In the heart of the lavander region, Simiane-la-Rotonde
presents
"Jardin des Lavandes" from the plant to the essential
oils
from the 1st of July to the 15th of August 2008
in the castle courtyard, a landscaped setting up rooted
in the reality of a region
From the beginning of July to mid-August, Simiane-la-Rotonde,
"Cité de caractère" des Alpes de Haute
Provence, perfumes and makes the courtyard of its medieval Castle
and famous Rotunda bloom with hundreds of pots of different varieties
of lavanders, lavandins and aromatic plants : the "Jardin
des Lavandes". Magical combination of a major historical
place and the "soul of Haute Provence" held dear by
Giono, this landscaped setting up immerses us in the enchanting
world of perfume, aromatic and medicinal plants.
The "Jardin des Lavandes" is the strong prelude to the
activities proposed in the four restored rooms of the former Simiane-Agoult
seigneurial dwelling. The visit route enables the visitor to grasp
lavander, lavandin and aromatic plants in a global way, from the
growing stage until the therapeutic uses and properties of essential
oils.
Lavander is a magical
emblem of the Provençal high lands, and yet it cannot
be reduced to a mere landscape element. When Provençal
lavander farmers are confronted to low cost importations
from China and the countries of the former Eastern bloc,
and still face the competition of synthetic products, the
" Jardin
des Lavandes" event wants to be an entertaining
tool introducing and increasing public awareness to the
numerous facets of these plants : botanical, agricultural,
human, economical, medicinal, industrial... Thus, you will
be able to identify in situ the different varieties of lavander
and lavandin encountered in the plantations of the region
thanks to notice boards giving information about their colour,
their perfume, their uses...
In a second time, centred on the history and the cultivation
of lavander, the visit route of the Castle pesents an exhibition
and a documentary. In the last two rooms, Jean-Noël
Landel, founder of the Sainte
Victoire Laboratory, and his team propose a demonstration
of steam distillation as well as an introduction to the
therapeutic uses of essential oils. Jean-Noël Landel
also proposes an initiation to cosmetic natural products
making. Explanations about the way essential oils are extracted,
about their analyses, their purchasing criterion, their
preservation, etc. come with these workshops. |
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A true legitimacy
At the heart of one of the main areas of production,
the Société Coopérative Agricole des Plantes
à Parfum de Provence (SCA3P) [Agricultural Cooperative
Society of Aromatic Plants of Provence], founded in 1979 by Alain
Cassan, the current mayor of Simiane-la-Rotonde, is the largest
in France. Local distilleries produce the essence which the Cooperative
then collects and stores. Its 330 members produce 424 tons of
essential oils, which accounts for 34 % of total French production
of fine lavander, which is used mainly in the perfume industry,
pharmaceuticals and aromatherapy, and for 40 % of total French
production of lavandin, intended for industry (washing powders,
detergents, cosmetics, etc.). They process some other plants,
such as clary sage and tarragon. The resulting price stability
strengthens the whole agricultural sector. The "Jardin des
Lavandes" project is thus inscribed in a manifold reality
: economic, agricultural, historical, cultural...
The essential oils, uses and properties
Lavander is known since Antiquity for its numerous therapeutic
properties : antiseptic, healing, calming, anti-inflammatory,
stomachic, whereas lavandin oil is, as for it, stimulant
and anti-inflammatory as well. In the Middle Ages, lavander
was part of the abbey gardens and of the popular regional
medicine thanks to the pedlars-herbalists of Lure Mountain
who sold it through the whole Provence. Nowadays, the
essential oil of "fine lavander" is found in
medicine and pharmaceutical products. In aromatherapy
and herbal medicine, it is used in atmospheric diffusion,
body application or oral absorption.
In another domain, lavander contributed in the XVIIth
century to the birth of perfumery at Grasse, when perfumed
gloves fashion seized the kingdom of France. As early
as the end of the XIXth century, Grasse perfumers developped
in an industrial way lavander plantations and distillation
in Haute Provence. This essential oil is still used by
perfume, soap and cosmetics industries.
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