Utelle (; oc, Uels) 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 ...

about northeast of

Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative c ...

in the

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 ...

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 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 ...

Geography

It is perched on a hill along the Vesubie Gorge not far from the

Mercantour National Park Mercantour National Park (french: Parc national du Mercantour) a French national park located in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Alpes-Maritimes departments. Since it was created in 1979, the park has proven popular, with 800,000 visitors annu ...

Sights

Formerly an agricultural village planted with numerous olive trees, the village is near the Madonne d'Utelle, a chapel that serves as an annual pilgrimage site for local

Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. In their 1997 book "The Templar Revelation," Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince mention (on pg. 82) "the old Templar town of Utelle, whose medieval houses still bear the esoteric

sigil A sigil () is a type of symbol used in magic. The term has usually referred to a pictorial signature of a deity or spirit. In modern usage, especially in the context of chaos magic, sigil refers to a symbolic representation of the practitioner ...

s of the alchemists..." It is one of sixteen villages grouped together by the

Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur is the ''métropole'', an intercommunal structure, centred on the city of Nice. It is located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, southeastern France. It was created in Decem ...

tourist department as the ''Route des Villages Perchés'' (Route of Perched Villages). The others are: Aspremont,

Carros Carros (; oc, Carròs) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. Carros is one of sixteen villages grouped together by the Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur tourist department as the ''Route des Villages Perchés'' (Rou ...

Castagniers Castagniers (; oc, Castanhiers) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. Population Tourism Castagniers is one of sixteen villages grouped together by the Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur tourist department as the ' ...

Coaraze Coaraze (; oc, Coarasa) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. Geography Coaraze is a small village in the Nice hinterland, in the valley of the River Paillon. The cl ...

Colomars Colomars (Nissart: Couloumas) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes ''département'' in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. Inhabitants of Colomars are called ''Colomarsois''. Colomars is a part of the Pays Niçois. ...

Duranus Duranus (; oc, Duranús) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. Population Tourism Duranus is one of sixteen villages grouped together by the Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur tourist department as the ''Route ...

Èze Èze (; oc, Esa; it, Eza) is a seaside commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. It is located on the French Riviera, 8.5 km (5.2 mi) to the northeast of Nice and 4.5 km (2.7 mi ...

Falicon Falicon () is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. Population Tourism Falicon is one of sixteen villages grouped together by the Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur tourist department as the ''Route des Villages Perc ...

La Gaude La Gaude (; oc, La Gauda) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. History To the south of the village, a restored Roman stele is close to the Aurelian Way, the Roman road that passed near the present cultural ...

Lantosque Lantosque (; oc, Lantosca) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. It is one of sixteen villages grouped together by the Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur tourist department as the ''Route des Villages Perchés'' (R ...

, Levens,

La Roquette-sur-Var La Roquette-sur-Var (, literally ''La Roquette on Var''; oc, Sa Roqueta de Var) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. It is one of sixteen villages grouped together by the Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur tourist ...

, Saint-Blaise, Saint-Jeannet and

Tourrette-Levens Tourrette-Levens (; oc, Torreta de Levens) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. Population Tourism Tourrette-Levens is one of sixteen villages grouped together by the Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur tourist ...

Geography

Sights

Population

See also