Visitors will be lucky enough to discover the Saint Michel de Anesca (de la Nesque) Chapel at the bottom of the Gorges de la Nesque. It borders the mountain river and is positioned underneath an overhanging rock, above which lie two other shelters occupied during the prehistoric era. The Chapel itself is a modest building, with an enthralling location and history, dating back to the XIIth century. Inside is preserved a Roman-Gallic voting column which was used in the Middle Ages to support the altar
The chapel was entirely restored in 1643, as witnessed by the engraved inscription on the central stone above the arched entrance door.

This exceptional place of pilgrimage, still used in the XIXth century (May 8 and September 29), can be reached by four paths: the first path starts in Monieux, and from the Malaval lake onwards follows one or other bank of the Torrent; the second, a more direct route, is accessed from the R.D 942 on the left when coming from Monieux, 700 m before arriving at the Castelleras view-point; the third path starts at the Castelleras view-point which overlooks the cave which bears its name; the starting point (or return) of the fourth is near the second tunnel.

During 1866, well before the opening of the road which overlooks this site, Frederic MISTRAL discovered the Gorges de la Nesque and the Rocher du Cire’s wild bees, where he endangered his life gathering golden honey combs.

The adventures of his climbing expeditions on the Rocher du Cire, recounted in Calendal, cantos VII, constitutes one of the climaxes of this epic poem of twelve songs, in which the author exalts both maritime and mountainous Provence.

The slab dedicated to Frédéric MISTRAL, at the view-point of Castelleras overlooking the Rocher du Cire dominating one of the most beautiful wild sites of Provence, was erected by the Sault Tourist office and was unveiled on September 11, 1966.

Below is an extract from a Provencal calendal written by the poet who, more than a century ago, dedicated this site as one of the most remarkable in Provence

Calendal, cantos VII:
"Aquelo Nesco encafourno
Dins uno coumbo arèbro E soumo;
E vèn pi éi has moumen that the roco subran
Enar Co amount that are not statement…
You dou Roucas dou Wax speaks
Neither cat, neither cabro, NOR satire,
In responde segur, jamai the escalaran!"

"This Nesque is engulfed in a
gloomy and jagged gorge;
Suddenly, abruptly,
as though appearing out of nowhere,
The Rocher du Cire
Neither cat nor goat, nor satyr,
Will ever dare to climb it

The recent excavations of the Bau de l'Aubesier at the bottom of the Gorges near the Romanesque chapel of Saint Michel de la Nesque enable one to say that the earliest hunters in the Sault Country lived in this area from the end of the Early Stone Ages, 150 000 years ago. Remains of animal bones allow us to identify the different species hunted for food by our prehistoric ancestors. Among them were : rhinoceros, megaceros, aurochs, horses, deer and eland.