Fact or Fiction?

Living in a small town dating back to the time of the Roman occupation of the south of France definitely provides interesting material for my historical novels. I'm grateful to live in such a history-steeped place. I only wish the walls and the trees would tell all the stories.

Join me on a tour of several of the places in Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort that inspired the Huguenot Resistance Series.

The Château de Planque

First, let me present the Château de Planque, where I live and work. I've found archival evidence of the Guiraud de la Planque family of ten living here in 1444. I sometimes wonder if the eight children were born in what is now my bedroom. This family may become the subject of a Huguenot Resistance series prequel. The women are particularly fascinating, including their names, such as Gabrielle Guiraud de la Planque.

In the first book, Though Darkness Descend, Huguenot Jeanne Tessier and her family live in the Château. When King Louis XIV sent 1200 dragoon soldiers to suppress the 4000 Protestant Huguenots, the entire community fled to the terraces of Le Cengle mountain. This actually happened.

The Huguenots camped on the side of the mountain, calling themselves The Lord's Army. They intended to make a statement to the king's soldiers and to have a good vantage point to observe the mounted troops arriving on the road below.

It's hard to imagine how they managed to spend some days and nights on the narrow terraces pictured below. Truth is so often stranger than fiction.

Terraces on the side of Le Cengle mountain. Partially covered by trees now, they run quite a long way across.

A closer, not much better, view.

It's hard to capture a decent photo of the terraces. You can see the ruins of rock walls and the shallow areas between. Terraces like these are all over the Cévennes, a clever way to create agricultural land using the ubiquitous limestone rocks.

The Route de Lasalle leads onto the Planque bridge. The Domaine de Planque is just visible on the left.

Just across the street from the Château de Planque, the Domaine de Planque plays an important role in all three books (Book 3, set in World War II, should be out in early spring!) The manor house, outbuildings, and field running down to the river all belonged to the Château de Planque back in the day. Most likely, the manager of the Château's estates lived here.

Domaine de Planque. On the right, you can see the top left of the Château above the trees.

Domaine de Planque with Le Cengle mountain.

Several scenes in The Light Shines Through, Book 2, occur where the Domaine de Planque field meets the river Vidourle just beyond the trees. Vineyards filled this land at the time of the stories, with Le Cengle mountain rising high above. Eagles often soar on the currents and remind me of one of my favorite verses:

Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength

They shall mount up with wings as eagles

They shall run and not be weary

They shall walk and not faint.

Yes, please!

Field in front of the Domaine de Planque. Just behind the trees is the river Vidourle, and the terraces line the side of Le Cengle mountain above.

In ancient times, the Château de Planque's holdings included two water mills. These Moulin de Planque appear in Though Darkness Descend and quite a bit in The Light Shines Through.

Now privately owned, our neighbor invited us to visit his moulin and allowed me to capture these photos. He related the story of a purported underground tunnel connecting the moulin to other structures in town, including the Château. Given the nobles living in the Château long ago, and the ongoing religious persecution, it isn't hard to imagine that such a tunnel existed. This anecdote sparked the idea for a significant scene in The Light Shines Through.

I love this artistic rendition of the original version of the Planque water mill

One of the Moulin de Planque today.

Old postcard view of Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort. The Château de Planque can just be seen above the middle of the arched viaduct bridge with the Domaine de Planque and its field to the left. The large square green patch on the right is the land belonging to the Château. Moulins de Planque are just to the right of the viaduct bridge.

As you can barely see in the above photo, limestone walls surround the Château de Planque property. The original owner most likely had them built for security and possibly to stock as a personal hunting ground. In the upper left corner, this interesting watchtower stands.

This watchtower appears early in The Light Shines Through. Main character Suzanne and her brother, Gabriel-Isaac, experience a significant moment here.

View from the Château's watchtower of Le Cengle mountain and the valley leading to Lasalle.

Back down on ground level, we return to the Route de Lasalle, which runs between the Château and the Domaine de Planque. It is interesting to note that both the king's dragoon soldiers and later, the SS Nazis arrived down the Route de Lasalle. Such an interesting parallel, I think. In both cases, the authorities sent a large quantity of specially trained forces to deal with a relatively small number of people: Huguenots who stood fast in their beliefs or young men hidden in local forests and caves to avoid being sent to Germany to support the war machine. Incredible.

The narrow Route de Lasalle empties onto the Planque Bridge. Whether going on a walk for exercise and enjoyment or into town for errands, this bridge must be crossed. The characters in all three books travel back and forth often, with various experiences and reflections that mirror my own.

View of Planque bridge and the town from the viaduct.

King Louis XIV installed the fort and rampart walls around Saint-Hippolyte in the years just before The Light Shines Through. A longtime resident told me that forts and ramparts usually protect the population, yet these existed for surveillance and control of the Huguenots, who made up the majority of the town. In his opinion, living as virtual prisoners for over one hundred years left its mark.

The King's men also established security gates or portes at each main exit/entry road. One of these checkpoints existed at the end of the Planque bridge before turning into the road into town. In The Light Shines Through, Suzanne had to endure the agony of dragoon soldiers questioning her each time she passed through. She came up with a clever way to avoid prolonged harassment, using a humorous method to divert their attention

Old postcard showing one of the entry/exit doors or portes. Interesting to note the designation of the tower here as Tour St-Louis. Its actual name is Tour St. Jean. I have yet to find an explanation for why this confusion exists.

From the Planque bridge, looking north: Le Cengle, the viaduct, the river Vidourle, and St Jean tower.

This view never grows old. Each season, each day reveals different lighting, varying levels of water, trees tinged with autumn colors or the buds of spring. The air carries the mineral scent of the waters below, always a pleasant reminder to draw a deep breath and savor the moment.

View from the Planque bridge looking downstream.

At the corner of the Domaine de Planque, just before we enter the Planque bridge, stands this magnificent gingko tree. She appears in all three books. Every autumn, her golden leaves sprinkle like magical rain, or tears as some have said, delighting all passersby.

Enjoy:

Gingko, Domaine de Planque, a glimpse of the Route de Lasalle

Gingko, Domaine de Planque seen from viaduct bridge

My husband captured this magical photo one morning...no special effects or filters, just golden beauty.

La vie est belle!