The River Durançole:
Calissanne's source
La Durançole, nicknamed “La Petite Durance”, is a thermal spring on the estate that gushes forth at a constant 19°C - and then flows three kilometres right along Calissanne's southern boundary into the Etang de Berre, a large lagoon. Its flow, very high in summer and more modest in winter, hints at a distant supply from the Alps. Such a provenance is suggested by its nickname, which sounds very similar to the Durance, a large river that flows down through the Southern Alps and, during the heat of the Provençal summer, supplies all the towns and villages in the Departments of Vaucluse and Bouches du Rhône. The crystal-clear waters of La Durançole are one
of the estate's great natural assets. Indeed Charles Auguste Verminck, who realised the importance of such a treasure, developed a system to irrigate the entire southern section of the estate.
|
