Taulignan is a village of the Drôme in the Rhône Alpes region, a short thirty kilometres southeast of Montélimar and a neighbour of Grignan, 7 kilometres away. In 2012, it counted a population of 1625.
Geographically, Taulignan opens towards the north and is dominated by the Lance mountain to the east.
The climate is warm and temperate. Throughout the year heavy rains can fall on the village.
The vegetation is rich and varied; moreover many shaded trails have been marked to offer hikers the pleasure of admiring the beautiful natural surroundings of the Drôme. The Taulignan Woods is a nature site highly prized by visitors.
During your walks, you will discover the A.O.C. Côtes du Rhône vineyards of Taulignan and also its lavender fields and truffle forests.
Arriving in the village, you can immediately see that Taulignan is a very pretty medieval village that dates back to the 14th century as a fortified market town with eleven towers. Encircled by 700 metres of wall, it is the base for the private homes .
In the 19th century, Taulignan was a main centre in silk production in the Drôme; the Armandy factory contributed to its reputation and its know-how by building several mills. The silk museum (Atelier Musée de la Soie) recounts the history of the workers, the machines, the production methods and the techniques used.
The many beautiful façades in the heart of the village testify to the town's prosperity in the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries when Taulignan was an important centre for commerce. Many were the tradesmen and craftspeople who used their know-how as gold and silversmiths, stonecutters, armorers, upholsterers, woodworkers, etc.
Dedicated members of the Association Des Onze Tours can take you on a guided tour to discover Taulignan. You will learn about its prosperous history as you go around the ramparts, the Saint-Vincent church, the Protestant church, the Saint-Marcel and Saint-Pierre churches as well as the Clarté Notre Dame monastery where the thirty nuns who live there have created a bookbinding workshop.
Amongst the events and festivities, mark your calendars for the Picodon (goat's cheese), Wines and Honey Festival on the 1st Sunday of June!
In the area around Taulignan
Montbrison-sur-Lez: the priory, the site of the château and the toposcope orientation table
Grignan: for its famous château
Nyons: olive oil mill, olive festival
Art of living
Gastronomy, markets of Provence, regional products, Christmas traditions, celebrities of Provence....
