------ Other Villages ------- Gigondas Vacqueyras Sablet Le Barroux Vaison-la-Romaine Rasteau Cairanne Séguret Roaix Malaucène Entrechaux Châteauneuf-du-Pape Jonquières Sarrians Valréas Visan

County town.
Height : 126 m.
Area : 1880 ha.
1721 inhabitants :
Balméens.
At 20 km. of Orange and 38 km. of Avignon.
River : the Salette.

The first traces of the site being lived on date back to the Neolithic period, and axes and remains of potteries have been uncovered. In the Saint-Hilaire Chapel, were discovered sculpted figures, believed to represent Jupiter and Mercury, as well as a scene of the grapes being trampled under foot at the time of the vendanges.
The first mentions made of it date back to 993 : Balmas, Balmis (1137-1253),
Balme in 1319.

The origins of the name are to be found in the word "Balma" (a cave in the foot of a rock). The "de Venise" part of the name is most certainly a corruption of the word Venisse, ( from "Venaissin"), and was added to differentiate the village from that of Beaumes-de-Transit (Drôme).

From the end of August 1628 until May 1629, the Balméens, as its inhabitants are known, were ravaged by a plague epidemic, which killed 225 of them. During the course of the wars of religion, high ramparts were erected to protect the village. Today, the only remains of the castle, which dominated the village with its tower and dungeons are ruins of no great interest. The church was rebuilt in 1849 in the same style as the original, and it was further renovated between 1975 and 1979. In 1378, a hospital was built, which was replaced by another one in 1575. In 1869 the parish bought the private residence (hôtel particulier) of the marquis de

St-Sauveur to house the hospice, which, in 1976, became the Saint-Louis retirement home. On the plateau dominating the village are the ruins of the château d'Urban, which, after being erected in the course of the 13th century by the Agoult successively belonged to the Mormoirons, the Vénasques, Raymond de Modène, Fortia.

Notre-Dame d'Aubune is a rural chapel at the foot of the plateau d'Urban (or of Durban), the origins of which are uncertain. Is this a temple to the glory of Apollo or Mercury? Was it erected after a victory over the Saracens by William au Cour Nez (Prince of Orange) ? Built by Charlemagne to commemorate the rout of the Saracen army? Nobody seems to know, but it is full of charm and mystery. Today this beautiful village of Beaumes, in a location lived in since prehistory is a starting point for walking circuits around the Dentelles de Montmirail.