Bayons ( oc, Baion) is a commune in 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 Italy to the east, Var to the south, Vaucluse to the w ...

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 pre ...

region of south-eastern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Bayonnais'' or ''Bayonnaises''.

Geography

Bayons is located in the Massif des Monges some 20 km south by south-east of Gap and 15 km north-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 ...

. Access to the commune is by the D1 road from Clamensane in the west which passes through the commune and the village before continuing north to Turriers. Bayons is situated in a vast

Cirque A (; from the Latin word ') is an amphitheatre-like valley formed by glacial erosion. Alternative names for this landform are corrie (from Scottish Gaelic , meaning a pot or cauldron) and (; ). A cirque may also be a similarly shaped landf ...

surrounded by high mountains, through which the ''Sasse'' flows - exiting through a narrow clue. The commune was formed from the merger of four communes in 1973: Astoin, Bayons, Esparron-la-Bâtie and Reynier. Except for Astoin, the communes joined to Bayons in 1973 are located in parallel valleys perpendicular to the Sasse and downstream from Bayons. The commune is located in a region of mountainous relief and has a Mediterranean climate with challenging features (drought, irregular and heavy rains) as well as a mountain climate (cold with snow in winter). It is traversed by some tumultuous rivers. Agriculture in the area has always been difficult. The population of the four communes peaked in 1836 with 1625 inhabitants but a century and a half later, 90% of this population had been lost due to the rural exodus that began early and had more breadth in these four communes than in the rest of the department. This persuaded the government to propose the merger of the communes which took place on 1 April 1973. Since then the population has almost doubled: farms have been retained sometimes using regional quality labels. The communal economy is based on tourism but the majority of people in the commune work outside.

Geology

The commune is located in the middle of three major geological Alpine formations: *the ''

Nappe In geology, a nappe or thrust sheet is a large sheetlike body of rock that has been moved more than or above a thrust fault from its original position. Nappes form in compressional tectonic settings like continental collision zones or on the o ...

of Digne'' to the east at the tip of the Valavoire lobe: there is a

thrust sheet In geology, a nappe or thrust sheet is a large sheetlike body of rock that has been moved more than or above a thrust fault from its original position. Nappes form in compressional tectonic settings like continental collision zones or on the ...

- i.e. a slab nearly 5000 m thick which was displaced towards the south-west during the

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but t ...

at the end of the formation of the Alps. The lobes (or scales) correspond to the ragged edge west of the nappe; *the Durance fault to the south-west in the valley; *the ''Plateau of Valensole'' to the south-east: a Molassic Basin from the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

and

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58detritic

sedimentary Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the accumulation or deposition of mineral or organic particles at Earth's surface, followed by cementation. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause these particles ...

rocks (deposits related to the erosion of mountains which emerged in the

). During the last two major glaciations: the

Riss glaciation The Riss glaciation, Riss Glaciation, Riss ice age, Riss Ice Age, Riss glacial or Riss Glacial (german: Riß-Kaltzeit, ', ' or (obsolete) ') is the second youngest glaciation of the Pleistocene epoch in the traditional, quadripartite glacial classi ...

and the

Würm glaciation The Würm glaciation or Würm stage (german: Würm-Kaltzeit or ''Würm-Glazial'', colloquially often also ''Würmeiszeit'' or ''Würmzeit''; cf. ice age), usually referred to in the literature as the Würm (often spelled "Wurm"), was the last g ...

, there were many small glaciers in the commune. A glacier occupied the northern slope of the ''Tête des Monges''. During the Riss glaciation, a diffluence from the Durance glacier crossed the ''Col des Sagnes'' and went down to the Sasse valley. The Würm glaciation was less extensive and only reached ''Les Tourniquets''. It was during this glacial period that the

Triassic The Triassic ( ) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.6 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.36 Mya. The Triassic is the first and shortest per ...

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 drywa ...

and

moraine A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris ( regolith and rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a glacier or ice sh ...

s were created that make the terrain unstable in this part of the valley. Another Riss glaciation diffluence reached the top of the Trente Pas torrent but this did not recur during the Würm glaciation.

Relief

Bayons, vallée de Reynier, montagne rouge

Bayons, montagne de Reynier, pente Est (le Défens)

The relief of the commune is mountainous, low, but very compartmentalized making communication difficult. It has partly been shaped by glaciers. The main structural element is the Sasse valley, which drains several basins separated by

Water gap A water gap is a gap that flowing water has carved through a mountain range or mountain ridge and that still carries water today. Such gaps that no longer carry water currents are called wind gaps. Water gaps and wind gaps often offer a prac ...

s. The southernmost of these basins is the former commune of Reynier, semi-circular in shape with the diameter towards the north-east. This diameter is a ridge of mountains rising between 1200 m and 1700 m separating the Reynier basin from the Esparron-la-Bâtie valley. From north to south: *the Pategue (1282 m); *the Charène Ridge; *Colle Ridge; *the Citadelle (1438m); *the Pinée ridge (>1600m); *the Maladrech Ridge (>1700m) to the south-east. Several mountains then define a wide semicircle. On the north side (the side facing Reynier) they slope gently and form green mountain meadows. On the south and west side they form a line of steeper slopes. From east to west and from south to north they are: *the Raus Ridge (1832 m); *the Serrière des Cabanes; *the Clot des Martres Ridge; *the Dormeilleuse Ridge which rises to the Croix Saint-Jean (1826m) when it connects to Jouère mountain; *the Jouère mountain whose peak extends towards the Reynier mountain. This mountain forms a basin to the north, along the Sasse. In the middle of this basin is Le Puy (1367m): another mountain with a ridge in the south and an inclined slope to the north. North of Reynier basin, the Bayons gorge provides access to the upper valley of the Sasse and the Bayons basin. This basin is bounded on the north by a small massif dominated by Pointe d'Eyrolle (1754m) and Grande Gautière (1825m) which opens to several valleys in the east and south: *to the north is the valley where Astoin is located and which communicates with the Turriers basin through a gorge - the Col des Sagnes (1182 m) - and Les Tourniquets; *Trente Pas and Sasse valleys are to the north-east limited by the summits of Terre Grosse (1598m), Tête de Charbonnier (1681m), Tête Grosse (2032m), and Chanau (1885m). Facing Bayons, is l'Oratoire summit (2072 m).Tête Grosse Finally, wedged between the Bayons basin and that of Reynier, is the long valley of Esparron-la-Bâtie Sasse closed off from the Sasse by the ''Rochers de la Lause''. The ridges north of this valley are led to the top of l'Oratoire and are marked by the ''Rocher de l'Aigle'' (1499m) and the ''Rocher du Midi'' (1461m). This valley widens and is closed to the east by the Summit of ''Clot Ginoux'' (also called the ''Cimettes'') (2112m), the summit of Laupie (or Tourtoureau) (2025m), and the summit of Les Monges (2115m).

Hydrography

The commune is traversed by the ''Sasse'', a tributary of 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 . which is formed from many streams and has many tributaries draining the adjacent valleys. On the right bank the Sasse receives: *the stream from the Trente Pas ravine; *the Eau Amère stream which becomes the Clastre when traversing Les Tourniquets; *the Mardaric, which passes at the foot of Bayons; *the Rouinon, whose confluence with the Sasse is between Forest-Lacour and Bédoin. The left bank tributaries of the Sasse are: *the Chabert, a stream 5.5 km long flowing through the Bayons basin; *the Riou de Pont, which drains the Esparron-la-Bâtie valley and, when crossing the Rochers de la Lause, forms a waterfall and becomes the Ruisseau des Tines, a stream 10 km long; *the Reynier, a stream 9.1 km long. In the upper part of the Esparron-la-Bâtie valley is a small lake, Lake Esparron at 1544m, to the east of the Maladrech ridge.

Environment

The town has 5500

hectare The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100- metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre i ...

s of woods and forests or 44% of its area.

Chamois The chamois (''Rupicapra rupicapra'') or Alpine chamois is a species of goat-antelope native to mountains in Europe, from west to east, including the Alps, the Dinarides, the Tatra and the Carpathian Mountains, the Balkan Mountains, the R ...

are endemic in the Massif of Monges but had nearly disappeared from the area in the 1970s as victims of intensive hunting. The National Forests Office (ONF) has created a game reserve in the Haute Combe which includes the reserves of Monges, Hautes-Graves-Ruinon, and Montsérieux. Since the 1980s the species is still hunted but with quotas. The

Mouflon The mouflon (''Ovis gmelini'') is a wild sheep native to Cyprus, the Caspian region from eastern Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran. It is thought to be the ancestor of all modern domestic sheep breeds. Taxonomy ''Ovis gmelini'' was the sc ...

had been exterminated and its presence is due to its reintroduction in early 1990. Two population nuclei are in the commune: in the hunting reserve of the Hautes-Graves-Ruinon and in the Massif des Monges.

Roe Deer The roe deer (''Capreolus capreolus''), also known as the roe, western roe deer, or European roe, is a species of deer. The male of the species is sometimes referred to as a roebuck. The roe is a small deer, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapt ...

had also disappeared since the beginning of the 19th century together with its natural environment the forest. It has returned to the commune from a core reintroduced into the Vançon valley in the 1970s. The presence of the

Alpine marmot The alpine marmot (''Marmota marmota'') is a large ground-dwelling squirrel, from the genus of marmots. It is found in high numbers in mountainous areas of central and southern Europe, at heights between in the Alps, Carpathians, Tatras and No ...

is also mainly due to reintroductions. The

otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes we ...

, which was once present, has disappeared but has not been reintroduced.

Natural and technological risks

None of the 200 communes in the department is in a no seismic risk zone. Bayons 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. Bayons also faces four other natural hazards:Ministry of Ecology, sustainable development, transport, and lodgings
Communal Notice Bayons
on the Gaspar database *Avalanche *Forest fire *Flood *Landslide Bayons 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 has been the subject of orders for natural disasters in 1994 for floods, landslides and mudslides. The worst flooding occurred in 1492 when rains caused the formation of debris flows that destroyed several hamlets and part of the village. This monstrous flood has remained in the annals of the commune. See the History section for details.

Localities and hamlets

In addition to the village, the town includes several hamlets: *Astoin (chief village of a former commune); *Haute Combe; *Basse Combe; *La Rouchaye; *Esparron-la-Bâtie (chief village of a former commune); *Le Pont; *Baudinard; *Le Gayne; *Le Sapie; *Le Forest-Lacour; *Reynier (chief village of a former commune).

Pictures of roads and bridges in the commune

File:Bayons, pont de Reynier.JPG, The Reynier bridge. File:Bayons, les Tourniquets, les lacets vus du haut.JPG, The bends of the D1 crossing a

at les Tourniquets. File:Bayons, route de Reynier et grilles anti-éboulements.JPG , A trap protecting from falling rocks. Bayons, clue de Bayons (D1).JPG, The Bayons water gap.

History

Prehistory and Ancient times

Although ''

Homo heidelbergensis ''Homo heidelbergensis'' (also ''H. sapiens heidelbergensis''), sometimes called Heidelbergs, is an extinct species or subspecies of archaic human which existed during the Middle Pleistocene. It was subsumed as a subspecies of '' H. erectus'' i ...

'' probably inhabited the Monges massif several hundreds of thousands of years ago there is no evidence that they specifically occupied the area of Bayons. The Vitrolles site, 30 km to the west, shows that 11,000 years ago the area was frequented by hunters and gatherers who came in summer then went away to the south. Most of the Durance valleys and the Massif des Monges experienced the

Neolithic Revolution The Neolithic Revolution, or the (First) Agricultural Revolution, was the wide-scale transition of many human cultures during the Neolithic period from a lifestyle of hunting and gathering to one of agriculture and settlement, making an inc ...

when

Mesolithic The Mesolithic ( Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic is often used synonymo ...

societies disappeared and were replaced by

Cardium pottery Cardium pottery or Cardial ware is a Neolithic decorative style that gets its name from the imprinting of the clay with the heart-shaped shell of the '' Corculum cardissa '', a member of the cockle family Cardiidae. These forms of pottery a ...

(6000 BC.) and then by the

Chasséen culture __NOTOC__ Chasséen culture is the name given to the archaeological culture of prehistoric France of the late Neolithic, which dates to roughly between 4500 BC and 3500 BC. The name "Chasséen" derives from the type site near Chassey-le-Camp ( S ...

(4700-3500 BC). The

Lithic core In archaeology, a lithic core is a distinctive artifact that results from the practice of lithic reduction. In this sense, a core is the scarred nucleus resulting from the detachment of one or more flakes from a lump of source material or too ...

found at Thèze was an example of the technical progress in the era: stone tools are no longer cut by impact but by pressure applied on the chosen part. A treasure of Massaliatic

obols The obol ( grc-gre, , ''obolos'', also ὀβελός (''obelós''), ὀβελλός (''obellós''), ὀδελός (''odelós''). "nail, metal spit"; la, obolus) was a form of ancient Greek currency and weight. Currency Obols were u ...

dating from the Gallic period (3rd and 2nd century BC.) was discovered in the commune in 1850. The

romanization Romanization or romanisation, in linguistics, is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, a ...

of Bayons in the following centuries is manifested by constructions at altitude.

Middle Ages

Astoin

The

castrum In the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a po ...

of Astoin was near the mule track connecting Bayons to Turriers. The

Counts of Provence The land of Provence has a history quite separate from that of any of the larger nations of Europe. Its independent existence has its origins in the frontier nature of the dukedom in Merovingian Gaul. In this position, influenced and affected by ...

were lords of Astoin during the 14th and 15th century through the Ayroles and Ancelle families (co-lord of Dromon in 1385). During the crisis caused by the death of Queen

Joanna I of Naples Joanna I, also known as Johanna I ( it, Giovanna I; December 1325 – 27 July 1382), was Queen of Naples, and Countess of Provence and Forcalquier from 1343 to 1382; she was also Princess of Achaea from 1373 to 1381. Joanna was the eldest ...

, Raoux Ancelle, Lord of Astoin, fought with Charles, Duke of Durazzo, against

Louis I of Anjou Louis I, Duke of Anjou (23 July 1339 – 20 September 1384) was a French prince, the second son of John II of France and Bonne of Bohemia. His career was markedly unsuccessful. Born at the Château de Vincennes, Louis was the first of the Ang ...

. The rallying of

to the Angevin cause in November 1385 brought about his change of commitment and he paid

homage Homage (Old English) or Hommage (French) may refer to: History *Homage (feudal) /ˈhɒmɪdʒ/, the medieval oath of allegiance *Commendation ceremony, medieval homage ceremony Arts *Homage (arts) /oʊˈmɑʒ/, an allusion or imitation by one arti ...

to Louis from 30 November 1385. Astoin had 28 fires in 1315 but only 6 in 1471. It was at that time that the old site, located on a hill 500 m from the current site and named Vière (Old Provençal meaning "village"), was abandoned in favour of the current site. By 1765 there were 264 inhabitants.

Bayons

Bayons is cited around 1200 in the form ''Baions''. The community had a ''consulate'' in 1233 and was the largest community in the

viguerie In Southern France, a ''viguerie'' (; la, vicaria) was a mediaeval administrative court. A ''viguerie'' is named for the place it serves or is found in, that is, the main town of the borough, which need not be its (administrative capital). Appear ...

. The two churches and their income belonged to the Abbey of l'Ile-Barbe 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 oldest church was the Church of Our Lady of Nazareth which was located in the Clastre valley, probably on the medieval site of the village. The community owned the lands called ''gastes'' which also belonged to the lord. These lands were farmed by the community often as pasture. At Bayons, they were traditionally granted against a ''tasque'' equivalent to one eighth of the harvest. The income of the community allowed it to gradually redeem all manorial rights before 1789 including the privilege granted by the counts of Provence banning the grazing of foreign herds (from outside the commune) in Bayons lands. The Counts of Provence also levied a toll on cattle migrations passing through Bayons. In 1300 a small Jewish community was established in Bayons which is an indication of its position as a tiny relatively unknown rural hamlet. In 1348 Queen

, driven from her

Kingdom of Naples The Kingdom of Naples ( la, Regnum Neapolitanum; it, Regno di Napoli; nap, Regno 'e Napule), also known as the Kingdom of Sicily, was a state that ruled the part of the Italian Peninsula south of the Papal States between 1282 and 1816. It was ...

, had to take refuge in

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 Italian border to the east; it is bo ...

. To regain her Neapolitan States she sold

Avignon Avignon (, ; ; oc, Avinhon, label= Provençal or , ; la, Avenio) is the prefecture of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river Rhône, the commune had ...

to the

Pope The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

for 80,000

florin The Florentine florin was a gold coin struck from 1252 to 1533 with no significant change in its design or metal content standard during that time. It had 54 grains (3.499 grams, 0.113 troy ounce) of nominally pure or 'fine' gold with a purc ...

s and at the same time obtained papal absolution to wash away suspicion in the murder of her first husband

Andrew, Duke of Calabria Andrew, Duke of Calabria (30 October 1327 – 18 September 1345) was the first husband of Joanna I of Naples, and a son of Charles I of Hungary and brother of Louis I of Hungary. Background and engagement Andrew was the second of three survivin ...

. Grateful, she offered the fief of Valernes to William II Roger, brother of the pope. This was made a viscounty by

letters patent Letters patent ( la, litterae patentes) ( always in the plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, president or other head of state, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, tit ...

in 1350. The new viscounty included the communities of Bayons, Vaumeilh, La Motte-du-Caire, Bellaffaire, Gigors, Lauzet, Les Mées, Mézel, Entrevennes, and

Castellet Castellet-en-Luberon (before 2018: ''Castellet'')Décret n° 2018-956
5 November 20 ...

, with their jurisdictions and dependencies. In 1359 the residents of Bayons sued those of

Seyne Seyne (; Vivaro-Alpine: ''Sèina'') is a commune in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, a department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in south-east France. It is roughly 30 km north of Digne. The village's official name is listed under the ...

, claiming the privilege of not paying the toll to come to the fair at Saint-Michel de Seyne. They obtained satisfaction but the people of Seyne won on appeal. Fortifications were built in the 14th century which were inspected in 1403 by the provost of the Viscount of Valernes. Another fortification was built above Bédoin on the mountain called the Chateau: it allowed the monitoring of the road from

. On 26 July 1492 heavy rains cause a devastating flood of the Sasse. Le Mardaric, the torrent passing Bayons, had a debris flow that destroyed the village. The hamlets of ''la Montahne'' (identified with that of Combes) and Rouinon were also affected Rouinon. The Fontainier torrent also caused damage to cultivated land. Four people were killed. Livestock was also affected with hundreds of animals washed away. Finally loosened soils were washed away by rain together with ripe wheat and vines in the following days. According to residents rocks of 5 tons were displaced by the floods.

Esparron-la-Bâtie

The village of Esparron was cited in 1200 under the name of ''castrum Sparronis et bastita''. There were two village communities, and one fief held by a lord. Esparron-la-Bâtie was hardest hit by the crises of the 14th century (the

Black Death The Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or the Plague) was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causi ...

and the

Hundred Years War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantagene ...

) than its neighbours, as it had 74 fires in 1315 but only 12 in 1471. By 1765 it had a population of 205. The Counts of Provence levied a toll on cattle migrations passing through Esparron-la-Bâtie and lords were the Morier or Mourier family from the 13th to the 17th Century. The parish church was heavily damaged by the end of the religious wars. In 1641 repairs had still not been done and the lord of Esparron was ordered to pay for two thirds of the work with the remaining third by the priory.

Reynier

Reynier is reported for the first time in charters of 1232 as ''castrum Rainieri''. The community had 25 fires in 1471 and 218 inhabitants by 1765. This former fief of the

Bishops of Gap A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or offic ...

was owned by the Abon family from the 15th to the 17th century then by the Boniface family until the

French 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 ...

Modern times

From the 16th century the lordship of Astoin belonged successively to Turriers, Castellane, Boniface, then to Hugues. At Esparron the Pélissier family succeeded Mourier in the 17th century. In the 16th century Louis de Barras, Lord of Melan, allowed the grazing of sheep flocks in Bayons from Estiver (against payment of a fee), while herds from Reynier and Esparron-la-Bâtie wintered at La Roque and Corbières.Marc de Leeuw, "The ways of communication", in Nicole Michel d'Annoville, Marc de Leeuw (directors) (photogr Gerald Lucas, drawing Michel Crespin.), ''Roaming the High Lands of Medieval Provence'', Le Caire: The Association highlands of Provence; Saint-Michel-l'Observatoire, 2008, 223 p., , p. 58. *Bayons appears as ''Bayons'' on the 1750

Cassini Map The Cassini Map or Academy's Map is the first topographic and geometric map made of the Kingdom of France as a whole. It was compiled by the Cassini family, mainly César-François Cassini (Cassini III) and his son Jean-Dominique Cassini (Ca ...

and the same on the 1790 version. *Astoin appears as ''Aftoin'' on the 1750

and as ''Astoin'' on the 1790 version. *Esparron-la-Bâtie appears as ''Efparron'' on the 1750

and as ''Esparron'' on the 1790 version. *Reynier appears as ''Reynier'' on the 1750

and the same on the 1790 version.

French Revolution

At the beginning of the

, the news of the

storming of the Bastille The Storming of the Bastille (french: Prise de la Bastille ) occurred in Paris, France, on 14 July 1789, when revolutionary insurgents stormed and seized control of the medieval armoury, fortress, and political prison known as the Bastille. At ...

was welcomed but caused a phenomenon of collective fear in the population of a possible aristocratic reaction. Locally, the

Great Fear The Great Fear (french: Grande Peur) was a general panic that took place between 22 July to 6 August 1789, at the start of the French Revolution. Rural unrest had been present in France since the worsening grain shortage of the spring, ...

came from

Tallard Tallard (; oc, Talard) is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. Location Tallard is to the south of Gap, close to the road from Gap to Marseille. The motorway A51 ends jus ...

and belonging to the contemporary ''fear of the Mâconnais'' reached the area of La Motte-du-Caire on the evening of 31 July 1789. The consuls of the village community were warned that a troop of five or six thousand brigands were coming towards Haute-Provence after pillaging the

Dauphiné The Dauphiné (, ) is a former province in Southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of Isère, Drôme and Hautes-Alpes. The Dauphiné was originally the Dauphiné of Viennois. In the 12th centu ...

. The communities of La Motte, Clamensane, Saint-Geniez, Authon, Curbans, Bayons, and

Claret Bordeaux wine ( oc, vin de Bordèu, french: vin de Bordeaux) is produced in the Bordeaux region of southwest France, around the city of Bordeaux, on the Garonne River. To the north of the city the Dordogne River joins the Garonne forming the ...

together created a troop of 700 armed men. They put the Marquis of Hugues de Beaujeu at its head. He decided to stand in front of the danger by going towards the danger and to monitor the boats on the Durance. After 2 August the panic subsided and the original rumours clarified. An important change took place: the communities were armed and organized to defend themselves and their neighbours. A sense of solidarity was born within the communities and between neighbouring communities and consuls decide to maintain the

national guard National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. Nat ...

s. Immediately after the fear subsided, however, the authorities recommended disarming the workers and the landless and keep only landowners in the National Guard.

Contemporary period

The

French coup d'état of 1851 French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Fran ...

committed by Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte 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 defense of the Constitution. After the failure of the uprising there was a severe crackdown on those who stood up to defend the Republic with one inhabitant of Bayons. Like many communes in the department, Bayons adopted schools well before the Jules Ferry laws: in 1863 there were already two schools providing primary education for boys located in the main village and at Combe. Although 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) did not require the opening of a school for girls in communes with less than 800 inhabitants, Bayons, with less than 700 inhabitants in 1861, also had a school for girls. The second Duruy Act (1877) allowed it, thanks to government subsidies, to build new village school. Astoin, Esparron-la-Bâtie, and Reynier communes each had a boys' school in 1863 but no school for girls. In these communes it was not the Ferry laws that allowed girls into school. The very isolated hamlet of Rouinon had 46 inhabitants in 1886 as well as a school (until 1911) and a mailbox (until 1929). This small community also had its own Chapel of Saint Joseph. Near Rouinon, the chapel for the hamlet of Forest-Lacour was destroyed at the end of the 19th century to allow the passage of the road: the Church had noted its declining attendance for several years. The commune sheltered a

maquis Maquis may refer to: Resistance groups * Maquis (World War II), predominantly rural guerrilla bands of the French Resistance * Spanish Maquis, guerrillas who fought against Francoist Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War * The netwo ...

unit during

World War II 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 ...

in the Tramalou district. It consisted of ''Francs-tireurs partisans'' (Maverick Partisans) or FTP. On 21 July 1944, taking advantage of a shift in the German garrison of Sisteron, the Bayons FTP raided the citadel of Sisteron to rescue fifty resistance fighter detainees. On 26 July 1944, the same FTP unit was surprised by the German reaction using mortars which resulted in 21 dead. Three teenagers in a farm were also killed. A monument was erected in their memory located on an abandoned road to Turriers.

Since World War II

Vines were cultivated in the communes of Astoin, Bayons, Esparron-la-Bâtie and Reynier until the middle of the 20th century. The wine was mediocre and intended only for home consumption. This culture has since been abandoned. The commune of Bayons merged with the communes of Esparron-la-Bâtie, Astoin, and Reynier in 1973.

Heraldry

Politics and administration

Municipal Administration

The Municipal Council is composed of 9 members including the Mayor. List of Successive

Mayors In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...

Judicial and administrative proceedings

Bayons falls within the area of the '' Tribunal d'instance'' (District court) 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-Côte ...

, the ''Tribunal de grande instance'' (High Court) of Digne-les-Bains, the ''Cour d'appel'' (Appeal court) of

Aix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Ais de Provença in classical norm, or in Mistralian norm, ; la, Aquae Sextiae), or simply Aix ( medieval Occitan: ''Aics''), is a city and commune in southern France, about north of Marseille ...

, the ''Tribunal pour enfants'' (

Juvenile court A juvenile court, also known as young offender's court or children's court, is a tribunal having special authority to pass judgements for crimes that are committed by children who have not attained the age of majority. In most modern lega ...

) of Digne-les-Bains, the '' Conseil de prud'hommes'' (Labour Court) of Digne-les-Bains, the '' Tribunal de commerce'' (Commercial Court) of

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) ...

, the ''Tribunal administratif'' (Administrative tribunal) of

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 Fra ...

, and the ''Cour administrative d'appel'' (Administrative Court of Appeal) of

Budget and Taxation

Demography

In 2017 the commune had 183 inhabitants.

Economy

Overview

In 2017 the workforce was 68 people, including 14 unemployed. These people are mostly employees (67%) and many work outside the commune (58%).Dossier complet: Commune de Bayons (04023)
INSEE, retrieved 14 September 2020 At the end of 2015 there were a total of 24 business enterprises in the commune: 7 in agriculture, 3 in industry, 1 in construction, 10 in trade, transport, and services, and 3 in administration, education, health, or social services. Only the tertiary sector employed staff with 22 employees.

Agriculture

According to the Agreste survey by the Ministry of Agriculture the number of farms dropped sharply in the 2000s from 17 to 10. Sheep farms represented half of these farms. From 1988 to 2000 the

agricultural land Agricultural land is typically land ''devoted to'' agriculture, the systematic and controlled use of other forms of lifeparticularly the rearing of livestock and production of cropsto produce food for humans. It is generally synonymous with ...

area (SAU) increased from 1100 hectares to 1216 while the number of farms fell from 20 to 17. The SAU has continued to increase during the last decade reaching 1352 hectares including 720 dedicated to sheep farming. Farms practicing

polyculture In agriculture, polyculture is the practice of growing more than one crop species in the same space, at the same time. In doing this, polyculture attempts to mimic the diversity of natural ecosystems. Polyculture is the opposite of monoculture, i ...

disappeared in the 2000s.

Labels

Bayons commune has 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) for

Lavender oil Lavender oil is an essential oil obtained by distillation from the flower spikes of certain species of lavender. There are over 400 types of lavender worldwide with different scents and qualities. Two forms of lavender oil are distinguished, ' ...

of Haute-Provence and 30 Geographical Protected Indications (IGP) including: Apples of Alpes de Haute-Durance, Honey of Provence, Lamb of Sisteron, and many Méditérranée wine labels. ;Labels of Bayons Agneau et brebis.JPG, Lamb of Sisteron. Pot de Miel de Lavande.JPG, Lavender honey. Golden delicious apple.jpg, Golden and gala apples.

Industry

Small hydro Small hydro is the development of hydroelectric power on a scale suitable for local community and industry, or to contribute to distributed generation in a regional electricity grid. Exact definitions vary, but a "small hydro" project is less ...

electric power station was installed in the late 1980s on ''Ruisseau des Tines'' (old town of Esparron-la-Bâtie).

Service activities

According to the Departmental Observatory of Tourism, tourism is important for the commune with between 1 and 5 tourists accommodated per capita but most of the accommodation capacity is non-market. Several tourist accommodation facilities exist in the commune: * 1 furnished accommodation with 4 beds * 1 Bed and Breakfast with 4 beds * 2 Hostels with 16 beds It is nevertheless second homes that have the greatest capacity with 160 second homes and a total of 798 beds.Departmental Observatory of Tourism,
Atlas of Tourist Accommodation
', 2015 p. 40

Culture and heritage

Cultural festivals

On the first

Rogation day Rogation days are days of prayer and fasting in Western Christianity. They are observed with processions and the Litany of the Saints. The so-called ''major'' rogation is held on 25 April; the ''minor'' rogations are held on Monday to Wednesday ...

there is a procession from Bayons to Forest and return.

Civil heritage

*A House with arched windows, possibly a lordly mansion, on the village square. *A Chateau from the 18th century at Esparron *A ruined Rectangular Tower above the village from the 13th or 14th century.

Religious heritage

*The Church of Saint Anne at Astoin was the former ''castrum'' church dedicated to Saint-Michel. The Parish of Astoin was merged with Bayons in 1711. *The Church of Saint-Christophe and

Saint Sebastian Saint Sebastian (in Latin: ''Sebastianus''; Narbo, Gallia Narbonensis, Roman Empire c. AD 255 – Rome, Italia, Roman Empire c. AD 288) was an early Christian saint and martyr. According to traditional belief, he was killed during the Diocle ...

at Esparron. The former Church of Saint Vincent de Reynier on the hill is in ruins: it was an old chapel chosen to replace the parish church at the end of the

Wars of religion A religious war or a war of religion, sometimes also known as a holy war ( la, sanctum bellum), is a war which is primarily caused or justified by differences in religion. In the modern period, there are frequent debates over the extent to wh ...

in 1599. It was replaced by another Church of Saint Vincent in 1833. *The Chapel of Basse Combe was restored in the 2000s. *The Saint Mary Magdalene Chapel in Haute Combe is in ruins. *The Chapel Notre-Dame-Secours-des-Pécheurs at Baudinard was built by the inhabitants in 1867-1868 for the new cemetery which replaced the old cemetery which was far away. Bayons, Notre-Dame-de-Bethléem

*The Church of Notre-Dame-de-Bethléem (11th century) is registered as an historical monument. The church is large for the size of the village (35m long and 9m wide with a height of 15m at 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-typ ...

). It once housed a

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 ...

from the Abbey of l'Ile-Barbe. It is of

Roman architecture Ancient Roman architecture adopted the external language of classical Greek architecture for the purposes of the ancient Romans, but was different from Greek buildings, becoming a new architectural style. The two styles are often considered on ...

with

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

influences. According to Mark de Leeuw it is a building where Alpine art of the 13th century is demonstrated with the most finesse. Its facade is divided by

buttress A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall. Buttresses are fairly common on more ancient buildings, as a means of providing support to act against the lateral (s ...

es, the choir is flanked by side chapels, and the

Apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. ...

is flat. The bays of the apse are large and the Oeil-de-boeuf (or Ox-eye window) on the western facade gives a beautiful light inside the church and on the

baptismal font A baptismal font is an article of church furniture used for baptism. Aspersion and affusion fonts The fonts of many Christian denominations are for baptisms using a non-immersive method, such as aspersion (sprinkling) or affusion (pouring). ...

installed in the centre of the nave. The

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...

s are decorated with foliage, jewels, and trilobes. The vaults were rebuilt several times: the choir in the 14th century and the nave in 1664. Other comprehensive repairs took place from 1664 to 1689 and the tower is repaired in 1724. A clock was added to it in 1742. Many other repairs took place throughout the 20th century and roofs were restored to their original angles in 1995. The Church contains many items that are registered as historical objects: *A Cross (Crucifix) (18th century) *A

Chalice A chalice (from Latin 'mug', borrowed from Ancient Greek () 'cup') or goblet is a footed cup intended to hold a drink. In religious practice, a chalice is often used for drinking during a ceremony or may carry a certain symbolic meaning. R ...

(19th century) *A Cross (Crucifix) (17th century) *A Painting: Joseph of Léonissa (17th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy *The main

Altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in pagan ...

(18th century) *A Painting: Assumption (17th century) *A Painting: Death of Saint Joseph (17th century) *A Painting: Saints Jacques and Peter at the foot of the virgin (17th century) *The enclosures in the 2 lateral chapels (17th century) *A

Pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, acces ...

(17th century) *2

Pews A pew () is a long bench (furniture), bench seat or enclosed box, used for seating Member (local church), members of a Church (congregation), congregation or choir in a Church (building), church, synagogue or sometimes a courtroom. Overview ...

(19th century) *A Statue: Virgin and child (18th century) *A Painting with frame: Virgin of pity (18th century) *A Painting: Saint Blaise (1750) *A Painting: Adoration of the Magi (17th century) *A

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 structure ...

: Adoration of the magi (18th century) *A Bronze bell (1510) *A

Baptismal font A baptismal font is an article of church furniture used for baptism. Aspersion and affusion fonts The fonts of many Christian denominations are for baptisms using a non-immersive method, such as aspersion (sprinkling) or affusion (pouring). ...

(16th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy

Churches Picture gallery

Image:Bayons, Astoin, église Sainte-Anne.JPG, Church of Saint Anne at Astoin Image:Bayons, Esparron-la-Bâtie, église Saint-Christophe.JPG, Church of Saint-Christophe at Esparron-la-Bâtie. Image:Bayons, Reynier, nouvelle église Saint-Vincent.JPG, Church of Saint-Vincent at Reynier. Image:Bayons, chapelle de la Basse-Combe, façade et clocher-mur.JPG, Chapel Saint-Jacques and Saint-Philippe at Basse-Combe. Image:Bayons, Baudinard, chapelle Notre-Dame-Secours-des-Pécheurs.JPG, Chapel Notre-Dame-Secours-des-Pécheurs at Baudinard.