|  Midway between Aix-en-Provence and Nice, the Alps of Haute Provence and the Gorges de Verdon to the north and the Mediterranean hills to the south, Cotignac has a spectacular site. A limestone escarpment 400 metres long and 80 metres high -called the Rocher- towers over the village which faces down the wide valley of the river Cassole, descending from the high rock in a series of waterfalls.
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| The Cours Gambetta is the heart of Cotignac. The thick foliage of plane trees shades the terraces of cafés and restaurants during the summer; at other seasons you can sip your coffee or wine in the sunshine.
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At the foot of the Rocher can be seen traces of the earliest dwellings, caves and grottos where people and their animals sheltered from the attacks of the Saracens and other raiders.
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And troglodyte living continued for some centuries as the village slowly developed around the present Place de la Mairie and its clock-tower. |
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Cobbled streets have now been restored and within the ancient ramparts old ruins have been transformed into a theatre where summer performances of music and drama are set against a backdrop of the Rocher and its two ancient watch towers |
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