Goudargues Along the Canal de la Fontaine

La Fontaine, a spring channelled by the monks

The canal is fed by a natural spring, La Fontaine, behind the school, near the place des Sources. Discoveries of a villa and baths nearby show that the site was occupied as early as the 3rd century.

In the Middle Ages, Benedictine monks channelled this water to drain marshy ground, irrigate crops and power oil and grain mills.

The waterwheel at the end of the quays

At the end of the quays, the canal widens before turning towards the avenue de l’Écluse. A waterwheel once served to water the village’s kitchen gardens.

The washhouse and its frog

Near the former abbey, a broad roof supported by columns shelters the washhouse. The pool takes up almost all the covered space; at the water’s edge, a cast-iron frog faces inwards. Washerwomen came here to wash linen and exchange village news.

Opposite stand the former Notre-Dame de Caseneuve Chapel, now a private home, and an old oil mill. The Roubaud family’s mill, beside the water in Goudargues, operated until 1956, the year of the great freeze that struck the olive trees. Its machinery dated from the late 19th century.

The church and the rooms of the former abbey

The two towers of Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Michel Church rise above the houses. Romanesque in origin, the former abbey church has been altered and restored, notably in the 19th century. On the square, café terraces spread in front of its façade, a short walk from the canal.

Local tradition traces the monastery’s origins to Charlemagne and his kinsman Guilhem, the future Saint Guilhem. After a victory over the Saracens, Guilhem is said to have built an initial sanctuary on the hill of Saint-Michelet. The abbey’s story thus begins on the heights, before continuing near the springs of Goudargues.

In the early 12th century, the monks of Aniane and La Chaise-Dieu disputed possession of the abbey. The latter refused to leave despite a papal ruling in 1119. They stayed until 1121, risking excommunication.

Inside, the apse preserves the Romanesque part of the church, listed as a historic monument since 1939.

A large vaulted room also survives from the former priory. Known as the chapter house, it hosts exhibitions: paintings and sculptures are displayed beneath its long stone vault. This room has also been protected as a historic monument since 1939.

From the gardens to the banks of the Cèze

Away from the quays, gardens and vineyards border the village. The church’s two towers remain visible above the crops, with wooded hills beyond.

A path leaves the washhouse area, follows the gardens and reaches the Cèze at the Gambionne footbridge. From the bridge on the road to Pont-Saint-Esprit, the trees on both banks can be seen reflected in the water.

Continue your getaway in the Cèze valley

In the same valley, La Roque-sur-Cèze and the Sautadet waterfalls extend the walk around the water, with rocks carved by the river at the foot of the hilltop village.

Further south, the old centre of Uzès offers another visit in the Gard, from the place aux Herbes to the Duché and the cathedral quarter.