LES BERGERIES, IN THE LAND OF PROVENCE

The Fragrances Concerto creation laboratory and the GEODORA workshop are located on the family property “Les Bergeries” in the heart of Montauroux, a charming perched village in the Var, a few kilometers from Grasse, where Centifolia rose, jasmine and tuberose have been cultivated for generations. For several years now, the municipality has been encouraging farmers to replant these emblematic flowers of the Grasse region, of which Montauroux is a part.

Two origins are evoked as to the origin of the name “Montauroux”:

• For the first, the name would come from the mount where the knight Pierre d’Aurosa built his castrum in 1040.
• For the second one, more popular, the origin would be found in the Provencal language since monte aurosa means “the mounts exposed to the wind”. Indeed, the large limestone rocky bar exposed to the west on which the old village extends, turns pink when the mistral blows in the distance.

Typically Provencal, nicknamed “the balcony of the Esterel”, Montauroux is a very old village built in tiers in the 11th century, rising between 100 and 400 meters.

It is one of the nine perched sites of the Pays de Fayence, located in the extreme east of the Var department.

When you arrive at the foot of the village, you pass by a large traditional washhouse of the washerwomen of yesteryear. In the center of the village, a large square adorned with plane trees surrounds a space dedicated to petanque, and in the background, the town hall, a remarkable building with its Marseilles-style roof and its bell tower.

To explore the village, you must take one of the small streets lined with pretty colored houses. The village is punctuated by small squares and numerous fountains.

These alleys all lead up to the top of the village where you will find the parish church of Saint-Barthélemy and its square bell tower topped by a wrought iron campanile.

The field of Bergeries

Leaning against the forest of oaks and pines that extends to the Siagne, a beautiful and wild river that rises in the southern pre-Alps and meanders down to the sea, this one-hectare estate seems to have been inhabited since time immemorial by the protective and silent nature that surrounds it with its benevolent presence.

Those who enter the Domaine des Bergeries tell us that they are taken by the quietness and serenity of the place. I usually call it “the sleeping clinic” because the nights there are so soft and restorative.

A very old sheepfold stood here long time ago. Begining of 21st century, a Dutch couple who fell in love with Provence and this enchanting place, decided to enlarge and embellish it.

However, there is no green lawn, no French garden, here nature is appreciated in its nakedness and simplicity. Buildings with apparent stones and secular frameworks, roofs are made with traditional tiles. The garden is planted with olive trees, magnificent lime trees that fill the air in the early summer, oaks, pines, some citrus trees and cypresses.

A newly planted orchard, a healthy beehive, some beautiful lavender and a host of fragrant native plants all complete this “Provencale” picture.

When we arrived, a fellow resident told us “this land is made for roses”, so we took his advice and we are happy to see our roses blooming from May to September.

We planted a few tuberoses, a honeysuckle, and some jasmine, to enjoy their subtle perfumes.

It was therefore perfectly natural for GEODORA and our Fragrances Concerto Laboratory to take their roots here, hoping that they would find fertile ground for their growth.

One thing is clear: to create beauty and do good, this is the ideal place, and our fragrances are reportedly benefiting from this.