Durability - or the Death of "Rockabilly"

At three in the morning 2 million cubic tons of rock and mud slid down the valley, literally cutting the village in half and leaving 19 dead.

It was in November 1926 and the village was Roquebillière (pronounced “rockabilly”) in the Vésubie Valley in the hills behind Nice.

There was talk of razing the village, but over the years the people returned.

In 1971 the Gendarmes and the army were mobilised and the villagers were evacuated following an alert. However it was in 1997 that the process for the permanent evacuation of the village was restarted as a result of a report by the geological and mining research office on perceived risks.

At the end of November 2010 the village’s 250 residents are to be evacuated permanently and without hope of return.

I was baffled. Roquebillière is on the road up the valley which leads to Saint-Martin-Vésubie. The old part of the village must be in a dangerous location so I went to see for myself. There in the bottom of the valley was the Templar Church and a few houses.

I went back across the valley to the main village and, this being France, had a coffee. Madame who runs the local restaurant and café Au Vieux Roc’ was busy instructing her staff (her husband) on what works he should do about the place and took time off to prepare my coffee. She thoroughly approved of my wish to sit on the little terrace since it was a lovely autumn day.

I asked her about the part of the village to be evacuated, indicating the direction of the Templar Church. Oh no, she said, that way. There was more of the village up the hill ? No, this bit - here.The part indicated was the main village along the Vésubie road.

It did not look very dangerous to me and there were no cliffs that I could see. The experts, Madame explained. The villagers have their own experts and they say that it is safe. Apparently it is something to do with pools of water, but there are pools of water everywhere, she added.

I did not get the impression that the villagers had the slightest intention of going anywhere.

The Templar Church, Saint-Michel-de-Gast, already existed in 1141, the date on which it was donated to the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem. The Chapel of the White Penitents in the main part of the village was built in 1610. This is not a new village. However let’s not understimate the risks - there were earthquakes in the 14th. 15th. and 16th. Centuries.

I think that I had better go back and take another look, perhaps earlier in the day. I like the idea of lunch Au Vieux Roq’.