Presentation from the esplanade of the site of the village of Alixan and its creation then guided tour of the church and the underground quarry:

Alixan is a circular medieval village whose silhouette on the horizon is characteristic. If the site that will become Alixan is part of the Roman colony of the 1st century, the first mention of an important construction (“Villa de Alexiano”) appears only in 915. Around the year one thousand, a castle is built on a mound of molasses protruding from the plain. This castle offering protection, houses come snuggle at its foot by winding gradually in three rings surrounded by ramparts of which some remains remain. A church is built late 12th, early 13th at the top of the mound of molasse next to the castle giving a characteristic silhouette on the horizon. The two buildings flank an esplanade located at the top of the butte de molasse which is accessed by a ramp or a monumental staircase built on an arch. The church Saint-Didier (11th-13th century) is located on the esplanade. Attested before 1304, it was a dependency of the chapter of Saint-Apollinaire. Several successive periods of construction are visible. It is therefore a composite building by its form and its materials, with parts dating from: - the 11-12th centuries: Romanesque portal with semicircular arch and two lion heads that adorn the capitals of the entrance, - the 12-13th centuries: Gothic choir and first bay of the nave with keystone decorated with Christ blessing, 15th-16th-17th centuries: side chapels, 18th: Romanesque nave, baptismal font and belfry, - 19th: external staircase, Eiffel type metal arch supporting the tribune, virals and sacristy. Quarries: The castle was built on a mound of molasse rather conical shape. It was initially necessary to make the faces steep. We thus notched the mound thus obtaining some building materials (exterior quarry - traces) then we continued by digging the mound of molasse itself (underground quarry) to also obtain building stones. This underground quarry used until the 14th century is still visible.