temperatures (-10 °). Black Nyons olives are for the table and for olive oil. Production today is much lower than at the beginning of the century, it fell by three quarters, but recovered after AOC status was obtained in 1994. Nyons is also a land of vineyards, producing Côtes-du-Rhône Villages, Côtes-du-Rhône and Vin de Pays des Baronnies.

Accommodation :

Selection of bed and breakfast in Nyons and the Baronnies on the portal of guest rooms in Provence

Website of the city : nyons.com

Sights and activities:

• Romanesque bridge
  
• Tour Randonne
  
• Monastery of Saint-Césaire
  
• Saint-Vincent Church
  
• Quartier des Forts
  
• Place des Arcades
  
• Votive festival on the 3rd Sunday in August 
  
• Provençal market from May to June on Sunday mornings
  
• Weekly market on Thursday mornings
• Nyonsoleïado Water Park: 1200 m2 water complex with a 25m swimming pool, water slides, waterfalls and rivers, and 6000m2 of shaded beaches and green spaces.
• Les Olivades, Black Olive Festival of Nyons
• Summer festivities: about twenty free music concerts during the summer. The Festival is organized by the city of Nyons
• Museum of History and Archaeology of Nyons and the Baronnies
• Olive Tree Museum
• Musée-Atelier du Scourtin: the Nyons scourtins are round Provençal carpets made of coconut fibre, a museum is installed in the scourtinerie.

Coming to Nyons :

GPS location N 44°21'42'' - E 5°08'24''

The town of Nyons is in the department of Drôme, in the region of the Baronnies

Location : altitude 235 metres, 7000 inhabitants, 10 miles from Vaison-la-Romaine,15 miles from Grignan, 18 miles from Buis-les-Baronnies, 25 miles from Orange, 42 miles from Avignon