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Alpes-de-Haute-Provence or sometimes abbreviated as AHP (; oc, Aups d'Auta Provença; ) is a department in the
INSEE which makes it the 94th most populated French department. Alpes-de-Haute-Provence's main cities are
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (; or , ; commonly shortened to PACA; en, Provence-Alps-French Riviera, italic=yes; also branded as Région Sud) is one of the eighteen administrative regions of France, the far southeastern on the mainland. Its prefe ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
of France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
, bordering Alpes-Maritimes
Alpes-Maritimes (; oc, Aups Maritims; it, Alpi Marittime, "Maritime Alps") is a Departments of France, department of France located in the country's southeast corner, on the France–Italy border, Italian border and Mediterranean Sea, Mediter ...
and Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
to the east, Var to the south, Vaucluse
Vaucluse (; oc, Vauclusa, label=Provençal or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.Drôme
Drôme (; Occitan: ''Droma''; Arpitan: ''Drôma'') is the southernmost department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. Named after the river Drôme, it had a population of 516,762 as of 2019.
and Hautes-Alpes
Hautes-Alpes (; oc, Auts Aups; en, Upper Alps) is a department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. It is located in the heart of the French Alps, after which it is named. Hautes-Alpes had a population of 141,22 ...
to the north. Formerly part of the province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...
of Provence
Provence (, , , , ; oc, Provença or ''Prouvènço'' , ) is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which extends from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the France–Italy border, Italian border ...
, it had a population of 164,308 in 2019,Populations légales 2019: 04 Alpes-de-Haute-ProvenceINSEE which makes it the 94th most populated French department. Alpes-de-Haute-Provence's main cities are
Digne-les-Bains
Digne-les-Bains (; Occitan: ''Dinha dei Banhs''), or simply and historically Digne (''Dinha'' in the classical norm or ''Digno'' in the Mistralian norm), is the prefecture of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte ...
( prefecture), Manosque
Manosque (; Provençal Occitan: ''Manòsca'' in classical norm or ''Manosco'' in Mistralian norm) is the largest town and commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. However, it is not the ''préfecture'' (capital) ...
, Sisteron
Sisteron (; , oc, label= Mistralian norm, Sisteroun; from oc, label=Old Occitan, Sestaron) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, southeastern France.
Sisteron is situated on the banks of the r ...
, Barcelonnette
Barcelonnette (; oc, Barciloneta de Provença, also ; obsolete it, Barcellonetta) is a commune of France and a subprefecture in the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It is located in the souther ...
, Castellane
Castellane (; Provençal: ''Castelana'') is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. With about 1,600 inhabitants, Castellane has the distinction of being the least-populated sub-prefecture of France.
Its inh ...
and Forcalquier
Forcalquier (; oc, Forcauquier, ) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.
Forcalquier is located between the Lure and Luberon mountain ranges, about south of Sisteron and west of the Durance river. ...
. Inhabitants are called the ''Bas-Alpins'' (masculine) or ''Bas-Alpines'' (feminine) in reference to the department's former name, Basses-Alpes, which was in use until 1970. Although the prefecture is Digne-les-Bains, the largest city is Manosque. Alpes-de-Haute-Provence's INSEE and postal code is 04.
Geography
The departmental can be divided into three zones depending on the terrain, climate, population and economy: *the plateaux, hills and valleys of Haute-Provence, which comprise one-third of the area but two-thirds of the population and the most important cities of the department with almost all of the economic activity apart from mountain tourism. The valley of theDurance
The Durance (; ''Durença'' in the Occitan classical norm or ''Durènço'' in the Mistralian norm) is a major river in Southeastern France. A left tributary of the Rhône, it is long. Its drainage basin is .Ubaye
The Ubaye (; oc, Ubaia) is a river of southeastern France. It is long and flows through the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department. Its drainage basin is .Verdon (upstream of Colmars-les-Alpes) where the economy is built around mountain tourism (skiing). In the Haute-Ubaye, the mountain peaks exceed 3000 m above sea level and all the passes are close to or above 2000 m in altitude. In this part of the department is one of the highest roads in Europe: the main road D64 reaches an altitude of 2802 m near the
The main river is the
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is subdivided into 4
Col de la Bonette
Col de la Bonette (el. ) is a high mountain pass in the French Alps, near the border with Italy. It is situated within the Mercantour National Park on the border of the departments of Alpes-Maritimes and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. The road over the ...
(2715 m) and connects the region of Barcelonnette
Barcelonnette (; oc, Barciloneta de Provença, also ; obsolete it, Barcellonetta) is a commune of France and a subprefecture in the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It is located in the souther ...
to the Tinée and Vésubie
The Vésubie is a river in the southeast of France. It is a left tributary of the Var in the Maritime Alps. It is long. Its drainage basin is .
valleys.
The relief of the land compartmentalises the region: the enclosed valleys are difficult to access, so dividing the country into as many local areas which communicate very little with the outside. In 1877, 55 communes only had access to trails or mule paths.
The seismic hazard is moderate (zone 3) to medium (zone 4) with different faults such as the Durance located in the department.
The main cities are Manosque
Manosque (; Provençal Occitan: ''Manòsca'' in classical norm or ''Manosco'' in Mistralian norm) is the largest town and commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. However, it is not the ''préfecture'' (capital) ...
, Digne-les-Bains
Digne-les-Bains (; Occitan: ''Dinha dei Banhs''), or simply and historically Digne (''Dinha'' in the classical norm or ''Digno'' in the Mistralian norm), is the prefecture of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte ...
, Sisteron
Sisteron (; , oc, label= Mistralian norm, Sisteroun; from oc, label=Old Occitan, Sestaron) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, southeastern France.
Sisteron is situated on the banks of the r ...
, Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban, Oraison, Forcalquier
Forcalquier (; oc, Forcauquier, ) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.
Forcalquier is located between the Lure and Luberon mountain ranges, about south of Sisteron and west of the Durance river. ...
, Les Mées, Pierrevert, Villeneuve, Sainte-Tulle, Gréoux-les-Bains
Gréoux-les-Bains (; Provençal Occitan: ''Greù'') is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. Best known for its Château des Templiers, the town is on the right ba ...
, Barcelonnette
Barcelonnette (; oc, Barciloneta de Provença, also ; obsolete it, Barcellonetta) is a commune of France and a subprefecture in the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It is located in the souther ...
and Castellane
Castellane (; Provençal: ''Castelana'') is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. With about 1,600 inhabitants, Castellane has the distinction of being the least-populated sub-prefecture of France.
Its inh ...
.
Hydrology
The main river is the Durance
The Durance (; ''Durença'' in the Occitan classical norm or ''Durènço'' in the Mistralian norm) is a major river in Southeastern France. A left tributary of the Rhône, it is long. Its drainage basin is .A51 autoroute
The A51 autoroute is a partly completed motorway in southeast France. It is the long-term project to connect Marseille to Grenoble via Aix-en-Provence, the Durance Valley and the Hautes-Alpes department.
Route
The motorway passes the cities of A ...
and the railway main line. Almost all of the department is in the watershed of the Durance except for the extreme south-east (the cantons of Annot
Annot (; oc, Anòt) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France.
The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Annotains'' or ''Annotaines''
The commune has been aw ...
and Entrevaux) which are drained by the Var.
The main tributaries of the Durance in the department are the Ubaye
The Ubaye (; oc, Ubaia) is a river of southeastern France. It is long and flows through the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department. Its drainage basin is .Bléone
The Bléone (; oc, Blèuna) is a long river in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence ''département'', southeastern France. Its drainage basin is .Asse
Asse () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. It comprises the towns of Asse proper, Bekkerzeel, Kobbegem, Mollem, Relegem and Zellik. Asse is also situated in the Pajottenland. As of 2020, Asse had a total ...
, the Verdon on the left bank, the Buëch
The Buëch ( ), Occitan ''Bueg'' () is a river in southeastern France, a right tributary of the Durance. It is long. Its drainage basin is .Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
degrading by altitude and latitude. In fact, while in the lower valleys and flat lands of Haute-Provence an inland Mediterranean climate prevails, by contrast in the hills it is more mixed with the valley of the Ubaye characteristic of the inner Alps, with a marked continentality: winters are very harsh with stormy summers. In between, the two influences mingle in the area of the Lower Alps. The characteristics of both climate trends are found throughout the department to a greater or lesser extent:
*dry air and little fog (less than 20 days per year)
*infrequent rainfall (less than 90 days per year) but heavy (650 to 1500 mm per year)
*frequent thunderstorms in the mountains in summer
*High sunshine hours in all seasons (2550 to 2850 hours per year)
*high thermal amplitudes, diurnal (over 10 °C) and annual (18 °C)
*fresh and bright winters
*very hot summers barely tempered by altitude.
Haute-Provence is therefore very interesting for European astronomers looking for a partly cloudy night sky and untouched by light pollution. Many amateur observatories have been built and the Observatoire de Haute-Provence is one of the largest observatories in continental Europe. It is an active astronomy research centre.
Demographics
The population was once fairly evenly distributed in the territory, including in the mountainous areas where mountain agriculture was well developed. From the middle of the 19th century, however, it began to decline due to a strongrural exodus
Rural flight (or rural exodus) is the migratory pattern of peoples from rural areas into urban areas. It is urbanization seen from the rural perspective.
In industrializing economies like Britain in the eighteenth century or East Asia in the ...
. There were more than 150,000 inhabitants in 1850 but it fell to less than 100,000 after the First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...
. It was not until 1960 that the trend changed upwards quite strongly from less than 90,000 in 1954 to nearly 140,000 in 1999 and 162,565 in 2016. However, if this figure is close to the number of inhabitants the department had 150 years earlier, the distribution and activity of the population are very different. The population is now concentrated in the valley of the Durance and the South West of the department, and agriculture employs less than ever before. Services, mainly tourism and local services, is now the main industry.
The population of the department is sightly similar to Guam
Guam (; ch, Guåhan ) is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. It is the westernmost point and territory of the United States (reckoned from the geographic ce ...
.
The department has never really developed: in 1870 there were 27 small mines (one lead
Lead is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metals, heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale of mineral hardness#Intermediate ...
, four oil shale
Oil shale is an organic-rich fine-grained sedimentary rock containing kerogen (a solid mixture of organic chemical compounds) from which liquid hydrocarbons can be produced. In addition to kerogen, general composition of oil shales constitu ...
and 22 lignite).
A departmental resort
According to the general census of the population, 32.8% of available housing in the department are second homes.A very dense and very uneven settlement
The department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is one of the least densely populated of France with barely more than 20 inhabitants per km2. The population is concentrated mainly in the valleys of the Durance, the Bléone (up to Digne) and the nearby flat lands. The rest of the department is sparsely populated (less than 10 inhabitants per km2 over most of the territory). 83 (42%) of the communes have less than 200 inhabitants, 9 communes have less than 50 and many villages have been abandoned. The towns are small: onlyDigne-les-Bains
Digne-les-Bains (; Occitan: ''Dinha dei Banhs''), or simply and historically Digne (''Dinha'' in the classical norm or ''Digno'' in the Mistralian norm), is the prefecture of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte ...
and Manosque
Manosque (; Provençal Occitan: ''Manòsca'' in classical norm or ''Manosco'' in Mistralian norm) is the largest town and commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. However, it is not the ''préfecture'' (capital) ...
approach or exceed 20,000 people. The arrondissement of Barcelonnette is the least populated arrondissement in France and the only one in France with less than 10,000 inhabitants. The city of Castellane
Castellane (; Provençal: ''Castelana'') is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. With about 1,600 inhabitants, Castellane has the distinction of being the least-populated sub-prefecture of France.
Its inh ...
is the smallest sub-prefecture in France.
Among the 15 cantons in the department, 5 have a resident population of less than 10,000 inhabitants: Barcelonnette
Barcelonnette (; oc, Barciloneta de Provença, also ; obsolete it, Barcellonetta) is a commune of France and a subprefecture in the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It is located in the souther ...
, Castellane
Castellane (; Provençal: ''Castelana'') is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. With about 1,600 inhabitants, Castellane has the distinction of being the least-populated sub-prefecture of France.
Its inh ...
, Riez
Riez (; Provençal: ''Riés'') is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.
Geography
The densely built village sits where two small rivers join—the Auvestre and the Colostre—in a glacially wide ...
, Seyne, and Valensole
Valensole (; Occitan: ''Valençòla'') is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the southeastern Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France. Its inhabitants are called Valensolais (masculine) and Valensolaises (feminine). ...
.
The ten most populous communes are:
In contrast, the three communes with less than 20 inhabitants in 2019 were Archail (14 inhabitants), Saint-Martin-lès-Seyne
Saint-Martin-lès-Seyne (, literally ''Saint-Martin near Seyne''; Vivaro-Alpine: ''Sant Martin de Sèina'') is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. With 13 inhabitants (as of 2019), it is the second lea ...
(13 inh.) and Majastres (4 inh.).
History
''Basses-Alpes'' was one of the 83 original departments created during theFrench Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...
on 4 March 1790 under the Act of 22 December 1789.
On 12 August 1793, the department of Vaucluse
Vaucluse (; oc, Vauclusa, label=Provençal or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.Bouches-du-Rhône
Bouches-du-Rhône ( , , ; oc, Bocas de Ròse ; "Mouths of the Rhône") is a department in Southern France. It borders Vaucluse to the north, Gard to the west and Var to the east. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the south. Its prefecture and l ...
, Drôme, and Basses-Alpes. Basses-Alpes lost the canton of Sault to Vaucluse at this point. Seventeen years later, in 1810, the canton of Barcillonnette
Barcillonnette (; oc, Barciloneta de Vitròla) is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Hautes-Alpes department
The following is a list of the 162 communes of the Hautes-Alp ...
was transferred over to Hautes-Alpes
Hautes-Alpes (; oc, Auts Aups; en, Upper Alps) is a department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. It is located in the heart of the French Alps, after which it is named. Hautes-Alpes had a population of 141,22 ...
.
The department of Basses-Alpes was occupied by fascist Italy from November 1942 to September 1943.
On 13 April 1970, During the Cold War, the department of Basses-Alpes was renamed to Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.
Here is an unflattering excerpt from an article called "Basse Alpes" from the Atlas Larousse published at the beginning of the 20th century:
''"Scattered whitish rocks stand out like bones, a thin topsoil where bushes languish, some mountain flowers and stunted trees ... these mountains form almost everywhere a dreadful desert which will not have more inhabitants: this is the Sahara
, photo = Sahara real color.jpg
, photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972
, map =
, map_image =
, location =
, country =
, country1 =
, ...
without the sun of Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
, with the snows of Siberia
Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part o ...
."'' (P. Joanne).
''"On these steep slopes deforestation and flooding have resulted in a lack of fertile soil and agriculture has been the most miserable. There is a small harvest of wheat
Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeolog ...
, wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are ...
in small quantities (but good), and truffles
A truffle is the fruiting body of a subterranean ascomycete fungus, predominantly one of the many species of the genus ''Tuber''. In addition to ''Tuber'', many other genera of fungi are classified as truffles including '' Geopora'', '' Pezi ...
in large numbers. In the southern part, which has the climate of Provence, there are olive trees
The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ' ...
, mulberry trees, and orange trees
"Orange Trees" is a song by Welsh singer and songwriter Marina from her fourth studio album, ''Love + Fear'' (2019). The song was released for digital download and streaming as the album's third single on 22 March 2019 by Atlantic Records. It w ...
. Aromatic plants abound, and there are 250,000 beehives. Manosque
Manosque (; Provençal Occitan: ''Manòsca'' in classical norm or ''Manosco'' in Mistralian norm) is the largest town and commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. However, it is not the ''préfecture'' (capital) ...
because its location is by far the second largest city of the department (with 5,500 inhabitants). Near Manosque are the lignite and gypsum
Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula . It is widely mined and is used as a fertilizer and as the main constituent in many forms of plaster, blackboard or sidewalk chalk, and dr ...
mines. Despite a fairly active trade in olive oil, wine and raw silk, this department is also one of the least populated."'' (Larousse Illustrated Atlas, Printing Larousse, Paris, 1900).
Heraldry
Administrative division
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is subdivided into 4 arrondissement
An arrondissement (, , ) is any of various administrative divisions of France, Belgium, Haiti, certain other Francophone countries, as well as the Netherlands.
Europe
France
The 101 French departments are divided into 342 ''arrondissements'' ...
s, 15 cantons and 198 communes
An intentional community is a voluntary residential community which is designed to have a high degree of social cohesion and teamwork from the start. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political, religious, ...
.
Ancient communes and changes to the administrative divisions of the communes
Therural exodus
Rural flight (or rural exodus) is the migratory pattern of peoples from rural areas into urban areas. It is urbanization seen from the rural perspective.
In industrializing economies like Britain in the eighteenth century or East Asia in the ...
of the 19th and 20th centuries has had a significant impact on the population of towns: some were completely or almost completely abandoned by their inhabitants which led to the disappearance of fifty communes since the creation of the department. Some villages still exist and sometimes gave their name to a new commune created by mergers (e.g. La Mure-Argens
La Mure-Argens is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
*Department (administra ...
) and others are nothing more than a pile of stones (like Levens in the commune of Majastres). They are sometimes listed on maps (e.g. Bédejun in the commune of Chaudon-Norante). At its formation, the department had 270 communes (262 after changing the limits of the department) but it is now 198. Apart from eight communes which were attached either to Hautes-Alpes
Hautes-Alpes (; oc, Auts Aups; en, Upper Alps) is a department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. It is located in the heart of the French Alps, after which it is named. Hautes-Alpes had a population of 141,22 ...
(the three communes of the Barcillonnette canton, or to Vaucluse
Vaucluse (; oc, Vauclusa, label=Provençal or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.canton of Sault
The canton of Sault is a French former administrative division in the department of Vaucluse and region Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had 3,374 inhabitants (2012).Arrondissement of Barcelonnette: 20 communes, 4 cantons
* Arrondissement of Castellane: 48 communes, 6 cantons
* Arrondissement of Digne-les-Bains: 87 communes, 9 cantons
* Arrondissement of Forcalquier: 51 communes, 6 cantons
*Arrondissement of Sisteron (former): 50 communes, 5 cantons
in total 256 towns and 30 townships.
;Special cases of mergers and changes in municipal boundaries:
*some communes have chosen a name without historical connection, e.g.
In the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department agriculture has had a very important place in the economy but the food-producing polyculture has given way to a much more specialized agriculture oriented around fruit,
File:Digne Gassendi et cathédrale Saint-Jérôme.jpg,
Les tomates à la Provençale
from Manosque *
''La Marseillaise''
All three have a local edition. Weekly Newspaper: ''Haute Provence info'' Free Newspapers:''
''J'y Vais Provence''
a bimonthly journal. Cultural information and portraits of artists of the department.
jy
This free cultural news site was launched in January 2011. There are more than 200 cultural events in the department every week. A free bimonthly magazine is associated with the website providing close-ups of artists and events in the region. Distributed to 4,000 copies in town halls, tourist offices and shops, it is to this day the strongest support media for the department. *Verdon Info: Information on the area ''Pays Asses-Verdon-Vaïre-Var'' ( Arrondissement of Castellane).
Prefecture website
*
Departmental Council website
Abbeys in the Alps
(fr. with translator) *
SPLAF Detailed information in French
Sisteron guide
*
Department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04) The accounts of the Communes and groupings
– Individual and Consolidated data "Principle Budget and annexes" *
Website for Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Basses-Alpes
well documented and illustrated (anecdotes, personalities) *
''Robbery in the Basses-Alpes...''
by Abbot Maurel (1899). Text online. *
''The Plague of 1720 in the Basses-Alpes''
by Abbot Maurel (1908). Text online. *
Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
*
Visit to the Valley of La Blanche, Seyne-les-Alpes and nearby villages
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alpes-De-Haute-Provence States and territories established in 1790 1790 establishments in France Departments of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Val-de-Chalvagne
Val-de-Chalvagne (, literally ''Vale of Chalvagne''; oc, Vau de Chalvanha) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. It was established in 1974 by the merger of the former communes Castellet-Saint-Cassien, M ...
formed by the merger of three communes (Castellet-Saint-Cassian, Montblanc and Villevieille)
*some communes have absorbed a large number of others – such was the case of Digne and Castellane
Castellane (; Provençal: ''Castelana'') is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. With about 1,600 inhabitants, Castellane has the distinction of being the least-populated sub-prefecture of France.
Its inh ...
with seven towns merged: Villars-Brandis, Taloire, Eoulx, Taulane, Chasteuil, and Castillon when creating the namesake
Also some other noteworthy atypical cases:
*merger then separation: Archail and Draix
Draix (; oc, Drais) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department
The following is a list of the 198 communes of the Alpes-de-Haute ...
then split between Saint-Martin-les-Eaux and Manosque
Manosque (; Provençal Occitan: ''Manòsca'' in classical norm or ''Manosco'' in Mistralian norm) is the largest town and commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. However, it is not the ''préfecture'' (capital) ...
*merger with one commune then another: ''Aurent'' (merged with Braux then Castellet-lès-Sausses)
*a first merger of two communes followed by a merger with another commune: Peyresq with ''La Colle-Saint-Michel'' (under the name of ''Saint-Michel-Peyresq''), the new entity was then merged with Thorame-Haute
*merged communes but not adjacent: ''Le Poil'' merged with Senez
Senez is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.
Ecclesiastical history
Marcellus I, the first known bishop of Senez, attended the Council of Agde in 506 CE; nevertheless, Senez must have been an episcopal ...
.
There are still some cases of communal associations since 1973 (some have also gone more or less quickly in favour of a "simple aggregation"). For example, La Mure-Argens
La Mure-Argens is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and military
*Department (administra ...
with Argens enjoying this status (with the Mayor delegated specifically for Argens, a city hall annex and an electoral district).
Politics
Departmental Council of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
In the 2021 departmental election, the Departmental Council of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence was elected as follows: The department has an electoral tradition markedly old left. There are strong republican traditions such as the number of Political clubs during theFrench Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...
and the resistance to the coup of Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A neph ...
in 1851. The tradition of the left is also manifested in rural areas since all cantons devoted to agriculture very early showed an inclination to vote for Republican candidates. The installation of the large chemical plant at Saint-Auban
Saint-Auban (; oc, Sant Auban; it, Sant'Albano sull'Esterone) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Govern ...
also had a favorable effect on the vote for the left (see below) and has been a breeding ground for the political organization of the left in the department by the trade union movement. The power station at Sainte-Tulle also supplied many activists to leftist organizations.
Exceptions in the department: the alpine areas of Barcelonnette
Barcelonnette (; oc, Barciloneta de Provença, also ; obsolete it, Barcellonetta) is a commune of France and a subprefecture in the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It is located in the souther ...
and the upper valley of the Verdon, both territories of emigration but also with a garrison of Chasseurs Alpins
The ''chasseurs alpins'' ( en, Alpine Rangers) are the elite mountain infantry force of the French Army. They are trained to operate in mountainous terrain and in urban warfare.
History
France created its own mountain corps in the late 19th ...
in the first. These areas, deeply Catholic, have long opted for elected conservatives – one of the most famous being the former Minister of the Third Republic, Paul Reynaud
Paul Reynaud (; 15 October 1878 – 21 September 1966) was a French politician and lawyer prominent in the interwar period, noted for his stances on economic liberalism and militant opposition to Germany.
Reynaud opposed the Munich Agreement of ...
. A definition of the political choices of the county population is often translated as: the higher the altitude rises, the more the popular vote looks to the right.
Since the end of the First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fig ...
the department has been most often depicted, both by the Senate and the National Assembly, as an electoral issue of either the PCF or, especially, the socialist movement – the SFIO
The French Section of the Workers' International (french: Section française de l'Internationale ouvrière, SFIO) was a political party in France that was founded in 1905 and succeeded in 1969 by the modern-day Socialist Party. The SFIO was fou ...
or the PS, or by the radical left.
A landmark of the Resistance during the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, at Liberation the department deeply changed is roots to the left, a change that has not really been challenged since. A change, which may be temporary however, was recorded in 2007 when, for the first time in local political history, a right-wing deputy elected in the previous election (in 2002) was re-elected to the National Assembly. The other seat is occupied by the President of the Departmental Council, Jean-Louis Bianco
Jean-Louis Bianco (born 12 January 1943) is a French politician and civil servant who served as Minister of Social Affairs and Integration from 1991 to 1992 and Minister of Equipment, Transport and Housing from 1992 to 1993 under President Fra ...
, a former minister with François Mitterrand
François Marie Adrien Maurice Mitterrand (26 October 19168 January 1996) was President of France, serving under that position from 1981 to 1995, the longest time in office in the history of France. As First Secretary of the Socialist Party, ...
. In the Senate, the department is represented by Claude Domeizel, a former Socialist Mayor of Volx.
François Mitterrand
François Marie Adrien Maurice Mitterrand (26 October 19168 January 1996) was President of France, serving under that position from 1981 to 1995, the longest time in office in the history of France. As First Secretary of the Socialist Party, ...
won the majority of votes of the inhabitants of the department in 1974, 1981, and 1988 although in the last two cases it was 53% of the vote. In 1995, Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac (, , ; 29 November 193226 September 2019) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. Chirac was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988, as well as ...
was leading the second round of the presidential election with just over 52% but less than the national score. In 2002 it was Jean Marie Le Pen
Jean Louis Marie Le Pen (, born 20 June 1928) is a French far-right politician who served as President of the National Front from 1972 to 2011. He also served as Honorary President of the National Front from 2011 to 2015.
Le Pen graduated from ...
who topped the first round. Finally, in 2007, Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa (; ; born 28 January 1955) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2007 to 2012.
Born in Paris, he is of Hungarian, Greek Jewish, and French origin. Mayor of Neuilly-sur-Sei ...
, who reached the top in the first round, with nearly 30% of the votes, gained 53.2% in the second round.
In European referendums, the department has voted "No" during the consultation on the Maastricht Treaty
The Treaty on European Union, commonly known as the Maastricht Treaty, is the foundation treaty of the European Union (EU). Concluded in 1992 between the then-twelve member states of the European Communities, it announced "a new stage in the p ...
at 51.6% (majority of 2238 votes) and "No" during the consultation on the European Constitutional Treaty at 60.3% (majority 16,575 votes).
Members of the National Assembly
Both of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence's seats in theNational Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the rep ...
changed hands in the 2022 legislative election with the 1st constituency lost by the New Democrats' Delphine Bagarry to Christian Girard of National Rally
The National Rally (french: Rassemblement National, ; RN), until 2018 known as the National Front (french: link=no, Front National, ; FN), is a far-rightAbridged list of reliable sources that refer to National Rally as far-right:
Academic:
* ...
and the 2nd lost by LREM's Christophe Castaner
Christophe Castaner (; born 3 January 1966) is a French politician, former minister of parliament, and former Minister of the Interior from 16 October 2018 to 6 July 2020. In 2017, he was elected for a 3 year term as chairman (''délégué géné ...
to Léo Walter
Léo Walter (born 14 April 1972 in Amiens) is a French politician from La France Insoumise. He is the deputy for Alpes-de-Haute-Provence's 2nd constituency in the National Assembly of France, elected
in the 2022 French legislative election.
...
of La France insoumise
La France Insoumise (FI or LFI; ; "France Unbowed") is a left-wing populist political party in France, launched in 2016 by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, then a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and former co-president of the Left Party (PG). It ai ...
.
Economy
The department has, by its own characteristics (mountainous and low population), a character marked by a relatively weak industrial base and a move towards the creation of jobs in the areas of trades and services. Thus, according to the survey on labour needs by ASSEDIC, most of the jobs available are now from the professions of sociocultural and sports activities (1031 offers listed out of 4752 total in the department), hotel (968 offers), cleaning (438 offers), catering (345 offers). Of all these offers at least three-quarters were for seasonal jobs. However, significant changes in the sociological situation of the department are to be expected from the implementation of theITER
ITER (initially the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, ''iter'' meaning "the way" or "the path" in Latin) is an international nuclear fusion research and engineering megaproject aimed at creating energy by replicating, on Ear ...
project at the mouth of the Durance valley.
Primary sector
In the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department agriculture has had a very important place in the economy but the food-producing polyculture has given way to a much more specialized agriculture oriented around fruit, cereal
A cereal is any grass cultivated for the edible components of its grain (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis), composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran. Cereal grain crops are grown in greater quantities and provide more foo ...
s and high value added products (honey
Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...
, perfume
Perfume (, ; french: parfum) is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agreeable scent. ...
s, and essential oils
An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the o ...
, cosmetics
Cosmetics are constituted mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either natural sources, or synthetically created ones. Cosmetics have various purposes. Those designed for personal care and skin care can be used to cleanse or protec ...
, olive
The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...
s, and wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are ...
).
The cultivated species are temperate species, especially those at higher altitude, and Mediterranean species at low altitude. The production is of a wide variety. In recent years, an increase in the cultivation of lavender
''Lavandula'' (common name lavender) is a genus of 47 known species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is native to the Old World and is found in Cape Verde and the Canary Islands, and from Europe across to northern and east ...
has emerged, particularly in the area of Saint-André-les-Alpes
Saint-André-les-Alpes (; oc, Sant Andrieu) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Government and mil ...
.
The utilised agricultural area is 165,809 hectares mostly devoted to farming activities such as grass meadows for over 96,000 hectares.
According to the agricultural census of 2000, the department has 2,947 farms, more than the 1,500 farms under the previous census carried out twelve years previously. The average farm size has increased from 32 to 56 hectares.
This is an area of arboriculture
Arboriculture () is the cultivation, management, and study of individual trees, shrubs, vines, and other perennial woody plants. The science of arboriculture studies how these plants grow and respond to cultural practices and to their envir ...
particularly along the Durance, which is the main farming area in terms of number of farms (829 in total).
It is followed by the crop sector (mostly grain) with 740 farms with the rest in the livestock sector.
One of the characteristics of the department is that there are 614 farms devoted to breeding animals other than cattle. These are for the breeding of sheep
Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated sh ...
and goats
The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...
, including the production of milk used for cheese making under Appellation d'origine contrôlée
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical bo ...
(AOC) for Banon cheese
Banon is a List of French cheeses, French cheese made in the region around the town of Banon, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Banon in Provence, south-east France.
Also known as Banon à la feuille, it is an unpasteurized cheese made from goat's milk a ...
.
The winemakers of Pierrevert also have an appellation d'origine contrôlée
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical bo ...
(AOC) ranking for their production.
The Alpes de Hautes-Provence department is a region where 49.1% of the area is forested or 343,691 hectares, with an average rate of 39.4% for the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. The National Office of Forests (ONF) manages 86,000 hectares. The main species exploited are Scots pine
''Pinus sylvestris'', the Scots pine (UK), Scotch pine (US) or Baltic pine, is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae that is native to Eurasia. It can readily be identified by its combination of fairly short, blue-green leaves and or ...
, black pine, larch
Larches are deciduous conifers in the genus ''Larix'', of the family Pinaceae (subfamily Laricoideae). Growing from tall, they are native to much of the cooler temperate northern hemisphere, on lowlands in the north and high on mountains furt ...
, pubescent oak (or white oak), and beech
Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engl ...
. Fir
Firs (''Abies'') are a genus of 48–56 species of evergreen coniferous trees in the family Pinaceae. They are found on mountains throughout much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. The genus is most closely related to ...
and spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' (), a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal ( taiga) regions of the Earth. ''Picea'' is the sole genus in the sub ...
are less common. The 2003 heat wave caused the decline of many species of trees, consequently accelerating the return of Mediterranean oaks, alder
Alders are trees comprising the genus ''Alnus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The genus comprises about 35 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, a few reaching a large size, distributed throughout the north temperate zone with a few sp ...
s and linden.
Industry
Industry is relatively small in terms of business establishments but has several relatively large companies. At the end of 2004 the department had 937 establishments with 17 exceeding fifty employees. This is particularly the case of the historic plant atSaint-Auban
Saint-Auban (; oc, Sant Auban; it, Sant'Albano sull'Esterone) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department
Department may refer to:
* Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility
Govern ...
(the Arkema
Arkema S.A. is a publicly listed, multi-national manufacturer of specialty materials, headquartered in Colombes, near Paris, France. It has three specialty materials segments (or divisions); adhesives, advanced materials and coatings. A further ...
factory formerly Elf-Atochem), the Sanofi
Sanofi S.A. is a French Multinational corporation, multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company headquartered in Paris, France. Originally, the corporation was established in 1973 and merged with Synthélabo in 1999 to form Sanofi-Synthà ...
of Sisteron factory (north of Saint-Auban), and Manosque (L'Occitane factory). Some more specialized factories (olive oil, perfumes, wines) produce products with high added value.
At the end of 2006, according to ASSEDIC data, the industrial sector employed 4,261 employees in the department, or a little over 14% of private sector employees.
In the Chemistry sub-sector there are 1,761 employees and agribusiness has 1,205 employees: these are the two main divisions.
The chemical sector includes segments of: pharmacy (Sanofi factory, cited above, with more than 650 employees), basic chemistry (Arkema factory, with more than 500 employees), and cosmetics with more than 450 people.
The industrial sector has lost nearly 400 jobs since 2001 particularly from downsizing at Arkema and despite the good financial health of Total S.A. which owns it. This may change with the implementation of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor
ITER (initially the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, ''iter'' meaning "the way" or "the path" in Latin) is an international nuclear fusion research and engineering megaproject aimed at creating energy by replicating, on Ear ...
(ITER).
The Building sector and public works account for 1,387 active establishments with more than half (758) institutions without any employees (artisans established their behalf). In late 2006, the sector employed more than 3,900 employees including nearly 1,500 in the public works sector particularly driven by the completion of major infrastructure (motorway A51 and others).
Tertiary
After the depopulation caused by the rural exodus, the department pioneeredagritourism
Agritourism or agrotourism involves any agriculturally based operation or activity that brings visitors to a farm or ranch.
Types
A 2018 article published in the ''Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development'' classified a ...
in the 1950s although it is no longer the leader in France in this field. Approximately 120 farms offer tourist activities (accommodation, catering or leisure), with 70 certified.
The tertiary sector includes very different enterprises.
Commercial activities have undergone considerable change, and had in 2004 2,473 establishments but with 1,396 (over 56%) with no employees.
In late 2006, however, this sector employed 6,478 people in more than 1,000 establishments. Employee headcounts have risen sharply since 2001 as there have been a total of 627 additional jobs (more than 10% of the workforce) since that date.
The number of employees is about 22% of the workforce employed in the private sector.
This has resulted from the development, particularly in the cities of Manosque and Digne, of major retail shopping areas. Nearly 1,600 employees in the services sector are employed there.
Service activities cover a total of 7,322 institutions in late 2004 with 4,323 (over 59%) with no employees.
It is this sector, however which has the largest number of establishments with more than 50 employees – 96 establishments.
At the end of 2006, this sector employed, among others, 1,141 employees in the transport sector, 3,425 employees in business services, and more than 4,000 in the field of services to individuals.
These sectors are evolving and increasing their activities.
The positive migration flow for the department often originates from the arrival of retired households, due in particular to the significant increase in numbers of elderly and home care services.
The transport sector created sixty additional jobs but it was especially the service sector enterprises and service to individuals (e.g. health and social activity) experienced a dramatic and significant growth.
The health sector has substantially increased its importance in the economy with over a thousand more jobs, especially in the segments of short-term care-giving and maintenance, with nearly 850 related jobs.
This is largely explained by the fact that the major industrial companies in the department, such as companies in the construction sector, use temporary workers, instead of hiring full-time.
In the canton of Volonne, where Saint-Auban is, the reduction in industrial jobs (160 jobs lost on the Arkema work site) is partially offset by the increase in temporary employment (100 additional jobs ).
Similarly, in Manosque, the first city of the department in terms of employment, and sustainable development (2,000 more jobs in five years), the increase in temporary jobs has been spectacular – reaching 400 jobs. These jobs are in, among other things, the cosmetics industry, the construction industry and public works, and retail. Large retail chains in the city prefer this mode of hiring to permanent staff.
In the field of health and social activities, there has been significant job creation also with 760 more jobs, bringing to 13% the share of employees in the sector in terms of total private employment.
This increase is particularly in hospitality and accommodation with nearly a thousand employees, an increase of about 150 jobs since 2001, while the area of home care now employs 741 employees instead of 457 five years earlier.
Finally, note that voluntary work, with nearly 1,000 jobs offered, is also present in the department.
Tourism
The area's scenery provides the background to many activities and sights. Eleven villages have been classified as having special architectural character, including: * The town ofManosque
Manosque (; Provençal Occitan: ''Manòsca'' in classical norm or ''Manosco'' in Mistralian norm) is the largest town and commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. However, it is not the ''préfecture'' (capital) ...
, known for the birthplace and home of famed Provençal writer Jean Giono
Jean Giono (30 March 1895 – 8 October 1970) was a French writer who wrote works of fiction mostly set in the Provence region of France.
First period
Jean Giono was born to a family of modest means, his father a cobbler of Piedmontese descent a ...
* The town of Sisteron
Sisteron (; , oc, label= Mistralian norm, Sisteroun; from oc, label=Old Occitan, Sestaron) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, southeastern France.
Sisteron is situated on the banks of the r ...
, with its ancient citadel and narrow streets
* The Verdon Gorge
The Verdon Gorge (French: ''Gorges du Verdon'') is a river canyon located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. It is about 25 km (15.5 mi) long and up to 700 metres (0.4 mi) deep. It was formed by the ...
, dubbed Europe's Grand Canyon
* Digne-les-Bains
Digne-les-Bains (; Occitan: ''Dinha dei Banhs''), or simply and historically Digne (''Dinha'' in the classical norm or ''Digno'' in the Mistralian norm), is the prefecture of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte ...
, a hot-spa town
* Moustiers-Sainte-Marie
Moustiers-Sainte-Marie (; oc, Mostiers Santa Maria), or simply Moustiers, is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. In 2017, it had a population of 709. It conside ...
, known for its pottery
* Forcalquier Cathedral
Forcalquier Cathedral, now the Church of Notre-Dame-du-Bourguet (french: Concathédrale Notre-Dame-du-Bourguet de Forcalquier; Église Notre-Dame-du-Bourguet), is a former Roman Catholic cathedral, and a national monument of France, located in ...
In summer many aerial sports use the surrounding mountains such as gliding
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word ''soaring'' is ...
, hang gliding
Hang gliding is an air sport or recreational activity in which a pilot flies a light, non-motorised foot-launched heavier-than-air aircraft called a hang glider. Most modern hang gliders are made of an aluminium alloy or composite frame covere ...
and paragliding
Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched Glider (aircraft), glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a :wikt:harness, harness o ...
. In winter there is extensive skiing at eleven ski resorts.
Digne-les-Bains
Digne-les-Bains (; Occitan: ''Dinha dei Banhs''), or simply and historically Digne (''Dinha'' in the classical norm or ''Digno'' in the Mistralian norm), is the prefecture of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte ...
, The prefecture of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department
File:Vue forcalquier 2402.JPG, Forcalquier
Forcalquier (; oc, Forcauquier, ) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.
Forcalquier is located between the Lure and Luberon mountain ranges, about south of Sisteron and west of the Durance river. ...
File:Sisteron (2452199561).jpg, Sisteron
Sisteron (; , oc, label= Mistralian norm, Sisteroun; from oc, label=Old Occitan, Sestaron) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, southeastern France.
Sisteron is situated on the banks of the r ...
File:Rocher de la Baume (2450672419).jpg, Rocher de La Baume
File:Moustiers Sainte Marie 1.jpg, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie
Moustiers-Sainte-Marie (; oc, Mostiers Santa Maria), or simply Moustiers, is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. In 2017, it had a population of 709. It conside ...
File:Gorges du Verdon 2010.jpg, Verdon Gorge
The Verdon Gorge (French: ''Gorges du Verdon'') is a river canyon located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. It is about 25 km (15.5 mi) long and up to 700 metres (0.4 mi) deep. It was formed by the ...
File:Chambeyron-lac du marinet.jpg, The Aiguille de Chambeyron
Aiguille de Chambeyron (3,412m) is a mountain of the Cottian Alps and is the highest mountain of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence in southeast France. Together with its neighbour Brec de Chambeyron, it is the dominant peak of the upper Ubaye Valley. The m ...
and the Marinet Lake in the Ubaye Valley The Ubaye Valley is an area in the Alpes de Haute-Provence ''département'', in the French Alps, having approximately 7,700 residents. Its residents are called ''Ubayens''. Its principal town is the ''sous-préfecture'' of Barcelonnette.
350p ...
Gastronomy
Famous dishes from the commune:Les tomates à la Provençale
from Manosque *
Black Pudding
, type =
, course =
, place_of_origin = Great Britain and Ireland
, region =England, Ireland, Scotland
, associated_cuisine = United Kingdom and Ireland
, creator =
, year =
, mintime =
, maxtime =
, served = Hot, occasionally ...
traditionally cooked with leeks
The leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of '' Allium ampeloprasum'', the broadleaf wild leek (syn. ''Allium porrum''). The edible part of the plant is a bundle of leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a stem or stalk. The genus ''Alliu ...
*Scrambled eggs with truffles from Riez
Riez (; Provençal: ''Riés'') is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.
Geography
The densely built village sits where two small rivers join—the Auvestre and the Colostre—in a glacially wide ...
*''Pattes a la main de Fours''
*Sisteron Lamb
* Pierrevert wine (AOC since 1997)
*Lavender Honey
*Banon cheese
Banon is a List of French cheeses, French cheese made in the region around the town of Banon, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Banon in Provence, south-east France.
Also known as Banon à la feuille, it is an unpasteurized cheese made from goat's milk a ...
*Génépi
''Génépi'' or génépy () or ''genepì'' (in Italian) is a traditional herbal liqueur or aperitif popularized in the Alpine regions of Europe. ''Genepi'' also refers to alpine plants of the genus '' Artemisia'' (commonly called ''wormwood' ...
from the Ubaye Valley The Ubaye Valley is an area in the Alpes de Haute-Provence ''département'', in the French Alps, having approximately 7,700 residents. Its residents are called ''Ubayens''. Its principal town is the ''sous-préfecture'' of Barcelonnette.
350p ...
* Pieds paquets from Sisteron
*Henri Bardouin de Forcalquier Liqueur
A liqueur (; ; ) is an alcoholic drink composed of spirits (often rectified spirit) and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-aged bey ...
s.
Local media
Print Media
Daily newspapers: ''La Provence
''La Provence'' is a French language daily newspaper published in Marseille, France.
History and profile
In 1997 ''La Provence'' was created in Marseille from the merger of two daily newspapers, '' Le Provençal'' of former Interior Minister Ga ...
'', '' le Dauphine Libere'', an''La Marseillaise''
All three have a local edition. Weekly Newspaper: ''Haute Provence info'' Free Newspapers:''
''J'y Vais Provence''
a bimonthly journal. Cultural information and portraits of artists of the department.
Local radio
*''Alpes 1'' (based atGap, Hautes-Alpes
Gap (, ) is the prefecture of the Hautes-Alpes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. In 2019, the commune had a population of 40,631, making it the most populated city in Hautes-Alpes. At a height of 750 ...
), transmits to the regions of Digne-les-Bains, Sisteron, Barcelonnette and Allos
*''Durance FM'' (based at Reillane), transmits in the regions of Manosque, Digne-les-Bains, and Sisteron
*''Fréquence Mistral'' (based in Manosque), transmits in the regions of Manosque, Digne-les-Bains, Sisteron, and Castellane
*''Grimaldi FM'' (based in Puget-Théniers
Puget-Théniers (; oc, Lo Puget Tenier; it, Poggetto Tenieri) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
Geography
It is situated on in the valley of the Var.
History
It was part of the historic County of Nice ...
(Alpes-Maritimes)) transmits to the cantons of Annot and Entrevaux
*''LÃ la radio'' (based at Gap (Hautes-Alpes)) transmits to the regions of Allos, Barcelonnette, and Colmars-les-Alpes
*''Radio Oxygène'' (based in Fréjus
Fréjus (; ) is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. In 2019, it had a population of 54,458.
It neighbours Saint-Raphaël, effectively forming one urban agglomeration. The north ...
(Var)), transmits in the regions of Barcelonnette and Val d'Allos;
*''Radio Star'' (based in Marseille
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fran ...
(Bouches-du-Rhône)), transmits in the regions of Manosque, Digne-les-Bains, and Sisteron
*''Radio Verdon'' (based in Saint-Julien-le-Montagnier (Var)), transmits to the regions of Manosque and Castellane
*''Radio Zinzine'' (based at Limans
Limans is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department
The following is a list of the 198 communes of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence dep ...
), funded by the ''Longo Maï cooperative'', transmits to the areas of Manosque, Digne-les-Bains, Sisteron, and Forcalquier.
Local TV
*''Télévision Locale Provence'' (TLP) is available throughTNT
Trinitrotoluene (), more commonly known as TNT, more specifically 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and by its preferred IUPAC name 2-methyl-1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, is a chemical compound with the formula C6H2(NO2)3CH3. TNT is occasionally used as a reage ...
channel 30 in the area of Manosque and Val de Durance, by satellite in the FRANSAT package, by Internet on ADSL Orange, SFR/Neuf, ''Numéricâble'' in Avignon and its region (soon to be Free)
Website
*'jy
This free cultural news site was launched in January 2011. There are more than 200 cultural events in the department every week. A free bimonthly magazine is associated with the website providing close-ups of artists and events in the region. Distributed to 4,000 copies in town halls, tourist offices and shops, it is to this day the strongest support media for the department. *Verdon Info: Information on the area ''Pays Asses-Verdon-Vaïre-Var'' ( Arrondissement of Castellane).
Infrastructure
Road network
Many roads in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence are narrow and winding due to terrain. These natural conditions make access to certain parts of the department rather difficult, especially in winter, and particularly the communes in the Arrondissements of Barcelonnette and Castellane. They are therefore quite isolated from the rest of the department and the region. National Highway N85 betweenDigne-les-Bains
Digne-les-Bains (; Occitan: ''Dinha dei Banhs''), or simply and historically Digne (''Dinha'' in the classical norm or ''Digno'' in the Mistralian norm), is the prefecture of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte ...
and Castellane
Castellane (; Provençal: ''Castelana'') is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. With about 1,600 inhabitants, Castellane has the distinction of being the least-populated sub-prefecture of France.
Its inh ...
passes through several narrow gorges including that of ''Taulanne'' which is especially narrow.
Rail network
There are several railway lines in Alpes de Haute-Provence. These are: *the Chemins de Fer de Provence line (known as the Train des pignes) from Nice – Digne *two lines of the SNCF: **the Lyon-Perrache – Marseille-Saint-Charles (via Grenoble) line **the Saint-Auban – Digne line (service provided by coaches) is now abandoned. It formed the junction between the Train des Pignes and the Lyon-Marseille lines. A project to reopen the line is being studied and included in the planning between the State and Region. Old abandoned lines: *the Volx – Forcalquier line *the Volx – Cavaillon line *the Chorges – Barcelonnette line (never opened)Notable people associated with the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department
Scientists
*''Pierre Gassendi
Pierre Gassendi (; also Pierre Gassend, Petrus Gassendi; 22 January 1592 – 24 October 1655) was a French philosopher, Catholic priest, astronomer, and mathematician. While he held a church position in south-east France, he also spent much ti ...
'' (1592 at Champtercier – 1655), mathematician, philosopher, theologian and astronomer.
*''Jean Solome'' (1674–1752), historian from Moustiers-Sainte-Marie
Moustiers-Sainte-Marie (; oc, Mostiers Santa Maria), or simply Moustiers, is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. In 2017, it had a population of 709. It conside ...
*''Prior Laurensi'' (1719–1808), historian.
*''Jean Marc Gaspard Itard
Jean Marc Gaspard Itard (24 April 1774, Oraison, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence – 5 July 1838, Paris) was a French physician born in Provence. He is perhaps best known for his work with Victor of Aveyron.
Biography
Itard, without a university ...
'' (1774 at ''Oraison'' – 1838), a famous doctor for his work on the case of the Feral child
A feral child (also called wild child) is a young individual who has lived isolated from human contact from a very young age, with little or no experience of human care, social behavior, or language. The term is used to refer to children who h ...
, Victor of Aveyron
Victor of Aveyron (; c. 1788 – 1828) was a French feral child who was found at the age of around 9. Not only is he considered the most famous feral child, but his case is also the most documented case of a feral child. Upon his discovery, he wa ...
, and pioneer of the ear, nose and throat speciality
*''Jean Aimé Édouard de Laplane'' (1774–1870), historian from Sisteron
Sisteron (; , oc, label= Mistralian norm, Sisteroun; from oc, label=Old Occitan, Sestaron) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, southeastern France.
Sisteron is situated on the banks of the r ...
*''Simon-Jude Honnorat'' (1783 at Allos
Allos (; oc, Alòs) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France.
Allos is a high mountain commune in the southern Alps. The commune experienced a significant rural exo ...
– 1852), physician, naturalist, regional linguist
*''Elzéard Gras-Bourget'' (1788–1860) Judge and historian
*''Father Jean-Joseph-Maxime Feraud'' (1810 at Riez
Riez (; Provençal: ''Riés'') is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.
Geography
The densely built village sits where two small rivers join—the Auvestre and the Colostre—in a glacially wide ...
– 1897), historian
*'' Alphonse Eugene Beau'' called ''Beau de Rochas'' (1815 at Digne-les-Bains – 1893) thermodynamics engineer, inventor of the four-stroke engine, and turbine engine
*''Dr. Antoine Ollivier'' (1823 – ?), a medical doctor and archaeologist from Ubaye
The Ubaye (; oc, Ubaia) is a river of southeastern France. It is long and flows through the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department. Its drainage basin is .Pierre-Gilles de Gennes
Pierre-Gilles de Gennes (; 24 October 1932 – 18 May 2007) was a French physicist and the Nobel Prize laureate in physics in 1991.
Education and early life
He was born in Paris, France, and was home-schooled to the age of 12. By the age of ...
'' (1932–2007), Nobel prize in physics in 1991. Spent his childhood in Barcelonnette
Barcelonnette (; oc, Barciloneta de Provença, also ; obsolete it, Barcellonetta) is a commune of France and a subprefecture in the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It is located in the souther ...
Artists
;Painters *''Eugene Martel'' (1869 atRevest-du-Bion
Revest-du-Bion is a Communes of France, commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Departments of France, department in southeastern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department
References
Communes ...
– 1947)
*''Raoul Dufy
Raoul Dufy (; 3 June 1877 – 23 March 1953) was a French Fauvist painter. He developed a colorful, decorative style that became fashionable for designs of ceramics and textile as well as decorative schemes for public buildings. He is noted ...
'' (1877–1953 at Forcalquier
Forcalquier (; oc, Forcauquier, ) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.
Forcalquier is located between the Lure and Luberon mountain ranges, about south of Sisteron and west of the Durance river. ...
)
*''Serge Fiorio'' (1911–2011), born in Switzerland, died at Viens, Vaucluse, he settled in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence in 1947
*''Paul Martin'' (1830–1903) and his son Étienne Martin (1856–1945). Naturalist painters and botanists
;Singers / Musicians
*''Albertet de Sisteron
Albertet de Sestaro, sometimes called Albertet de Terascon ( fl. 1194–1221), was a Provençal jongleur and troubadour from the Gapençais (''Gapensés'' in Occitan). Of his total oeuvre, twenty three poems survive. "Albertet" or "Albertetz" ...
'' (1194–1221), troubadour
*''Jean-Philippe Argento'' (1972 at Digne-les-Bains – )
*''Damien Saez
Damien Saez (; born August 1, 1977) or just Saez, is a French singer-songwriter and musician.
Biography
Early life
Damien Saez was born in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, Savoie, on 1 August 1977, where he lived until the age of three or four years ...
'' (1977– )
;Others
*''Joseph Olérys'', Faience
Faience or faïence (; ) is the general English language term for fine tin-glazed pottery. The invention of a white pottery glaze suitable for painted decoration, by the addition of an oxide of tin to the slip of a lead glaze, was a major ad ...
r of the 18th century
*''Jean Daviot'' (1962 at Digne-les-Bains – ), visual artist
*''Bernar Venet
Bernar Venet (born 20 April 1941) is a French conceptual artist.
Early life
Bernar Venet was born to Jean-Marie Venet, a school teacher and chemist, and Adeline Gilly and was the youngest of four boys. He was brought up in Château-Arnoux-Sain ...
'' (1941 at Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban), visual artist
;Fictional Characters
*''Elzéard Bouffier
''The Man Who Planted Trees'' (French title: ''L'homme qui plantait des arbres'') is a short story published in 1953 by French author Jean Giono. An allegorical tale, it tells the story of one shepherd's long and successful single-handed effort ...
'', the shepherd in ''The Man Who Planted Trees'' by Jean Giono
Jean Giono (30 March 1895 – 8 October 1970) was a French writer who wrote works of fiction mostly set in the Provence region of France.
First period
Jean Giono was born to a family of modest means, his father a cobbler of Piedmontese descent a ...
Other historical figures
;Military *''Joseph de Richery
Rear-Admiral Joseph de Richery (13 September 1757 in Allons, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence – 1798 in Allons) was a French naval officer.
Career
He distinguished himself in the French Navy in the American Revolutionary War. From 1781 until 1785 he ...
'' (1757 at Allons – 1798 at Eoulx) Rear Admiral who distinguished himself during the wars of the Revolution
In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...
*'' Pierre Charles Silvestre de Villeneuve'' (1763 at Valensole
Valensole (; Occitan: ''Valençòla'') is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the southeastern Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France. Its inhabitants are called Valensolais (masculine) and Valensolaises (feminine). ...
– 1806), admiral of the French fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval battle, naval engagement between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy, French and Spanish Navy, Spanish Navies during the War of the Third Coalition (August–De ...
*''Louis Alexis Desmichels'' (1779 at Digne – 1845), an officer of the First Empire, General
*''Paul Touvier
Paul Claude Marie Touvier (3 April 1915 – 17 July 1996) was a French Nazi collaborator during World War II in Occupied France. In 1994, he became the first Frenchman ever convicted of crimes against humanity, for his participation in the Holo ...
'' (1915 at Saint-Vincent-sur-Jabron
Saint-Vincent-sur-Jabron (; oc, Sant Vincenç de Jabron) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department
The following is a list of t ...
– 1996), leader of the Milice
The ''Milice française'' (French Militia), generally called ''la Milice'' (literally ''the militia'') (), was a political paramilitary organization created on 30 January 1943 by the Vichy regime (with German aid) to help fight against the F ...
in Lyon
Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of ...
, the first Frenchman condemned for crimes against humanity
*''Bruno Dary
Bruno Dary (born 21 December 1952 in Barcelonnette, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence) is a Général d'armée of the French Army and Commandant of the Foreign Legion.
Général Dary is the 136th Military governor of Paris (french: Gouverneur militai ...
'' (1952 at Barcelonnette – ), Military governor of Paris
The Military governor of Paris is a post within the French Army. He commands the garrison of Paris and represents all the military based in Paris at high state occasions. He is also responsible (subordinate to the President of France) for organiz ...
;Political and financial
*'' Jacques-Antoine Manuel'' (1775 at Barcelonnette – 1827), fourth deputy (MP) under the Bourbon Restoration Bourbon Restoration may refer to:
France under the House of Bourbon:
* Bourbon Restoration in France (1814, after the French revolution and Napoleonic era, until 1830; interrupted by the Hundred Days in 1815)
Spain under the Spanish Bourbons:
* Ab ...
*''Hippolyte Fourtoul'' (1811 Digne – 1856), Minister of Education under the Second Empire
*The ''Brothers Arnaud'' originators of the Ubayens emigration movement to Mexico and Louisiana in the 19th and early 20th century
*''André Honnorat'' (1868–1950), originally from Allos
Allos (; oc, Alòs) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France.
Allos is a high mountain commune in the southern Alps. The commune experienced a significant rural exo ...
and Barcelonnette
Barcelonnette (; oc, Barciloneta de Provença, also ; obsolete it, Barcellonetta) is a commune of France and a subprefecture in the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It is located in the souther ...
, Minister of Public Education and Fine Arts in 1920
*''Paul Reynaud
Paul Reynaud (; 15 October 1878 – 21 September 1966) was a French politician and lawyer prominent in the interwar period, noted for his stances on economic liberalism and militant opposition to Germany.
Reynaud opposed the Munich Agreement of ...
'' (1878 at Barcelonnette – 1966), former President of the Council of Ministers
The President of the Council of Ministers (sometimes titled Chairman of the Council of Ministers) is the most senior member of the cabinet in the executive branch of government in some countries. Some Presidents of the Council of Ministers are t ...
(1940)
*''Henri Laugier'' (1888 at Mane
Mane may refer to:
* Mane (horse), the line of hair along the spine of the neck
* Mane (lion), the hair found around the male mammal's neck
In arts and entertainment
* ''Mane'' (film) is a 1990 Kannada language film directed by Girish Kasaravall ...
– 1973), Deputy Secretary General of the UN
*''Jean-Louis Bianco
Jean-Louis Bianco (born 12 January 1943) is a French politician and civil servant who served as Minister of Social Affairs and Integration from 1991 to 1992 and Minister of Equipment, Transport and Housing from 1992 to 1993 under President Fra ...
'' (1943 – ), deputy for Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and president of the department's general council
Sports
;Motor Sports *''Jean Rolland'' (1935 at Digne – 1967), racing driver *''Jean-Michel Bayle
Jean-Michel Bayle (born 1 April 1969) is a French former professional motorcycle racer. He was one of the most successful riders of his era, achieving success at the highest levels in both motocross and road racing.
Biography
Born in Manosque, ...
'' (1969 at Manosque – ) motocross champion
*'' Mickael Maschio'' (1973 at Digne – ), French motocross driver
;Footballers
*'' René Gallice'' (1919 at Forcalquier – 1999), former professional soccer player
*'' Alain Boghossian'' (1970 at Digne – ), former professional soccer player, world champion in 1998, assistant coach of the French football team since 2008.
;Skiers
*''Honoré Bonnet'' (1919–2005) coach of the French ski team at the 1968 Winter Olympics
*''Carole Merle
Carole Merle (; born 24 January 1964) is a former French Alpine skier. A specialist of Giant Slalom and Super-G, she won 22 World Cup races, 6 World Cup season titles and 1 World Championship gold medal.
Skiing career
A native of , a ski resort ...
'' (1964 at Sauze), the most successful French skier in the history of the World Cup
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...
;Cyclists
*'' Édouard Fachleitner'', (1921–2008), racing cyclist called the Shepherd from Manosque
*''Julien El Fares
Julien El Fares (born 1 June 1985) is a French former professional road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2008 and 2021 for the , , , and teams. During his career, he took three professional wins: the first stage of the 2009 Tirr ...
'' (1985 at Manosque – ) cyclist.
;Rugby Players
*''Grégory Bernard'', (1984 at Digne – ), second line at Auch
Auch (; oc, label= Gascon, Aush ) is a commune in southwestern France. Located in the region of Occitanie, it is the capital of the Gers department. Auch is the historical capital of Gascony.
Geography
Localization
Hydrography
The R ...
Philosophers, poets, writers
*'' Alphonse Rabbe'' (1786 atRiez
Riez (; Provençal: ''Riés'') is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.
Geography
The densely built village sits where two small rivers join—the Auvestre and the Colostre—in a glacially wide ...
– 1830), romantic poet in prose, ''Album of a pessimist''
*''Paul Arène
Paul-Auguste Arène (26 June 1843 – 17 December 1896) was a Provençal poet and French writer.
Biography
Arène was born in Sisteron, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, the son of Adolphe, a clockmaker, and Reine, a cap presser. He studied in Marseille, ...
'' (1843 at Sisteron
Sisteron (; , oc, label= Mistralian norm, Sisteroun; from oc, label=Old Occitan, Sestaron) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, southeastern France.
Sisteron is situated on the banks of the r ...
– 1896) writer and poet
*''Lazarine Negro'' (1848–1899), a poet from Manosque
Manosque (; Provençal Occitan: ''Manòsca'' in classical norm or ''Manosco'' in Mistralian norm) is the largest town and commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. However, it is not the ''préfecture'' (capital) ...
, a member of Félibrige
The ''Félibrige'' (; in classical Occitan, in Mistralian spelling, ) is a literary and cultural association founded in 1854 by Frédéric Mistral and other Provençal writers to defend and promote the Occitan language (also called the ) and ...
*'' Elemir Bourges'' (1852 at Manosque
Manosque (; Provençal Occitan: ''Manòsca'' in classical norm or ''Manosco'' in Mistralian norm) is the largest town and commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. However, it is not the ''préfecture'' (capital) ...
– 1925), novelist, member of the Académie Goncourt
The Société littéraire des Goncourt (Goncourt Literary Society), usually called the Académie Goncourt (Goncourt Academy), is a French literary organisation based in Paris. It was founded in 1900 by the French writer and publisher Edmond de G ...
*''Alexandra David-Neel
Alexandra () is the feminine form of the given name Alexander (, ). Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb (; meaning 'to defend') and (; GEN , ; meaning 'man'). Thus it may be roughly translated as "defender of man" or "pr ...
'' (1868–1969), explorer and Franco-Belgian writer, a resident of Digne in 1926 until his death in 1969
*''Germaine Waton Ferry'' (1885 at Riez
Riez (; Provençal: ''Riés'') is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.
Geography
The densely built village sits where two small rivers join—the Auvestre and the Colostre—in a glacially wide ...
– 1956), poet, member of Félibrige
The ''Félibrige'' (; in classical Occitan, in Mistralian spelling, ) is a literary and cultural association founded in 1854 by Frédéric Mistral and other Provençal writers to defend and promote the Occitan language (also called the ) and ...
*''Alexandre Arnoux'' (1884–1973), novelist, playwright
*''Maria Borrely'' (1890 at Puimoisson
Puimoisson (; Provençal dialect, Provençal: ''Puegmeisson'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Departments of France, department in southeastern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Alpes-de-Haute-Prov ...
– 1963), novelist
*'' Regis Messac'' (1893–1945), writer
*''Jean Giono
Jean Giono (30 March 1895 – 8 October 1970) was a French writer who wrote works of fiction mostly set in the Provence region of France.
First period
Jean Giono was born to a family of modest means, his father a cobbler of Piedmontese descent a ...
'' (1895 at Manosque
Manosque (; Provençal Occitan: ''Manòsca'' in classical norm or ''Manosco'' in Mistralian norm) is the largest town and commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. However, it is not the ''préfecture'' (capital) ...
– 1970), writer
*''Jean Proal'' (1904 at Seyne-les-Alpes – 1969), writer
*''Pierre Magnan'' (1922 at Manosque
Manosque (; Provençal Occitan: ''Manòsca'' in classical norm or ''Manosco'' in Mistralian norm) is the largest town and commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. However, it is not the ''préfecture'' (capital) ...
– 2012), writer
*''Cécile Sauvage'' (1883–1927), poet, lived in Digne
*'' Felicien Champsaur'' (1858 at Turriers
Turriers () is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.
Since 2016, it has been designated a key village in the UNESCO Geopark of Haute Provence because of its outstanding geological features, its rich biodi ...
– 1934), writer
*''Pierre Martel'' (1923–2001), founder of ''Alpes de Lumiere'' (Alpine Lights)
*''Pierre Bottero'' (1964 at Barcelonnette
Barcelonnette (; oc, Barciloneta de Provença, also ; obsolete it, Barcellonetta) is a commune of France and a subprefecture in the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It is located in the souther ...
– 2009), writer
Miscellaneous
;Religious *''Tulle de Manosque'' (?-430), daughter ofEucherius of Lyon
Eucherius (c. 380c. 449) was a high-born and high-ranking ecclesiastic in the Christian church in Roman Gaul. He is remembered for his letters advocating extreme self-abnegation. From 439, he served as Archbishop of Lyon, and Henry Wace ranked h ...
*'' Fauste de Riez'' (408–495), bishop and theologian of free will
*'' Mayeul de Cluny'' (906 at Valensole
Valensole (; Occitan: ''Valençòla'') is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the southeastern Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France. Its inhabitants are called Valensolais (masculine) and Valensolaises (feminine). ...
– 994). Fourth abbot of Cluny.
*''John of Matha
John of Matha (1160–1213) was a Christian saint of the 12th century and founder of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity, dedicated to ransoming Christians who had been captured by marauders from North Africa (cf. Barbary corsairs).
Background
...
'' (1160 at Faucon-de-Barcelonnette – 1215), priest, founder of the Trinitarian Order
, logo = Trynitarze.svg
, logo_size = 150px
, logo_caption = Flag of the Trinitarians
, image = Signumordinis.gif
, image_size = 200px
, caption = Mosaic of Jesus Christ us ...
to recover prisoners of the Saracens
upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens
Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia Pe ...
*''Jacques Chastan'' (1803 at Marcoux – 1839), priest of Foreign Missions Society
;People in the news
*'' Jack Cecil Drummond'' (1891–1952), assassinated at Lurs
Lurs () are an Iranian people living in the mountains of western Iran. The four Luri branches are the Bakhtiari, Mamasani, Kohgiluyeh and Lur proper, who are principally linked by the Luri language.
Lorestan Province is named after the Lurs ...
with his wife and daughter which triggered the Dominici affair
;Others
The families ''Simiane'', ''Agoult'', and ''Ponteves'', nobles of Provence
Learned societies and associations
*'' Société scientifique et littéraire des Alpes-de-Haute-Provence'', founded in 1878 by Father Jean-Joseph-Maxime Feraud *''Alpes de Lumière'', a nonprofit organization founded in 1953 by Pierre Martel and state-approved *''Proserpine'', a non-profit association founded in 1993 in order to know and protect the butterflies of Haute-Provence. Manages the butterfly garden (insects release) at Digne-les-Bains. *''Sabença de la Valeia'' is a learned society from the Ubaye Valley. It researches, studies and disseminates everything about the valley.Movies and TV films made in the department
(TV films in Italics) *1925: ''Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.
In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...
'' by Henri Fescourt
Henri Fescourt (23 November 1880 – 9 August 1966) was a French film director. He directed some 40 films in his career.
Filmography
* 1912 : '' Un vol a été commis''
* 1912 : '' Le Petit restaurant de l'impasse Canin''
* 1912 : '' Paris-Sa ...
with Gabriel Gabrio
Gabriel Gabrio (born Édouard Gabriel Lelièvre; 13 January 1887 – 31 October 1946) was a French stage and film actor whose career began in cinema in the silent film era of the 1920s and spanned more than two decades. Gabrio is possibly best re ...
*1934: ''Les Misérables
''Les Misérables'' ( , ) is a French historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published in 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century.
In the English-speaking world, the novel is usually referred to by its original ...
'' by Raymond Bernard
Raymond Bernard (10 October 1891 – 12 December 1977) was a French film director and screenwriter whose career spanned more than 40 years. He is best remembered for several large-scale historical productions, including the silent films '' Le Mi ...
with Harry Baur
Harry Baur (12 April 1880 – 8 April 1943) was a French actor.
Initially a stage actor, Baur appeared in about 80 films between 1909 and 1942. He gave an acclaimed performance as the composer Ludwig van Beethoven in the biopic ''Beethoven's Gr ...
*1953: '' La Route Napoléon'' by Jean Delannoy
Jean Delannoy (12 January 1908 – 18 June 2008) was a French actor, film editor, screenwriter and film director.
Biography
Although Delannoy was born in a Paris suburb, his family was from Haute-Normandie in the north of France. He was a P ...
with Pierre Fresnay
Pierre Fresnay (4 April 1897 – 9 January 1975) was a French stage and film actor.
Biography
Born Pierre Jules Louis Laudenbach, he was encouraged by his uncle, actor Claude Garry, to pursue a career in theater and film. He joined the company a ...
*1958: '' L'Eau vive'' by François Villiers
Fran̤ois Villiers (2 March 1920 Р29 January 2009) Chevalier of the Legion of Honor was a French film director. He was responsible for several films, from ''Hans le marin'' in 1949, to ''Manika, une vie plus tard'', in 1989, which won the ...
with Pascale Audret
*1960: ''Crésus'' by Jean Giono
Jean Giono (30 March 1895 – 8 October 1970) was a French writer who wrote works of fiction mostly set in the Provence region of France.
First period
Jean Giono was born to a family of modest means, his father a cobbler of Piedmontese descent a ...
with Fernandel
Fernand Joseph Désiré Contandin (8 May 1903 – 26 February 1971), better known as Fernandel, was a French actor and singer. Born near Marseille, France, to Désirée Bedouin and Denis Contandin, originating in Perosa Argentina, an Occitan ...
*1970: ''La Maison des bories'' by Jacques Doniol-Valcroze
Jacques Doniol-Valcroze (; 15 March 1920 Р6 October 1989) was a French actor, critic, screenwriter, and director. In 1951, Doniol-Valcroze was a co-founder of the renowned film magazine ''Cahiers du cin̩ma'', along with Andr̩ Bazin and J ...
with Marie Dubois
Marie Dubois (born Claudine Lucie Pauline Huzé; 12 January 1937 – 15 October 2014) was a Parisian-born French actress.
Career
She studied at l'École de la rue Blanche (ENSATT) and made her film debut in 1959, first gaining notice the next ...
, Maurice Garrel
Maurice Garrel (24 February 1923 – 4 June 2011) was a French film actor.
Garrel was born in Saint-Servais, Isère. He appeared in over a hundred films and was nominated twice for a César Award for best supporting actor: in 1991 for '' L ...
, Mathieu Carrière
Mathieu Carrière (; born 2 August 1950) is a German actor.
Life
Carrière grew up in Berlin and Lübeck; he attended the Jesuit boarding school in Vannes, France, a school which had previously been attended by the director of Carrière's fi ...
, and Marie-Véronique Maurin
*1973: ''L'Affaire Dominici'' by Claude Bernard-Aubert with Jean Gabin
Jean Gabin (; 17 May 190415 November 1976) was a French actor and singer. Considered a key figure in French cinema, he starred in several classic films including '' Pépé le Moko'' (1937), '' La grande illusion'' (1937), ''Le Quai des brumes'' ...
, Victor Lanoux, and Gérard Darrieu
Gérard Darrieu (1925–2004) was a French actor.
Selected filmography
*1950: '' Three Telegrams'' (directed by Henri Decoin) - Jeune dragueur
*1951: ''Juliette, or Key of Dreams'' - Un prisonnier (uncredited)
*1951: ''Boîte de nuit'' - Le gr ...
*1981: '' Les Babas Cool'' by François Leterrier with Christian Clavier, Marie-Anne Chazel, and Anémone
Anne Bourguignon (; 9 August 1950 – 30 April 2019), known professionally as Anémone (), was a French actress, filmmaker and political activist. She took her stage name in 1968 from the title of her film debut in Philippe Garrel's ''Anémone ...
(actress)
*1986: ''Jean de Florette
''Jean de Florette'' () is a 1986 period drama film directed by Claude Berri, based on a novel by Marcel Pagnol. It is followed by '' Manon des Sources''. The story takes place in rural Provence, where two local farmers plot to trick a newcomer o ...
'' by Claude Berri
Claude Berri (; 1 July 1934 – 12 January 2009) was a French film director, writer, producer, actor and distributor.
Early life
Born Claude Beri Langmann in Paris, Berri was the son of Jewish immigrant parents. His mother, Beila (née Bercu), w ...
with Daniel Auteuil
Daniel Auteuil (; born 24 January 1950) is a French actor and director who has appeared in a wide range of film genres, including period dramas, romantic comedies, and crime thrillers. In 1996 he won the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Fest ...
, Gérard Depardieu
Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu, CQ (, , ; born 27 December 1948) is a French actor, filmmaker, businessman and vineyard owner since 1989 who is one of the most prolific thespians in film history having completed over 250 films since 1967 al ...
, and Yves Montand
Ivo Livi (), better known as Yves Montand (; 13 October 1921 – 9 November 1991), was an Italian-French actor and singer.
Early life
Montand was born Ivo Livi in Monsummano Terme, Italy, to Giovanni Livi, a broom manufacturer, Ivo held stron ...
*1988: ''La Maison assassinée'' by Georges Lautner
Georges Lautner (; 24 January 1926 – 22 November 2013) was a French film director and screenwriter, known primarily for his comedies created in collaboration with screenwriter Michel Audiard.
Lautner's ventures into other genres were les ...
with Patrick Bruel
Patrick Benguigui (; born 14 May 1959), better known by his stage name Patrick Bruel (), is a French singer-songwriter, actor and professional poker player.
Biography
Early life
Patrick is the son of Pierre Benguigui and Augusta Kammoun, d ...
*1989: ''Après la guerre'' by Jean-Loup Hubert with Richard Bohringer
Richard Bohringer (born 16 January 1942) is a French actor.
Personal life
Bohringer was born in Moulins, Allier, to a French mother and a German father. He is the father of actress Romane Bohringer, and has three other children, Mathieu, Ric ...
*1995: '' Le Hussard sur le toit'' by Jean-Paul Rappeneau
Jean-Paul Rappeneau (born 8 April 1932) is a French film director and screenwriter.
Career
He started out in film as an assistant and screenwriter collaborating with Louis Malle on '' Zazie dans le métro'' in 1960 and ''Vie privée'' in 1961. ...
with Juliette Binoche
Juliette Binoche (; born 9 March 1964) is a French actress and dancer.
She has appeared in more than sixty feature films and has been the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Silver Bear, ...
, Olivier Martinez
Olivier Martinez (born 12 January 1966)
is a French actor. He became well known after roles in several French films such as '' Un, deux, trois, soleil'' (1993), which garnered him the César Award for "Most Promising Actor", '' The Horseman on ...
, and François Cluzet
François Cluzet (born 21 September 1955) is a French film and theatre actor. Cluzet has collaborated with many important European and American directors, including Claude Chabrol, Bertrand Tavernier, Claire Denis, Agnieszka Holland, Robert Altm ...
*2003: ''L'Affaire Dominici'' by Pierre Boutron with Michel Serrault
Michel Serrault (24 January 1928 – 29 July 2007) was a French stage and film actor who appeared from 1954 until 2007 in more than 130 films.
Life and career
His first professional job was in a touring production in Germany of Molière's '' Les ...
and Michel Blanc
Michel Blanc (born 16 April 1952) is a French actor, writer and director. He is noted for his roles of losers and hypochondriacs. He is frequently associated with Le Splendid, which he co-founded, along with Thierry Lhermitte, Josiane Balasko ...
*2006: ''Les Courriers de la mort'' by Philomène Esposito with Victor Lanoux
*2007: ''C'est mieux la vie quand on est grand'' by Luc Béraud with Daniel Russo
Daniel Russo (born 13 May 1948) is a French film actor, comedian and director.
Theater
Filmography
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Russo, Daniel
1948 births
Living people
Male actors from Marseille
French male film acto ...
*2010: ''Le Sang des Atrides'' by Bruno Gantillon
Bruno Gantillon (born 16 June 1944, in Annemasse), is a French film director and screenwriter.
Filmography
;Assistant director
* 1970 : ''Cannabis'', directed by Pierre Koralnik
;Director
* 1970 : '' Un couple d'artistes''
* 1971 : ''Morga ...
with Victor Lanoux
See also
* Cantons of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department *Communes of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department
The following is a list of the 198 communes of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department of France.
The communes cooperate in the following intercommunalities (as of 2020):Arrondissements of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department
The 4 arrondissements of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Alpes-de-Haute-Provence or sometimes abbreviated as AHP (; oc, Aups d'Auta Provença; ) is a department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France, bordering Alpes-Maritimes and It ...
References
External links
* * *Prefecture website
*
Departmental Council website
Abbeys in the Alps
(fr. with translator) *
SPLAF Detailed information in French
Sisteron guide
*
Department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04) The accounts of the Communes and groupings
– Individual and Consolidated data "Principle Budget and annexes" *
Website for Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Basses-Alpes
well documented and illustrated (anecdotes, personalities) *
''Robbery in the Basses-Alpes...''
by Abbot Maurel (1899). Text online. *
''The Plague of 1720 in the Basses-Alpes''
by Abbot Maurel (1908). Text online. *
Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
*
Visit to the Valley of La Blanche, Seyne-les-Alpes and nearby villages
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alpes-De-Haute-Provence States and territories established in 1790 1790 establishments in France Departments of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur