In addition to its famous events such as the Procession of Bottles, Saint Eloi's Day, and the Bullfighting Club Festival, Boulbon is a town with a very interesting heritage.
Firstly, there is Saint Joseph's Church, the starting point of the Procession of Bottles, followed by Saint Marcellin's Chapel, the destination of this procession. This Romanesque church, dating from the 11th century, was the village parish church until 1628 and was transformed in the 12th and 16th centuries. One chapel is dedicated to Sainte-Anne and a second to Saint-Georges, where the tomb of the Lord of Archimbaud is located, whose recumbent effigy is clad in armor and two shields represent the coat of arms of the first lords of Boulbon. Behind the high altar was an altarpiece, now on display at the Louvre Museum under the name “Retable de Boulbon” (Boulbon Altarpiece). A photograph of it can be seen in the nave.
Another chapel, the Romanesque Saint-Julien Chapel, is located outside the village in the countryside, 3 km along the road leading to the Abbey of Saint-Michel de Frigolet. It is well worth a visit with its two-bay nave and semi-circular apse on the inside and pentagonal on the outside.
The Sainte-Anne church, built in 1628 on the site of a Romanesque chapel, has been home to a cultural center since 2009.
Boulbon is also home to a feudal castle, which has been renovated over the centuries. Its keep, clinging to the rock, is the oldest part of the castle. There is also a 14th-century statue of Saint Christopher in the Grand'Rue, the village's busiest street, lined with houses with superb facades, some with Renaissance mullioned windows or doors with carved pediments. The saint is depicted with his feet in the water, carrying Christ on his shoulders to help him cross the Rhône.
Another curiosity is the Porte Loriol, the gateway to the fortified village in the central part of the commune.
Finally, don't miss the Moulin Bonnet, dating from 1776 and restored in 2002 in keeping with the original. It has been restored with its original roof, sails, and mechanism. So, when the wind allows, the millstones can grind grain in the traditional way. Now a must-see attraction, it is located on the western flank of the Montagnette, visible from the village. From up there, you can admire the plain and find your bearings thanks to the orientation table created in the same year by the children of the Saules primary school.
Boulbon Town Hall
Place Victor Barberin,
13150 Boulbon
Translated with DeepL.com
(free version)
