Barras (; oc, Barràs) is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the

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 pref ...

region of south-eastern

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 area ...

. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Barrasiens'' or ''Barrasiennes''.

Geography

Barras is located some 6 km west of

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-Cô ...

and 14 km south-east 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 rive ...

. The highest point in the commune is the summit of Ruth (1298m). The sole access to the commune is the D17 road which branches from

Route nationale A ''route nationale'', or simply ''nationale'', is a class of trunk road in France. They are important roads of national significance which cross broad portions of the French territory, in contrast to departmental or communal roads which serve m ...

N85 at

Mallemoisson Mallemoisson (; oc, Malameisson) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. Geography The Bléone forms the commune's southern border. Population See also *Communes of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence depar ...

and goes north through the commune and the village and continues north to join the D3 near

Thoard Thoard (; oc, Toard) 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- ...

. Apart from the village there are the hamlets of Les Bourguignons and Les Beauduns. The commune is mostly farmland on a fairly rugged landscape. ''Les Duyes'' stream forms the eastern border of the commune as it flows south to join the

Bléone The Bléone (; oc, Blèuna) is a long river in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence ''département'', southeastern France. Its drainage basin is .Canton of Digne-les-Bains-2 to which Barras belongs is in area 1b (low risk) according to the deterministic classification of 1991 and based on its seismic history and in zone 4 (medium risk) according to the probabilistic classification EC8 of 2011. Barras also faces three other natural hazards:Ministry of Ecology, sustainable development, transport, and lodgings
Communal Notice Barras
on the Gaspar database, consulted on 16 November 2015. *Forest fire, *Flooding (in the Duyes valley) *Landslide: the commune's main concern with an average to high hazard Barras is not exposed to any risk of technological origin identified by the prefecture. There is no plan for prevention of foreseeable natural risks (PPR) for the commune and there is no DICRIM. The commune was the subject of two natural disaster orders in 1994 for floods and mudslides (one order for the winter 1993-1994 and one for autumn).

Toponymy

The locality appears for the first time in texts in 1202 (''Barracio''). According to Charles Rostaing it is from an oronymic (meaning mountain) root ''*BAR''. According to Ernest Negro it comes from the Gallic ''barro'' with the augmentative suffix ''-as''.Albert Dauzat and Charles Rostaing, ''Etymological Dictionary of place names in France'', Larousse, Paris, 1963 The toponym ''La Garde'', above Tournefort, may refer to a fortified settlement of the 9th - 10th century and the name ''Bourguignons'' refers to the name of the people (Burgundians).

History

Ancient times Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient history cov ...

, the Bodiontici populated the Bléone valley and its tributaries as well as the

Gaul Gaul ( la, Gallia) was a region of Western Europe first described by the Romans. It was inhabited by Celtic and Aquitani tribes, encompassing present-day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy (only during ...

s who lived in the current commune of Barras. The Bodiontici were defeated by

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...

at the same time as the other peoples present on the

Tropaeum Alpium The Tropaeum Alpium (Latin 'Trophy of the Alps', French: ''Trophée des Alpes''), is a Roman trophy (''tropaeum'') celebrating the emperor Augustus's decisive victory over the tribes who populated the Alps. The monument's ruins are in La Turbi ...

(before 14 BC.). Barras was attached to the province of Alpes-Maritimes at the time of its creation. An ancient settlement has been found at Saint-Pierre and Chapelier south of the village. The

priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or nuns (such as the Dominicans, Augustinians, Franciscans, and Carmelites), or monasteries of ...

of Ganagobie Abbey existed in the 11th century. In 1070 a person named Féraud donated the fiefdom of Beaucouse (now in the commune of

) to the Abbey of Saint-Victor of Marseille. Most of the territory of Barras was part of this fief so Barras had the Abbey Saint-Victor as lord. At that time there was a large estate (villa) in Saint Domnin where the abbey installed a priory which passed to the

Bishop of Gap The Diocese of Gap and Embrun (Latin: ''Dioecesis Vapincensis et Ebrodunensis''; French: ''Diocèse de Gap et d'Embrun'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southe ...

in the 14th century. The medieval community in Barras was characterized by scattered settlements. It had 37

fires Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition point, flames are pr ...

in 1315. It was heavily depopulated by the crises of the 14th century (the Black Death and the Hundred Years War) and the population was completely eliminated in 1471. The smaller fief of Barras belonged to the counts of Provence until 1297 when Charles II of Naples gave it to a noble family which took the name of the fief (the Barras family). This family lasted until the 19th century and provided many officers such as Jean-Antoine Barras de la Penne (1650-1730) and Jacques Melchior Barras de Saint-Laurent (1719 to 1793). The community of Tournefort was larger than that of Barras in the Middle Ages: it had 48 fires in 1315 but it was also heavily depopulated by the crises of the 14th century and declared uninhabited in 1400 then annexed by Barras in the 15th century. At the same time soldiers seized the castle of Tournefort and threatened the region through their raids and looting. After the successful siege of the castle of

Briançonnet Briançonnet (; oc, Briançonet) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department The following is a list of the 163 communes of the Alpes-Maritimes ...

(during the same uprising), the army from

laid siege to Tournefort castle in 1393 and expelled the brigands. The church was part of the Abbey of Chardavon (currently in the commune of

Saint-Geniez Saint-Geniez (Vivaro-Alpine: ''Sant Giniés'') 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 commu ...

) and the Abbey received the revenues attached to this church. The ''Patriotic Society of Barras'' was created in 1791: it was one of the first in the Lower Alps, probably due to the fact that the parish priest, Jean Gaspard Gassend, was deputy to the ''States General''. It corresponded at that time both with the Jacobin Club and the Feuillants Club. Barras appears as ''Les Barras'' on the 1750 Cassini Map and the same on the 1790 version. The Coup d'état of 2 December 1851 committed by

Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte 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 nephew ...

against the

French Second Republic The French Second Republic (french: Deuxième République Française or ), officially the French Republic (), was the republican government of France that existed between 1848 and 1852. It was established in February 1848, with the February Re ...

provoked an armed uprising in the Lower Alps in defence of the Constitution. After the failure of the uprising harsh repression continued on those who stood up to defend the Republic: 5 inhabitants of Barras were brought before the Joint Committee. As with many communes in the department, Barras had a school well before the

Jules Ferry laws The Jules Ferry Laws are a set of French laws which established free education in 1881, then mandatory and ''laic'' (secular) education in 1882. Jules Ferry, a lawyer holding the office of Minister of Public Instruction in the 1880s, is widely c ...

: in 1863 the school already provided a primary education for boys. By contrast no instruction was given to girls: neither the

Falloux Laws The Falloux Laws promoted Catholic schools in France in the 1850s, 1860s and 1870s. They were voted in during the French Second Republic and promulgated on 15 March 1850 and in 1851, following the presidential election of Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte ...

(1851), which required the opening of a girls' school in communes with more than 800 inhabitants, nor the first Duruy Law (1867), which lowered the threshold to 500 inhabitants, concerned Barras. The second Duruy Act (1877) allowed it, thanks to government subsidies, to build a new school but it was only after the Ferry laws that the village girls were enrolled. Until the middle of the 20th century vines were cultivated in Barras. The wine product was of poor quality and was intended for local consumption. This culture is now abandoned. Similarly, olive trees, grown on small areas in the 19th century up to an altitude of 600 metres and exceptionally up to 700 metres, is now gone.

Heraldry

Administration

List of Successive Mayors

Education

The commune has a primary school.

Demography

In 2017 the commune had 142 inhabitants. The demographic history of Barras, after the decimation in the 14th and 15th centuries and the gradual growth until the beginning of the 19th century, is marked by a period of "slack" where the population remained relatively stable at a high level. This period lasted from 1806 to 1861. The

rural 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 ...

then caused a movement of long-term population decline. In 1926 the town had lost over half of its population compared to the historical peak of 1836. The downward movement was interrupted in the 1980s. Since then the population of Barras overtook the threshold of 150 inhabitants equivalent to half that of 1836.Dossier complet: Commune de Barras (04021)
INSEE

Economy

General overview

In 2017 the active population was 67 people including 5 unemployed. These workers are mostly employees (65%) and mainly work outside the commune (71%).

Agriculture

At the end of 2015 the primary sector (agriculture, forestry) had seven active establishments within the meaning of Insee and no salaried jobs. According to Agreste survey by the Ministry of Agriculture the number of farms increased slightly in the 2000s, going from ten to eleven, mainly sheep and cattle farms. From 1988 to 2000, the utilised agricultural area (UAA) increased sharply from 311 hectares to 1289 while the number of farms fell from 14 to 11. The UAA declined slightly during the past decade, but remains at a high level at 1215 hectares. The commune is included in the scope of the

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 bou ...

''Huile d'olive de Provence AOC'' (Olive oil of Provence AOC).

Service activities

At the end of 2015 the tertiary sector (trade, services) had 7 establishments with 3 employees, to which can be added 4 administrative institutions employing 4 people. According to the Departmental Observatory of Tourism, the tourist function is of secondary importance to the town with less than one tourist received per capita with no facilities at all in the commune. There are 10 second homes in the commune.

Culture and heritage

Religious heritage

The Church of Saint Nicolas (17th century) has a bell tower with arches and two windows above the church. The

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

rises to the roof. The door indicates a date in the 17th century. Its

Retable A retable is a structure or element placed either on or immediately behind and above the altar or communion table of a church. At the minimum it may be a simple shelf for candles behind an altar, but it can also be a large and elaborate structur ...

is decorated with a common theme of the ''Donation pof the Rosary''. The Church contains a Baptismal font (19th century) that is registered as an historical object.Ministry of Culture, Palissy The commune also has three chapels in ruins: *Saint Louis Chapel from 1732 in the village with a small steeple, converted into a henhouse; *Saint Peter's Cemetery Chapel, Romanesque, is the old parish church; *Saint Valentine's Chapel on a hill overlooking the village of

Mirabeau Mirabeau may refer to: People and characters * Mirabeau B. Lamar (1798–1859), second President of the Republic of Texas French nobility * Victor de Riqueti, marquis de Mirabeau (1715–1789), French physiocrat * Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, com ...

, existed in the 17th century, but was in ruins at the end of the 19th century.

Notable people linked to the commune

* Jean Gaspard Gassend, deputy in the ''States General'' of 1789 *

Paul Barras Paul François Jean Nicolas, vicomte de Barras (, 30 June 1755 – 29 January 1829), commonly known as Paul Barras, was a French politician of the French Revolution, and the main executive leader of the Directory regime of 1795–1799. Early ...

(1755-1829), revolutionary, was Viscount of Barras

References

{{authority control Communes of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence