Vallon Pont d’Arc is a village located in Southern Ardèche (south of the department), at the entrance of the Ardèche Gorges Natural Reserve.
This village is located at the gates of one of the most beautiful touristic sites in France. The famous Pont d’Arc, a natural arch over 60m high, was dug by the Ardèche river, gateway to the Ardèche Gorges, classified as «National Natural Reserve » !
This small village, peaceful in winter, sees its population multiplied by 10 in summer.
Its strategic position lies in the fact that it is the starting point for the descent of the Ardèche Gorges.
Vallon Pont d’Arc is a high place of prehistory and cultural tourism, renowned worldwide, thanks to the Chauvet Cave, listed as World Heritage by Unesco, since June 2014 for the greatest pride of the local people. The so-called «Sistine Chapel of Prehistory » is located in the Combe d’Arc, which is the ancient meander of the Ardèche river, very close to the Pont d’Arc. The cave was discovered on December 18, 1994 by Jean-Marie Chauvet, Éliette Brunel and Christian Hillaire.
Etymology
The name of Vallon is the francization of Occitan Valon, from a Gallic word, avail, which meant apple. This word accompanied by the suffix -one meant an apple orchard.
Around 1243, some acts mention the name of Castrum de Avalone. In the 15th century, Vallon was San Saornin de Avalone, then the name was simplified in Avalone (or Avallone in a Table of ecclesiastical decimes from 1516). Over the centuries, the reference to the apple not being understood anymore, the name of Avalone evolved in Vallon in Occitan, then Vallon.
In 1948, for touristic reasons, Vallon became Vallon Pont d’Arc.
