Melon de Cavaillon
The Vaucluse town of Melon
Cavaillon melons are a well-known specialty, best represented by the Cantaloup melon. The fruit was cultivated very early in Cavaillon’s history, after its introduction to France in 1495.
Known and recognized for its unique taste, the sun of Provence allows it to ripen in the best possible way, giving it an unforgettable flavor. Part of Provencal gastronomy, eat it as a starter with cured ham or as a dessert…
Melon Festival in Cavaillon
It’s obvious to everyone that Cavaillon is the melon capital of France.
Famous for its curcubitaceae, it was only natural that the city should honor it with a veritable festival, held the weekend before July 14th.
During “Melon en fête” in Cavaillon, the melon capital of France, books, drawings, paintings, archives, recipes – everything to do with melon is on show for two days, with large-scale banquets, street tastings, tourist circuits and exhibitions. On the program: large parade of carts, brotherhoods and brass bands, release of Camargue horses, cooking competitions…
The history of Melon de Cavaillon
The melon appears in Cavaillon’s archives as early as 1495: a regulation issued by the town’s two co-lords, Clément de la Rovère (papal vice-legate) and Toussaint de Villeneuve (bishop of Cavaillon), specifies that “any inhabitant, with the exception of the infirm and pregnant women, found on someone else’s property picking grapes, almonds, walnuts, peaches, figs, apples, pears, melons, clives and other fruits, will pay 6 deniers for each fruit.”
In 1620, the Duc de Guise received “fruits, melons, artichokes, wine and flasks”. The same was true of Monseigneur d’Oppède, First President of the Parlement de Provence, who received his share of artichokes, peaches and melons.
The golden age of the melon came in the second half of the 19th century, when the boom in market garden production and the emergence of the town as a commercial center soon combined to create an image that was soon to become established: “the Cavaillon melon”. As early as 1859, the town council noted the importance of the weekly market, which “arouses amazement and admiration, not jealousy, among neighboring towns. Indeed, our markets are so beautiful that our squares have become too small. The esplanade du Clos, intended for the melon market, can barely hold one-twentieth of the produce brought in and displayed for sale”.
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Spend a day enjoying the heated swimming pool with massage jets and whirlpool baths, sauna, hammam, salt cave, cardio room, outdoor jacuzzi Scottish bath and solarium garden.
