The presence of human beings in the area surrounding Les Vans can be traced back to prehistory. Later, the Romans left their mark with the Roman road, part of which correponds to the present GR4 ramble trail at Peyre.

However, Les Vans appeared as a town only in the 12 th century, and this period saw the explosion of Romanesque art and the buildings that are still standing: the churches at Gravières, Naves, Chambonas and Thines . The original small town of craftsmen grew to become a commercial market centre through a remarkable economic development.

The town then experienced hard times –wars, epidemic - and flourishing periods in turn from the 14th to the 19th century. The beginning of the 19th century is a landmark in the history of Les Vans since the region really lives a rapid development unknown until then thanks to the glow-worm industry, which has become a main element in the culture of South Ardèche by now.

After a period of economic stagnation and a decrease in population, Les Vans has once more become dynamic, and is growing through the increase in tourism which started in the 1960s. Visitors appreciate the pleasant sunny climate and the variety of sporting and cultural activities on offer, as well as the authentic warm generosity of the local way of life.

Léopold OLLIER
Born in Les Vans in 1830, Louis Léopold Ollier started taking care of the hens of his school as a child. He passed both literary and scientific baccalaureats in 1848 and 1849, and went on to study medicine in Montpellier and in Lyon. He was an excellent surgeon and was the first to create a department at the Hotel Dieu hospital dedicated to the treatment of bones, skin and muscles. He invented orthopedic surgery. He became Professor at the surgical clinic of the medical faculty in Lyon in 1877, and continued his activities in bone surgery in the Hotel Dieu until 1900. After his death, a world-wide fund enabled a bronze statue by Boucher to be erected in Les Vans. The Ollier Museum in Les Vans contains a wealth of information on this remarkable man and his work.


Léonce Vieljeux
Born in Les Vans in 1865, Léonce Vieljeux was a pupil at the military school St Cyr and chose to go to the La Rochelle garrison, where he because famous first as a shipowner, then as soldier, mayor and member of the French resistance. He was very important in the shipping world through his efforts to improve the conditions of inhabitants of the African countries with which he traded. He enlisted in the army during the First World War and displayed great bravory, almost losing his life. He became Mayor of La Rochelle in 1930. However, it is for the role he played during the second World War that he is reknowned and revered. In spite of the fact that the Gestapo was at his heels he continued to help prisoners escape in collaboration with the Red Cross. He was arrested in March 1944 and deported to Schirmeck camp where he was executed in September 1944. Throughout his life he remained close to his Cevennes roots and the Cévenols are proud of the example one of their own has given to the country.