Cévennes

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Image:Lozere-Cevennes-Causse Mejean-3.jpg

The Cévennes are a range of mountains in south-central France, covering parts of the départements of Gard, Lozère, Ardèche, and Haute-Loire.

The word Cévennes comes from the Gaulish Cebenna, which was latinized by Julius Caesar to Cevenna.

The Cévennes are a part of the Massif Central. They run from southwest to northeast, with the highest point being the Mont Lozère (1699 m). Another notable peak is the Mont Aigoual (1567m). The Gardon, Hérault and Dourbie rivers source in the Cévennes. The region hosts a national park, the Parc National des Cévennes, which was created in 1970. Two canyons cross this region : The Gorges de la Jonte canyon (river "the Jonte") and the Gorges du Tarn canyon (river "the Tarn").

The region is known for its large community of Protestants, or Huguenots. During the reign of Louis XIV, much of the Huguenot population fled France, particularly following the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, but the community in the Cévennes largely remained in place, protected from attack by the hilly terrain. In 1702, this population, dubbed the Camisards, rose up against the monarchy. The two sides agreed to peace in 1715.

In French, the adjective derived from "Cévennes" is Cévenol (fem. Cévenole), as in d'Indy's Symphonie Cévenole (known in English as his "Symphony on a French Mountain Air"). The mountain range also gives its name to a meteorological effect when cold air from the Atlantic coast meets warm air from the Mediterranean and causes heavy downpours, often leading to floods. These are called épisodes cévenols.