La Ferme des Cavaliers
Its history and projects
La renaissance de la Ferme des Cavaliers
In 2015, the Conservatoire du Littoral (Coastal Protection Agency) acquired the Ferme des Cavaliers property, comprising 250 hectares of natural spaces and two farms (Les Cavaliers and La Grande Forêt), with the aim of enhancing the left bank of the Verdon, which is poorly developed given the number of visitors it generates, allowing free pedestrian access, and protecting its natural, landscaped, and built heritage. The Ferme des Cavaliers is one of the last "hamlet farms" characteristic of the traditional habitats of the Provençal Causses, including the "Plans" de Canjuers, now a military base.
According to local legend, it was the first occupant of the bastide, Jacques Rouvier, nicknamed Cavaliè for his horse-training skills, who gave his name to the Étroit des Cavaliers, a narrow passage in the Verdon Gorges...* The Ferme des Cavaliers was partially acquired in 1710 by a certain Antoine Rouvier, whose heirs successively expanded the property until 2013, the date of the death of Germain, the last direct heir of his ancestor Antoine. The Rouvier family lived and raised their livestock there (horses and breeding mares, sheep, goats, and poultry: pigs, chickens, rabbits), much like the pre-war peasantry. The expropriation of part of his land following the creation of the Canjuers military camp led the last farmer to devote himself to beekeeping in the late 1960s.
Following extensive building rehabilitation work, the Conservatoire du Littoral (Coastal Protection Agency) launched a call for expressions of interest in 2021 to enable sustainable activity on the site. The objectives, shared with local stakeholders such as the Verdon Natural Park and the Municipality of Aiguines, are:
The stopover lodge opens in May 2023 and welcomes the public in different types of rooms. To learn more about the lodge and its services, click here!
* Légendes du Verdon, VERDEGEN Roger, Extraordinaire canyon et merveilleux Verdon, 1981