Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie

Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie is a small village in the Gard district in southern France. Once known for its kilns for baking bricks from the local clay soil, it has been forced to reinvent itself. Today the village boasts some 20 ceramic shops and every Friday serves as a thriving market for local farmers, particularly those growing organic food. Thousands of tourists descend each mid July to see nearly 100 potters display their wares. As I walked the nearly deserted streets on a very quiet afternoon on the final Saturday of April, I enjoyed seeing how ceramic tile was used to decorate shops, pottery workshops, exterior store walls, the local boucherie renown for its meats, and even the center of the stone streets.