|
Caunes-Minervois is a small medieval town or “commune” in the Aude department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. It is known particularly for its ancient Abbey, dating from the eighth century, and the outstanding red marble that has been quarried locally from Roman times. The name may derive from the ancient local Occitan word for cave, “cauna”, of which there are a number in the immediate area. Caunes is also in the Minervois, a designated wine growing region with AOC status but with an ancient heritage. The name derives from the ancient regional capital of Minerve, some 20 km east of Caunes, itself named for the Roman Goddess Minerva. The Romans came through here, settling and introducing vines & olives in the region. Minervois Vignerons have been dynamic in changing the perception of the world towards wine from the south of France, developing quality products and experimenting with both old and new grape varieties and techniques.〔Strang, P. 2002. ''Languedoc-Roussillon: The Wines and Wine Makers''. Mitchell Beazley, 2002. ISBN 1-84000-500-9〕 The ruined castle (chateau) at Minerve is a site attracting many visitors due to the ongoing interest in Catharism and the Albigensian Crusade. Caunes lies in the northern part of the modern touristic region of the “Pays Cathare” – Cathar Country – which stretches here from the Pyrenees. ==Geography and geology== The town sits at the foot of the Montagne Noir which are themselves the southernmost extent of the Massif Central. The change in slope designates a change in geology from the predominantly metamorphic rocks of the nearby mountains to the alluvial deposits of the plains. The settlement lies adjacent to the mountain river L’argent Double which can be a torrent after rain but usually has a gentle and semi-continuous flow, sometime disappearing completely below a bouldery riverbed. Highest flows are usually recorded in February falling away throughout the dry months. This river is a key attribute that lead to early settlement here, both in terms of the important pass created by its valley and the regular, sweet water supply. The river name l’Argent Double is purported to come from the Latin ''Argent'' meaning silver and Celtic ''dubrum'', meaning water. Whether this refers to just the colour of a tumbling stream, the fact that the water is sweet (soft), or some other mineral content is not clear. Figure 1. Map of the Montagne Noire. In the inset France is tan, the Massif Central is orange, and the Montagne Noire is purple (Roger, 2004).〔Roger, F., et al 2004. Premiere datation U-Pb des orthogneiss oeilles de la zone axial de la Montagne noire (Sud du Massif central); nouveau temoins du magmatisme Ordovicien dans la chaine Varisque. Comptes Rendus de l’Academie de sciences. Geoscience, 366, 19-28〕 The geology of the area has attracted considerable study and is fundamental to the position of the town: # the weakness in the rocks giving rise to the course of the river # the mountain pass following the river # the formation of the local marble through metamorphosis and # the subsequent development of complex local soil types allowing for a variety of vineyard ''terroirs''〔 On a larger scale, the Montagne Noir result from the tectonic movements of ancient plates, ultimately resulting in the upthrust of the Alps and the Pyrenees. These mountain building events are known as orogenic periods, often named after the principal mountain ranges or ancient tribal areas in which the early geological research was undertaken. The Montagne Noire result largely from what is known as the Variscan (or Hercynian) Orogeny. The local geology is complex with evidence of very old rocks from the Precambrian period being distorted and overlain with ocean sediments, which in turn have been involved in massive tectonic events. The changes to sedimentary deposits due to intense pressure and temperature effects have given rise to metamorphic rocks such as schist, gneiss & the economically important marble. Granite outcrops can also be found relatively close (10 km) to Caunes adding complexity to the geology. It is expected that groundwater percolating though the acidic granite provides much of the soft water to the l’Argent Double in an area where hard water is more usual. South, away from the metamorphic rocks of the mountains yet in close proximity, lie almost unaffected limestones, sandstones, clays and other rock forms. These are mixed with more recent alluvial deposits from the Aude valley.〔〔Gèze, B. 1979. Languedoc méditerranéen, Montagne Noire, Guides géologiques régionaux. Masson. ISBN 2-225-64120-X〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Caunes-Minervois」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|