Alpes-de-Haute-Provence or sometimes abbreviated as AHP (; oc, Aups d'Auta Provença; ) is a

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France, bordering

Alpes-Maritimes Alpes-Maritimes (; oc, Aups Maritims; it, Alpi Marittime, "Maritime Alps") is a department of France located in the country's southeast corner, on the Italian border and Mediterranean coast. Part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, it ...

and Italy to the east, Var to the south, Vaucluse to the west, Drôme and Hautes-Alpes to the north. Formerly part of the province of Provence, it had a population of 164,308 in 2019,Populations légales 2019: 04 Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
INSEE which makes it the 94th most populated French department. Alpes-de-Haute-Provence's main cities are Digne-les-Bains (

prefecture A prefecture (from the Latin ''Praefectura'') is an administrative jurisdiction traditionally governed by an appointed prefect. This can be a regional or local government subdivision in various countries, or a subdivision in certain international ...

), Manosque, Sisteron, Barcelonnette, Castellane and Forcalquier. 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 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 .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 Colmars or Colmars-les-Alpes (''Còumars'' in provençal) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. The official name of the commune, according to the geographical code of the INSEE, is "Colmars", but it ...

) 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 Col de la Bonette (2715 m) and connects the region of Barcelonnette to the Tinée and Vésubie 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 The mule is a domestic equine hybrid between a donkey and a horse. It is the offspring of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare). The horse and the donkey are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes; of the two pos ...

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, Digne-les-Bains, Sisteron,

Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban (; oc, Castèl-Arnós e Sant Auban) is a commune in the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur in southeastern France. History Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban is on the Route ...

, Oraison, Forcalquier, Les Mées, Pierrevert,

Villeneuve Villeneuve, LaVilleneuve or deVilleneuve may refer to: People * Villeneuve (surname) Places Australia * Villeneuve, Queensland, a town in the Somerset Region Canada * Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, a Formula One racetrack in Montréal * Villeneuv ...

, Sainte-Tulle, Gréoux-les-Bains, Barcelonnette and Castellane.

Hydrology

618x599-Carte-04-Alpes-de-Haute-Provence-R2

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 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 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

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 popula ...

, the Verdon on the left bank, the Buëch, the Jabron, and the Largue on the right bank. The Durance and its tributaries have a torrential character, with a transition between the snow regime of the high valleys and the Mediterranean rainfall regime in the lower mountains and below. The summer low water levels are severe and violent floods occur when heavy rains fall which is often in autumn. The Durance, Verdon, Bléone and Buëch have had the construction of several dams and the diversion of parts of the river for irrigation and power generation in the 20th century.

Climate

The climate of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department is a Mediterranean climate 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 strong rural exodus. There were more than 150,000 inhabitants in 1850 but it fell to less than 100,000 after the First World War. 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. The department has never really developed: in 1870 there were 27 small mines (one lead, four oil shale and 22

lignite Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible, sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35%, and is considered the lowest rank of coal due to its relatively low heat ...

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: only Digne-les-Bains and Manosque approach or exceed 20,000 people. The

arrondissement of Barcelonnette The arrondissement of Barcelonnette is an arrondissement of France in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It has 14 communes. Its population is 7,874 (2016), and its area is . Composition The commun ...

is the least populated arrondissement in France and the only one in France with less than 10,000 inhabitants. The city of Castellane 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, Castellane, Riez, Seyne, and Valensole. The ten most populous communes are: In contrast, the three communes with less than 20 inhabitants in 2019 were

Archail Archail (; oc, Archalh) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of south-eastern France. With 14 inhabitants (as of 2019), it is the third least populated commune in the department, after ...

(14 inhabitants), Saint-Martin-lès-Seyne (13 inh.) and Majastres (4 inh.).

History

''Basses-Alpes'' was one of the 83 original departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790 under the Act of 22 December 1789. On 12 August 1793, the department of Vaucluse was created from parts of the departments of Bouches-du-Rhône, 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-Alpes ...

was transferred over to Hautes-Alpes. 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 Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

, 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, with the snows of Siberia."'' (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, wine in small quantities (but good), and truffles in large numbers. In the southern part, which has the climate of Provence, there are olive trees, 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 because its location is by far the second largest city of the department (with 5,500 inhabitants). Near Manosque are the

and gypsum 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 arrondissements, 15

canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ent ...

s and 198 communes.

Ancient communes and changes to the administrative divisions of the communes

The rural exodus 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 in southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department The following is a list of the 198 Communes of France, communes of the A ...

) 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 Chaudon-Norante (; oc, Chaudon e Noranta) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. Geography The river Asse flows northwest through the commune. Population See also *Communes of the Alpes-de-Haute-Prov ...

). 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 (the three communes of the Barcillonnette canton, or to Vaucluse (the

canton of Sault The canton of Sault is a French former French canton, administrative division in the French department, department of Vaucluse and French region, region Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had 3,374 inhabitants (2012).Arrondissement of Barcelonnette The arrondissement of Barcelonnette is an arrondissement of France in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It has 14 communes. Its population is 7,874 (2016), and its area is . Composition The commun ...

: 20 communes, 4 cantons *

Arrondissement of Castellane The arrondissement of Castellane is an arrondissement of France in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It has 41 communes. Its population is 11,403 (2016), and its area is . Composition The communes ...

: 48 communes, 6 cantons *

Arrondissement of Digne-les-Bains The arrondissement of Digne-les-Bains is an Arrondissements of France, arrondissement of France in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. It has had 46 Communes of ...

: 87 communes, 9 cantons *

Arrondissement of Forcalquier The arrondissement of Forcalquier is an Arrondissements of France, arrondissement of France in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. It has 97 Communes of France, ...

: 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.

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 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:

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 France, communes of ...

then split between

Saint-Martin-les-Eaux Saint-Martin-les-Eaux (; Provençal: ''Sant Martin deis Aigas'') is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. Population See also * Luberon *Communes of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department The followi ...

and Manosque *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 Peyresq (from ''le pays des pierres'', or ''the land of stones'') is a French village in the commune of Thorame-Haute in France, perched on a rocky outcrop of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence at 1,528 metres above sea level. History The village first a ...

with ''La Colle-Saint-Michel'' (under the name of ''Saint-Michel-Peyresq''), the new entity was then merged with

Thorame-Haute Thorame-Haute (; oc, Torama Auta) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. Geography Thorame-Haute is a village in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, fixed on the foot of the Massif of Chamatte at an altitude of , in ...

*merged communes but not adjacent: ''Le Poil'' merged with Senez. 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,

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 the French Revolution and the resistance to the coup of Napoleon III 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 in southeastern France. Population Climate See also *Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department The following is a list of ...

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 and the upper valley of the Verdon, both territories of emigration but also with a garrison of Chasseurs Alpins 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. 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 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 or the PS, or by the radical left. A landmark of the

Resistance Resistance may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Comics * Either of two similarly named but otherwise unrelated comic book series, both published by Wildstorm: ** ''Resistance'' (comics), based on the video game of the same title ** ''T ...

during the Second World War, 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, 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, he ...

. In the Senate, the department is represented by

Claude Domeizel Claude Domeizel (born 16 May 1940) is a French politician and a former member of the Senate of France. He represented the Alpes de Haute-Provence department as a member of the Socialist Party Socialist Party is the name of many different pol ...

, a former Socialist Mayor of Volx.

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 Ma ...

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 fro ...

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-Se ...

, 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 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 the National Assembly changed hands in the 2022 legislative election with the 1st constituency lost by the New Democrats'

Delphine Bagarry Delphine Bagarry (born 9 January 1970) is a French emergency physician and politician who was the National Assembly deputy for Alpes-de-Haute-Provence's 1st constituency from 2017 to 2022. Political career Having previously been affiliated with ...

Christian Girard Christian Girard (born 7 May 1952) is a French politician who has represented the 1st constituency of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the National Assembly since 2022. A member of the National Rally (RN), he has also held a seat in the ...

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-right politics, far-rightAbridged list of reliable sources that refer to National Rally as fa ...

and the

2nd A second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI). Second, Seconds or 2nd may also refer to: Mathematics * 2 (number), as an ordinal (also written as ''2nd'' or ''2d'') * Second of arc, an angular measurement unit ...

lost by LREM's Christophe Castaner to Léo Walter of La France insoumise.

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 the

ITER 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 Earth ...

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 Poaceae, grass cultivated for the edible components of its grain (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis), composed of the endosperm, Cereal germ, germ, and bran. Cereal Grain, grain crops are grown in greater quantit ...

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 ...

, perfumes, and essential oils, cosmetics,

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). 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 has emerged, particularly in the area of Saint-André-les-Alpes. 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 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 and goats, including the production of milk used for cheese making under Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) for Banon cheese. The winemakers of Pierrevert also have an appellation d'origine contrôlée (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, black pine, larch, 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 ''Engle ...

Fir Firs (''Abies'') are a genus of 48–56 species of evergreen coniferous trees in the family (biology), family Pinaceae. They are found on mountains throughout much of North America, North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. The ...

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 subfami ...

are less common. The

2003 heat wave The 2003 European heat wave saw the hottest summer recorded in Europe since at least 1540. France was hit especially hard. The heat wave led to health crises in several countries and combined with drought to create a crop shortfall in parts of S ...

caused the decline of many species of trees, consequently accelerating the return of Mediterranean oaks, alders 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 at

(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 furthe ...

factory formerly Elf-Atochem), the Sanofi 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). 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 pioneered agritourism 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 of Manosque, known for the birthplace and home of famed Provençal writer Jean Giono * The town of Sisteron, with its ancient citadel and narrow streets * The Verdon Gorge, dubbed Europe's Grand Canyon * Digne-les-Bains, 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 considere ...

, known for its pottery * Forcalquier Cathedral 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 al ...

, hang gliding and paragliding. In winter there is extensive skiing at eleven ski resorts. File:Digne Gassendi et cathédrale Saint-Jérôme.jpg, Digne-les-Bains, The prefecture of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department File:Vue forcalquier 2402.JPG, Forcalquier File:Sisteron (2452199561).jpg, Sisteron File:Rocher de la Baume (2450672419).jpg, Rocher de La Baume File:Moustiers Sainte Marie 1.jpg,

File:Gorges du Verdon 2010.jpg, Verdon Gorge File:Chambeyron-lac du marinet.jpg, The Aiguille de Chambeyron and the Marinet Lake in the Ubaye Valley

Gastronomy

Famous dishes from the commune:
Les tomates à la Provençale
from Manosque * Black Pudding traditionally cooked with leeks *Scrambled eggs with truffles from Riez *''Pattes a la main de Fours'' *Sisteron Lamb * Pierrevert wine (AOC since 1997) *Lavender Honey * Banon cheese * Génépi from the Ubaye Valley *

Pieds paquets Pieds paquets or pied et paquets (literally, ''feet packet'' or ''feet and packages'' in French) is a local dish and culinary specialty of Marseille and Sisteron but also commonly found in much of Southeastern France. It consists of sheep's feet an ...

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 beyond ...

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 at Gap, Hautes-Alpes), 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 (Alpes-Maritimes)) transmits to the cantons of Annot and Entrevaux *''Là 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 of ...

(Var)), transmits in the regions of Barcelonnette and Val d'Allos; *''Radio Star'' (based in Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône)), transmits in the regions of Manosque, Digne-les-Bains, and Sisteron *''Radio Verdon'' (based in

Saint-Julien-le-Montagnier Saint-Julien (; also known as Saint-Julien-le-Montagnier; Provençal: ''Sant Julian lo Montanhier'') is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. See also *Communes of the Var department ...

(Var)), transmits to the regions of Manosque and Castellane *''Radio Zinzine'' (based at Limans), 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 through TNT 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'' (

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 between Digne-les-Bains and Castellane 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 Société nationale des chemins de fer français (; abbreviated as SNCF ; French for "National society of French railroads") is France's national state-owned railway company. Founded in 1938, it operates the country's national rail traffi ...

: **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'' (1592 at Champtercier – 1655), mathematician, philosopher, theologian and astronomer. *''Jean Solome'' (1674–1752), historian from

*''Prior Laurensi'' (1719–1808), historian. *'' Jean Marc Gaspard Itard'' (1774 at ''Oraison'' – 1838), a famous doctor for his work on the case of the Feral child, Victor of Aveyron, and pioneer of the ear, nose and throat speciality *''Jean Aimé Édouard de Laplane'' (1774–1870), historian from Sisteron *''Simon-Jude Honnorat'' (1783 at Allos – 1852), physician, naturalist, regional linguist *''Elzéard Gras-Bourget'' (1788–1860) Judge and historian *''Father Jean-Joseph-Maxime Feraud'' (1810 at Riez – 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'' (1932–2007), Nobel prize in physics in 1991. Spent his childhood in Barcelonnette

Artists

;Painters *''Eugene Martel'' (1869 at Revest-du-Bion – 1947) *'' Raoul Dufy'' (1877–1953 at Forcalquier) *''Serge Fiorio'' (1911–2011), born in Switzerland, died at

Viens, Vaucluse Viens (Occitan: ''Viènç'') is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. Geography The river Calavon forms most of the commune's south-eastern border. Landmarks * Chateau d'Autet S ...

, 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'', Faiencer of the 18th century *''Jean Daviot'' (1962 at Digne-les-Bains – ), visual artist *'' Bernar Venet'' (1941 at

), 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

Other historical figures

;Military *'' Joseph de Richery'' (1757 at Allons – 1798 at Eoulx) Rear Admiral who distinguished himself during the wars of the Revolution *'' Pierre Charles Silvestre de Villeneuve'' (1763 at Valensole – 1806), admiral of the French fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar *''Louis Alexis Desmichels'' (1779 at Digne – 1845), an officer of the First Empire, General *'' Paul Touvier'' (1915 at Saint-Vincent-sur-Jabron – 1996), leader of the Milice in Lyon, the first Frenchman condemned for

crimes against humanity Crimes against humanity are widespread or systemic acts committed by or on behalf of a ''de facto'' authority, usually a state, that grossly violate human rights. Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity do not have to take place within the ...

*'' Bruno Dary'' (1952 at Barcelonnette – ), Military governor of Paris ;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: * ...

*''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 and Barcelonnette, Minister of Public Education and Fine Arts in 1920 *'' Paul Reynaud'' (1878 at Barcelonnette – 1966), former President of the Council of Ministers (1940) *''Henri Laugier'' (1888 at Mane – 1973), Deputy Secretary General of the UN *'' Jean-Louis Bianco'' (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'' (1969 at Manosque – ) motocross champion *'' Mickael Maschio'' (1973 at Digne – ), French motocross driver ;Footballers *''

René Gallice René Alexis Martial Gallice (13 April 1919 – 25 May 1999) was a French footballer who played as a midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking ...

'' (1919 at Forcalquier – 1999), former professional

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

player *''

Alain Boghossian Alain Boghossian (born 27 October 1970) is a French-Armenian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He serves as an assistant coach for the France national team. Club career Born in Digne-les-Bains, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence ...

'' (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 The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games (french: Les Xes Jeux olympiques d'hiver), were a winter multi-sport event held from 6 to 18 February 1968 in Grenoble, France. Thirty-seven countries participated. Frenchm ...

*'' Carole Merle'' (1964 at Sauze), the most successful French skier in the history of the World Cup ;Cyclists *''

Édouard Fachleitner Édouard Fachleitner (born 24 February 1921 in Santa Domenica d'Albona, Italy, died 18 July 2008) was a French former professional road bicycle racer. He was an Italian citizen until 23 June 1939. He was a professional between 1943 and 1952. F ...

'', (1921–2008), racing cyclist called the Shepherd from Manosque *'' Julien El Fares'' (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 Riv ...

Philosophers, poets, writers

*''

Alphonse Rabbe Alphonse Rabbe (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, 1784 (?) – Paris, 31 December 1829) was a French writer, historian, critic, and journalist. Life Rabbe was a journalist, writing mostly about the arts. He also published a number of works of popularised ...

'' (1786 at Riez – 1830), romantic poet in prose, ''Album of a pessimist'' *'' Paul Arène'' (1843 at Sisteron – 1896) writer and poet *''Lazarine Negro'' (1848–1899), a poet from Manosque, a member of Félibrige *''

Elemir Bourges Elemir (; hu, Elemér) is a village located in the Zrenjanin municipality, in the Central Banat District of Serbia. It is situated in the province of Vojvodina. As of 2011 census, the village has a population of 4,338 inhabitants. Name In Serb ...

'' (1852 at Manosque – 1925), novelist, member of the Académie Goncourt *''

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 – 1956), poet, member of Félibrige *''Alexandre Arnoux'' (1884–1973), novelist, playwright *''Maria Borrely'' (1890 at Puimoisson – 1963), novelist *''

Regis Messac Regis or Régis may refer to: People * Regis (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Regis (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) * Regis (musician), full name Karl O'Connor, an English ...

'' (1893–1945), writer *'' Jean Giono'' (1895 at Manosque – 1970), writer *''Jean Proal'' (1904 at Seyne-les-Alpes – 1969), writer *''Pierre Magnan'' (1922 at Manosque – 2012), writer *''Cécile Sauvage'' (1883–1927), poet, lived in Digne *'' Felicien Champsaur'' (1858 at Turriers – 1934), writer *''Pierre Martel'' (1923–2001), founder of ''Alpes de Lumiere'' (Alpine Lights) *''Pierre Bottero'' (1964 at Barcelonnette – 2009), writer

Miscellaneous

;Religious *''Tulle de Manosque'' (?-430), daughter of Eucherius of Lyon *'' Fauste de Riez'' (408–495), bishop and theologian of free will *'' Mayeul de Cluny'' (906 at Valensole – 994). Fourth abbot of Cluny. *'' John of Matha'' (1160 at

Faucon-de-Barcelonnette Faucon-de-Barcelonnette (, literally ''Faucon of Barcelonnette''; oc, Faucon de Barcilona) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. Population See also * Ubaye Valley *Communes of the Alpes-de-Haute-Prov ...

– 1215), priest, founder of the Trinitarian Order to recover prisoners of the

Saracens file:Erhard Reuwich Sarazenen 1486.png, upright 1.5, Late 15th-century Germany in the Middle Ages, German woodcut depicting Saracens Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek language, Greek and Latin writings, to refer ...

*''Jacques Chastan'' (1803 at

Marcoux Marcoux may refer to: People with the surname * Valérie Marcoux, Canadian figure skater * Pierre Marcoux, Sr., political figure in Lower Canada * Pierre Marcoux, militia officer in Lower Canada * Yvon Marcoux, Canadian politician * Sauveur Mar ...

– 1839), priest of

Foreign Missions A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a M ...

Society ;People in the news *''

Jack Cecil Drummond Sir Jack Cecil Drummond FRIC, FRS (12 January 1891 – 4/5 August 1952) was a distinguished biochemist, noted for his work on nutrition as applied to the British diet under rationing during the Second World War. He was murdered, together with ...

'' (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 Lu ...

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 The Société scientifique et littéraire des Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is a learned society founded in 1878. It was originally called the Société scientifique et littéraire des Basses-Alpes, before the department's name change. Its offices are in ...

'', 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'' by Henri Fescourt with Gabriel Gabrio *1934: '' Les Misérables'' 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 *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 *1958: ''

L'Eau vive ''Girl and the River'' (french: L'Eau vive) is a 1958 French drama film directed by François Villiers. It was entered into the 1958 Cannes Film Festival. Cast In alphabetical order * Henri Arius - The uncle from Cavaillon * Pascale Audret - H ...

'' by François Villiers with

Pascale Audret Pascale Audret (12 October 1935, Neuilly-sur-Seine – 17 July 2000) was a French actress who was most active during the 1950s through the 1960s. Career While she starred in over 25 films between 1955 and 1968, her success never crossed over int ...

*1960: ''Crésus'' by Jean Giono with Fernandel *1970: ''La Maison des bories'' by Jacques Doniol-Valcroze with Marie Dubois, Maurice Garrel, Mathieu Carrière, and Marie-Véronique Maurin *1973: ''L'Affaire Dominici'' by Claude Bernard-Aubert with Jean Gabin, Victor Lanoux, and Gérard Darrieu *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 with Daniel Auteuil,

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 alm ...

, and Yves Montand *1988: ''La Maison assassinée'' by Georges Lautner 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 *1995: '' Le Hussard sur le toit'' by Jean-Paul Rappeneau with Juliette Binoche, Olivier Martinez, 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 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 with Victor Lanoux

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