In the meanders of the "templiers".
(From the meanders of Ardeche to the maladrery of the templiers).
After having followed several minutes length and broad forest road which, on several kilometers stops the scrubland where foxes and wild boars play about with the shelter of the hunters, one "plunges" in a forest of oaks. Gradually, the path narrows. Ardeche is not any more very far. The path starts the descent. Suddenly, after one" énième" turn, it is the vacuum!...
Ardeche is there, in against-low, imperturbable. With right hand, one sees the "Meander of Templiers". In the medium, between the natural loops of the river, the remaining walls several masonries appear, as by magic, in the medium of wood; heritage of a past in charge of mysteries. Even if the prospect crushes volumes, the buildings seem imposing. The path skirts from now on cliff. The descent and is made abrupt slipping by ambient moisture. The slope becomes softer (softens). One approaches...
And there, in a clearing, the "Maladrerie of Templiers" rises in front of us, or at least what it remains about it. The place is in charge of history. The most insane rumours, with the wire of the centuries, animated the conversations. The presence of a possible treasure in pushed more than one to excavate the site.
One however knows few things on the "Maladrerie of Templiers" of the Gorges of Ardeche. The DRAC (Regional Direction of the Cultural Affairs) of Languedoc-Roussillon currently makes historical search.The results are to date rather maigres(décevants). Nevertheless (However), a certain number of elements lets suppose that the "Maladrerie of Templiers" of the Gorges of Ardeche located on the territory of the gardoise commune of Aiguèze, but property of that of Garn played a significant role in the area, in particular in the care against leprosy.
The existence established of Commanderie of Templiers on the plate of Garn; analysis of the radiocarbon of the age of the bones found in the cemetery of the site dating from XIIè Century ; recognized healing virtues of the water of Ardeche; the plan of the structure of the type Brood of Templiers ; the insulation of the place; the "Maladrerie of Templiers" of the Gorges of Ardeche, according to this information could thus be only reserved for the greeting of leprous Templiers.
If the "Maladrerie of Templiers" of the Gorges of Ardeche. underwent "the insult" of time, it remains however walls sufficient to upright imagine and find the overall structure of the building. In addition to the harmful natural action, vegetation and erosion, in the Fifties, of not very scrupulous stone robbers which went up Ardeche in rafts since Saint Martin's day did not hesitate to carry most beautiful.
At the end of the Eighties, clandestine excavations also put at evil certain walls and in particular the apse of the vault. Maladrerie counted a vault in primitive novel, a septentrional building which could have been used as dormitory, an Eastern building, a garden or cloister and, with the variation, two other buildings.
For several years, the persons in charge of the Natural Reserve of the Gorges of Ardeche, manager of the place, have been leaning on this rich person inheritance. It is first of all in 1987, the manager of the time the G.I.G.A. (Inter-commune Grouping of the Gorges of Ardeche) which made carry out a grubbing of Maladrerie under the control of the representatives of the Prehistoric antiquities of Ardeche and the scientific committee. A few months ago, the SIGARN (Inter-commune Trade union of the Throats of Ardeche and their Natural Area) decided to undertake some work.
During the current of the autumn, the guards of the reserve undertook to cut the oaks likely to damage a little more the remaining walls. The objective for association not being to rebuild Maladrerie, but to prevent that it does not fall definitively in ruins and thus does not disappear forever.
Several visits of the site were organized with representatives of the General Council of Gard, DRAC Languedoc-Roussillon, Departmental Service of the architecture of Gard. However, the first measurements of consolidation per shoring were carried out before more significant work is undertaken fine 98 and the following years. The partners displayed a real will so that lives again abuilding in charge of mystery : the "Maladrerie of Templiers" of the Gorges of Ardeche.