Forcalquier (; oc, Forcauquier, ) 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 west ...
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 southeastern France.
Forcalquier is located between the Lure and Luberon mountain ranges, about south 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 ...
and west 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 .Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
it was the capital of
Haute-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 bor ...
.
History
''Furnus Calcarius'' was the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
name, from the
lime kiln
A lime kiln is a kiln used for the calcination of limestone (calcium carbonate) to produce the form of lime (material), lime called quicklime (calcium oxide). The chemical equation for this chemical reaction, reaction is
:Calcium carbonate, Ca ...
s used in Roman times. (A Roman bridge still stands in the valley to the south of the town.) Its
Provençal
Provençal may refer to:
*Of Provence, a region of France
* Provençal dialect, a dialect of the Occitan language, spoken in the southeast of France
*''Provençal'', meaning the whole Occitan language
*Franco-Provençal language, a distinct Roman ...
name is ''Fourcauquié''. At the end of the 11th century, a family of the counts of Provence created the county of Forcalquier.
During this time, the town of Forcalquier was the capital of Haute Provence along the Durance, which included the towns 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) ...
,
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 ...
, Gap and Embrun. Forcalquier minted its own currency, and its church was elevated to the status of a "concathedral".
The counts of Forcalquier grew to a power that could defy the counts of Provence. Rivalry ended in 1195 when
Gersende de Sabran
Garsenda (french: Garsende; c. 1180 – c. 1242/1257) was the Countess of Provence as the wife of Alfonso II from 1193 and the Countess of Forcalquier in her own right from 1209 and subsequently united with Provence. She was also a patron of Occi ...
, countess of Forcalquier, married Alfonso II, count of Provence. Their son, Ramon Bérenger IV, inherited the two counties.
Population
The inhabitants are called ''Forcalquiérens'' in French.
Sights
Forcalquier is built around the slopes of a steep conical hill, crowned by an octagonal chapel, Notre Dame de Provence, where the medieval citadel once stood. The citadel was destroyed in 1601; the chapel with its panoramic view was built in 1875. It has a carillon that can be heard every Sunday morning during the summer.
The oldest part of the town is the area around the Place Saint-Michel with its Renaissance fountain (1511) and its narrow side-streets. There many doorways dating to the 12th to 16th centuries can be found.
The present commercial and social center of town, the Place du Bourget, is located below the Place St. Michel. The 12th century "concathedral" Notre Dame de l'Assomption with its bell towers stands across from the Place du Bourguet.
The
Cordeliers
The Society of the Friends of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (french: Société des Amis des droits de l'homme et du citoyen), mainly known as Cordeliers Club (french: Club des Cordeliers), was a populist political club during the French R ...
Convent was built in the 13th century by Franciscans named "cordeliers" because of their rope belts. This convent was occupied by monks continuously until the Revolution. It now houses the
Université Européenne des Senteurs & Saveurs
The Université Européenne des Senteurs et des Saveurs (UESS) (English: ''European University of Fragrances and Flavors''), located at the medieval Couvent des Cordeliers in Forcalquier, France, is a private university specialized in the study ...
. The Port de Cordeliers is all that remains of the town's fortified walls.
Monday morning is market day in Forcalquier. The market fills the Place du Bourguet and the adjoining streets.
Noteworthy is the Musée Municipal with its prehistoric and Gallo-Roman artifacts, glass works, and faïence pottery from Mane, Apt and
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 ...
.
Personalities
*
Geoffrey II of Provence Geoffrey II (also Josfred or Josfredus; died 13 February 1067Or 1065) was the first count of Forcalquier following the death of his father Fulk Bertrand in 1062. His elder brother William Bertrand inherited Provence, but not the title of margrave. ...
(died 1067)
*
Alfonso II, Count of Provence
Alfonso II (1180 – February 1209) was the second son of Alfonso II of Aragon (who was Alfonso I of Provence) and Sancha of Castile. His father transferred the County of Provence from his uncle Sancho to him in 1185. Alfonso II was born in Barcel ...
(1180–1209)
*
Garsenda of Forcalquier
Garsenda (french: Garsende; c. 1180 – c. 1242/1257) was the Countess of Provence as the wife of Alfonso II from 1193 and the Countess of Forcalquier in her own right from 1209 and subsequently united with Provence. She was also a patron of Occi ...
Marguerite of Provence
Margaret of Provence (french: Marguerite; 1221 – 20 December 1295) was Queen of France by marriage to Louis IX of France, King Louis IX.
Early life
Margaret was born in the spring of 1221 in Forcalquier. She was the eldest of four daughters o ...
Joan 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 daug ...
Louis III of Naples
Louis III (25 September 1403 – 12 November 1434) was a claimant to the Kingdom of Naples from 1417 to 1426, as well as count of Provence
The land of Provence has a history quite separate from that of any of the larger nations of Europe. Its ...
(1403–1434)
*
Louis Feuillée
Louis Éconches Feuillée (sometimes spelled Feuillet) (1660, Mane, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence – 18 April 1732) was a French member of the Order of the Minims, explorer, astronomer, geographer, and botanist.
Biography
Feuillée was educated at th ...
(1660–1732), explorer and scientist
* Raoul Dufy (1877–1953),
Fauvist
Fauvism /ˈfoʊvɪzm̩/ is the style of ''les Fauves'' (French language, French for "the wild beasts"), a group of early 20th-century modern artists whose works emphasized painterly qualities and strong colour over the Representation (arts), repr ...