Saint-Maime (; oc, Sant Maime) is a

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

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

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. It is located in the

Luberon The Luberon ( or ; Provençal: ''Leberon'' or ''Leberoun'' ) is a massif in central Provence in Southern France, part of the French Prealps. It has a maximum elevation of and an area of about . It is composed of three mountain ranges (from w ...

national park and is home to the 12th century chapel Chapelle Sainte-Agathe.

Geography

The village is located on a hill at an altitude of 381 metres at the eastern extremity of the

national park. It is adjacent to the village of Dauphin and located halfway between

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 ...

and

Forcalquier Forcalquier (; oc, Forcauquier, ) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. Forcalquier is located between the Lure and Luberon mountain ranges, about south of Sisteron and west of the Durance river. D ...

History

The earliest recorded population in Saint Maime were the Gaulish tribe known as the Sogiontiques who were spread through the southern Alps and had Sequester (modern day

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 ...

) as their major city. The tribe was conquered by Roman armies led by Augustus in 14 BCE. The battle is inscribed on the

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

(Victory Monument of the Alps), a tribute to Roman war victories built by

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

in 6 BCE outside of modern-day Monaco.Brigitte Beaujard, « Les cités de la Gaule méridionale du III au VII s. », ''Gallia'', 63, 2006, CNRS éditions, p. 17-18 (French source) The only traces of habitation from this period is a necropolis that was discovered in the village that held more than 1500 skeletons. The village was the location of a castle that was owned by

Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence Ramon Berenguer IV (french: Raimond-Bérenger; 1198 – 19 August 1245) was a member of the House of Barcelona who ruled as count of Provence and Forcalquier. He was the first count of Provence to live in the county in more than one hundred years ...

and his wife

Beatrice of Savoy Beatrice of Savoy (c. 1198 – c. 1267) was Countess consort of Provence by her marriage to Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence. She served as regent of her birth country Savoy during the absence of her brother in 1264. Early life She was th ...

in the 12th century. Historians are divided as whether or not Ramon Berenguer IV ever spent time in this castle or whether it was merely part of the family property, but certain academics insist that at the very least Beatrice used the castle as a residence. The family's four daughters - Margaret of Provence, Eleanor of Provence,

Sanchia of Provence Sanchia of Provence (c. 1225 – 9 November 1261) was Queen of the Romans from 1257 until her death in 1261 as the wife of King Richard. Sanchia was the third daughter of Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence, and Beatrice of Savoy. She ...

, and Beatrice of Provence- each became queens. Margaret of Provence became the wife of

King Louis IX Louis IX (25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270), commonly known as Saint Louis or Louis the Saint, was King of France from 1226 to 1270, and the most illustrious of the Direct Capetians. He was crowned in Reims at the age of 12, following the d ...

of France, Eleanor of Provence married

King Henry III of England Henry III (1 October 1207 – 16 November 1272), also known as Henry of Winchester, was King of England, Lord of Ireland, and Duke of Aquitaine from 1216 until his death in 1272. The son of King John and Isabella of Angoulême, Henry ass ...

, Sanchia of Provence married Richard, 1st Earl of Cornwall who became King of Germany, and Beatrice of Provence married King

Charles I of Sicily Charles I (early 1226/12277 January 1285), commonly called Charles of Anjou, was a member of the royal Capetian dynasty and the founder of the second House of Anjou. He was Count of Provence (1246–85) and Forcalquier (1246–48, 1256–85) i ...

. Because of the traditional connection to these four women, there a multiple references to the 'Quatre Reinese' (Four Queens) in the village of Saint Maime and the local restaurant and hotel both carry that name. Today, only the Chapelle Sainte-Agathe and one of the castle's towers remains. The tower is unique in Provence because of its octagonal structure. The chapel is classified as an official Monument historique by a decree of March 4, 1988.

Population

Twin towns — sister cities

Saint-Maime is twinned with: *

Fontanigorda Fontanigorda ( lij, Fontanegorda) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Genoa in the Italian region Liguria, located about northeast of Genoa. Fontanigorda borders the following municipalities: Fascia, Montebruno, Rezzoaglio ...

, Italy (1997)

References

External links