Talus-Saint-Prix

Talus-Saint-Prix is not one of the grand names of Champagne. It has neither grand cru nor premier cru status. But anyone interested in the hinterland of the appellation will find a quiet village here, where viticulture shapes the local economy and a good deal of nature and history sit close together.

Location in the Petit Morin valley

The commune lies in the south-west of the Marne département, around 30 kilometres south-south-west of Épernay. It belongs to the Brie champenoise landscape and covers 620 hectares. The terrain rises from 137 to 221 metres. The Petit Morin flows through the commune from east to west, the plateau of the Brie rises to the north, and the slopes to the south are wooded. The village itself stretches out as a linear settlement along the Grande Rue. The hamlets of Bellevue, Le Reclus and Saint-Prix also belong to it. At the start of 2023, 106 people lived here.

Viticulture and landscape

According to the source, the local economy is geared above all towards viticulture. A look at land use, however, shows how varied the area is:

“The commune of Saint-Prix came into being during the French Revolution, and in 1900 it took its present name, Talus-Saint-Prix.

• Arable land: 37.7 per cent
• Woodland: 36.1 per cent
• Meadows: 11.2 per cent
• Permanent crops, which include vines: 7 per cent

Two nature reserves of ecological importance extend into the commune: the Marais de Saint-Gond and the ponds and woods of L'Homme Blanc and Quatre Bornes. The marshes of the Marais de Saint-Gond are home to many rare plant species, and amphibians, dragonflies, butterflies and birds also find habitat there. The climate is oceanic and temperate, with fresh summers.

History

The parish of Saint-Prix can be traced back to at least the 11th century. The commune of Saint-Prix came into being during the French Revolution, and in 1900 it took its present name, Talus-Saint-Prix. Closely tied to the history of the village is the Cistercian abbey of Notre-Dame de Le Reclus, founded in 1142 and dissolved in 1791. The church historian François Armand Gervaise, a Carmelite friar, died in Talus-Saint-Prix.

Arcy-Sainte-Restitue in der ChampagneFoto: Roland45, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

What to see

Three listed monuments make a detour worthwhile:

• the church of Saint-Prix, a monument historique since 1916
• the former abbey of Notre-Dame de Le Reclus, protected since 1968 and 2012 respectively
• the dolmen and the allée couverte (covered passage grave) of Le Reclus, a monument historique since 1930

The village is about 14 kilometres from Sézanne, and you can reach Épernay by road in around 32 kilometres. If you are visiting the great champagne vineyards, this makes a peaceful stop along the way.