In 800 AC monks settled down at the foot of this hill. Ruins on the elevation nearby the Spring of Lantouy, give us an idea of a harmonic spiritual life in nature. Many years after the monks, lord Gayfié installed a farm on the hill and constructed several buildings which are still standing to this day: the barn (Grange), his villa, the pigsty (porcherie) and the shepfold (bergerie). After his death, Domaine de Gayfié was home to a horse farm, a truffle plantation and, pretty close to our presence, St. Etienne Football Club. 
Lucky for us, the guy in charge of managing the construction of 200 bungalows and an elevator down the hill, took all the money and defected to Mexico. In 1991, after many years of being left untouched, the tourist Residence Domaine de Gayfié was installed and in 2001, Lilo finally took over the place. 
In 2015, her son Richard and his greenhorn friends decided to organise a slightly oversized home party with Funktion Ones and international booking on top of that hill and called it Monticule Festival. 
When You are reading these lines the sixth edition is already in the making. The baby has grown a bit. Let’s take a breath to worship the time and space which was given to us. We are all just particles on this round. Maybe the monks are coming back soon.

Julia Crusius is following