Authon (; ) is a commune in the

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (sometimes abbreviated as AHP; ; ; ), formerly until 1970 known as Basses-Alpes (, ), is a department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France, bordering Alpes-Maritimes and Italy to the east, Var to the sou ...

department in the

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (commonly shortened to PACA), also known as Région Sud, is one of the eighteen Regions of France, administrative regions of France, located at the far southeastern point of the Metropolitan France, mainland. The main P ...

region of south-eastern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Geography

Authon is located in the northern part of the Digne foothills, some 15 km north-east of Sisteron and 22 km north by north-west of

Digne-les-Bains Digne-les-Bains (; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Dinha dei Banhs''), or simply and historically Digne (''Dinha'' in the Franco-Provençal, classical norm or ''Digno'' in the Mistralian norm), is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Alpe ...

Geology

The commune is located on the eastern boundary of the ''Baronnies Orientales'' on Provençal limestone formations of the

Upper Jurassic The Late Jurassic is the third epoch of the Jurassic Period, and it spans the geologic time from 161.5 ± 1.0 to 143.1 ± 0.8 million years ago (Ma), which is preserved in Upper Jurassic strata.Owen 1987. In European lithostratigraphy, the name ...

and

Lower Cretaceous Lower may refer to: * ''Lower'' (album), 2025 album by Benjamin Booker * Lower (surname) * Lower Township, New Jersey *Lower Receiver (firearms) * Lower Wick Gloucestershire, England See also * Nizhny {{Disambiguation ...

periods (sedimentary rocks from a former Alpine Ocean) between three main geological formations of the Alps: *the Digne

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 ...

at the level of the Valavoire lobe: there is a thrust sheet or

- i.e. a slab about 5000 m thick which was moved to the south-west during the

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch (geology), epoch of the Paleogene Geologic time scale, Period that extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that defin ...

and at the end of the formation of the Alps. The lobes (or scales) correspond to the exposed edges to the 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 of the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), 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 mea ...

and

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch (geology), epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.33 to 2.58detritic

sedimentary Sedimentary rocks are types of rock formed by the cementation of sediments—i.e. particles made of minerals (geological detritus) or organic matter (biological detritus)—that have been accumulated or deposited at Earth's surface. Sedime ...

rocks (deposited from the erosion of the mountains which appeared in the Oligocene).

Topography

The village is located at an altitude of 1,137 metres above sea level in the ''Massif des Monges''. The altitude varies from 881 metres (in the downstream gorges of the ''Vanson'' and the narrow valley in the west of the commune) to 2,114 metres at the top of ''Coste Belle'' along the Conaples ridge in the east. Mount Jouere is located in the north with the ridge of ''Clot des Martres'' being the northern boundary of the commune. The Planchettes ravine lies between this mountain and the Lieuron - the mountain overlooking the village. In the south, the ''Col de Font-Belle'', towards Le Castellard-Melan, lies between the Melan mountain and the escarpment of Géruen. Beyond this to the east are the ''Ravine des Barres'' and then the ''Col Saint-Antoine''.

Relief

The commune consists of mountainous topography belonging to the ''Massif des Monges''. The mountains and their ridges alternate with ravines and mountain passes.

Hydrography

Several rivers flow through the commune. Authon is traversed by the river ''Vançon'' which rises at Feissal, in the north of the commune at 1900 m altitude. Several streams flow into the Vançon: the ''Riou d'Authon'', the ''Ravin de la Bastié'', and the ''Verdachon''. There is also an enclosed spring north-west of the village.

Land use

The town has 800 hectares of woods and forests. Human occupation is dispersed across the commune in tiny hamlets, mostly in the western part: Les Fabres, le Vivier, Briançon, Bonnet, Lèbre, Théous, Champdolent. Feissal (location of the village in a former commune) and Bastide Blanche are located in the east. There is also a ''jas''A building of unmortared stone characteristic of Provence in this part, at a little over 1,800 metres: the ''jas Monges''. The Vanson Forest is found in the north, south, and east.

Transport

The

A51 autoroute The A51 autoroute is a partly completed motorway in southeast France. It currently exists as two sections separated by a gap of approximately 85 km, the northern section sometimes referred to as the A51N. It is the long-term project to conn ...

passes to the west more than 10 kilometres from the commune in the Durance valley. It goes north towards Gap and south to

Aix-en-Provence Aix-en-Provence, or simply Aix, is a List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, city and Communes of France, commune in southern France, about north of Marseille. A former capital of Provence, it is the Subprefectures in France, s ...

. Access to the commune is by road D3 from Sisteron in the west via a tortuous route to the south of the commune and the village then continues south to Barras.Google Maps
/ref> Hiking is available on the GR 6 hiking trail which passes through the commune. The nearest railway station is located in Sisteron and is served by TER (Marseille-Briancon). There is also a bus station in Sisteron. The ''Sisteron-Theze Aeredrome'' is located 15 kilometres north-west of the commune at

Vaumeilh Vaumeilh (; ) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. Geography It is a small Provençal village with narrow, winding streets which backs on to a hill. The Dur ...

Natural and technological hazards

None of the 200 communes of the department is in a no seismic risk zone. The canton of Sisteron to which Authon belongs is zone 1b (low risk) according to the deterministic classification of 1991 based on the historical seismicity, and zone 4 (medium risk) according to the probabilistic classification EC8 in 2011. Authon also faces three other natural hazards: *forest fire, *flood (the Vanson and tributaries) *landslide: the town has an average to high hazard on some slopes. Authon is not exposed to any risk of technological origin identified by the prefecture. There is no risk prevention plan for foreseeable natural risks (PPR) nor is one planned for the commune and there is no DICRIM.

Climate

The nearest weather stations to Authon are located at

Thoard Thoard (; ) 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 the Alpes-de-Haute-Provenc ...

, Beaujeu, Sisteron, and

Turriers Turriers () is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. Population Geography The village is situated at an altitude of 1,040 meters on a rocky promontory called "Les Baumelles". It presents the classic as ...

.Météo-France
Network of data from the South-East
, ''Climathèque'', consulted on 11 March 2013

Neighbouring communes and villages

Toponymy

The area appears for the first time in texts of 1237 (''de Autono''). According to Charles Rostaing the name designates a height (from the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

''altus'' meaning "high" and the Gallic ''dunam''). Bénédicte Fénié has a slightly different explanation using as a base ''*Al-t-'' and he also saw an oronym in Authon. According to Ernest Nègre the name came from the Germanic proper name ''Alto''. The name ''Briançon'' is reported in 1190 and ''Feissal'' is reported in 1113. The name ''Saint-Michel'', near Briançon, is perhaps the name of the community church.

History

At Feissal there was a

priory A priory is a monastery of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. They were created by the Catholic Church. Priories may be monastic houses of monks or nuns (such as the Benedictines, the Cistercians, or t ...

of the Abbey of Saint Victor, Marseille which was first mentioned in 1113. The churches and communities of Authon and Briançon depended on the

Order of the Temple The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a Military order (religious society), military order of the Catholic Church, Catholic faith, and one of the most important military ord ...

in the 13th century who also received the related income. After the dissolution of the Order they moved to dependence on the ''Commandery of Claret'' of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. Among the fiefs covering these communities there was also Dromon. ''Rigaut de Montomat'' seized the castle on 4 November 1392 and established a substantial toll for passage to Maupas. He also ransomed the surroundings until the Viguerie of Sisteron raised an army equipped with artillery and put siege to the castle. In February Rigaut de Montomat abandoned the castle for 800

florin The Florentine florin was a gold coin (in Italian ''Fiorino d'oro'') struck from 1252 to 1533 with no significant change in its design or metal content standard during that time. It had 54 grains () of nominally pure or 'fine' gold with a pu ...

s and a promise to set fire to it, a promise he kept. The Briançon community, which consisted of 42 fires in 1315, was depopulated by the crises of the 14th century (the

Black Death The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was one of the list of epidemics, most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as people perished, perhaps 50% of Europe's 14th century population. ...

and the

Hundred Years War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of England and France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy of Aquitaine and was triggered by a c ...

) and was annexed by Authon in the 15th century. At the end of the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

Fair A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Fairs showcase a wide range of go ...

was held in Authon as it was located on one of the routes between the Sisteron bridge on the Durance and the Bléone valley. In the 12th century there was a lawsuit opposing the hospitallier commander of the village over an honorable ceremony (it brought honour to the peasants who were invited): the villagers brought wood at Christmas and the commander shared the family nectar (a superior quality drink), fine pastries, and grapes with their leaders. He wanted to move the ceremony to a variable date and replace the nectar with good wine. At the beginning of the French Revolution the news of the

storming of the Bastille The Storming of the Bastille ( ), which occurred in Paris, France, on 14 July 1789, was an act of political violence by revolutionary insurgents who attempted to storm and seize control of the medieval armoury, fortress, and political prison k ...

was welcomed but caused collective fear of an aristocratic reaction. Locally the

Great Fear The Great Fear () 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. Fuelled by rumours ...

came from Tallard and was part of the flow of "Macon Fear", reaching the area of La Motte on the evening of 31 July 1789. The consuls of the village community were warned that a troop of 5-6,000 brigands were moving towards Haute-Provence after having looted the

Dauphiné The Dauphiné ( , , ; or ; or ), formerly known in English as Dauphiny, 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 ...

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

Bayons Bayons () is a Communes of France, commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of south-eastern France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Bayonnais'' or ''Bayonn ...

, and

Claret Bordeaux wine (; ) 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 broad estuary called the Gironde; the Gir ...

together constituted a group of 700 armed men. They put the Marquis d'Hugues de Beaujeu at its head who decided to meet the danger by monitoring the ferries on the Durance. On 2 August the panic settled and the news which was originally rumours were clarified. An important change took place however: 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 the consuls decided 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. ...

. As soon as the fear subsided, however, the authorities recommended disarming the workers and the landless peasants and to keep only property owners in the National Guard. Between 1820 and 1874, four mills were built "suddenly" at Authon (flour, nut oil) in a rivalry with Saint-Geniez. They went bankrupt. Each 29 June until 1843, then on

Trinity Sunday Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost in the Western Christianity, Western Christian liturgical year, liturgical calendar, and the Sunday of Pentecost in Eastern Christianity. Trinity Sunday celebrates the Christian doctrine of the ...

, there has been a pilgrimage of the faithful of the commune of Baume from Saint Vincent church to the Melan mountain (in Mélan commune). As with many communes in the department, Authon and Feissal endowed a school well before the

Jules Ferry laws The Jules Ferry laws are a set of French laws which established free education in 1881, then mandatory and ''laic'' (secular) education in 1882. Jules Ferry, a lawyer holding the office of Minister of Public Instruction in the 1880s, is widely c ...

: in 1863 a school providing a primary education to boys already operated in both villages. No instruction was given to girls: the Falloux Act (1851), which required the opening of a girls' school in communes with more than 800 inhabitants, and the first Duruy law (1867), which lowered the threshold to 500 inhabitants, did not concern Authon or Feissal. It was only with the Ferry laws that the girls in the two communes were educated. The town suffered a major

rural exodus Rural flight (also known as rural-to-urban migration, rural depopulation, or rural exodus) is the Human migration, migratory pattern of people from rural areas into urban areas. It is urbanization seen from the rural perspective. In Industriali ...

. Authon lost population in 1793, earlier than elsewhere in the department (where the rural exodus began in the 1850s). Some men called to the front to die during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. The commune of Feissal (97 inhabitants in 1765) merged with Authon in 1936. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

the department was occupied by Italy from 1942-1943 and then by Nazi Germany until August 1944. At that time the nearby town of Sisteron was bombed by the allies during the landings in Provence. Liberation came quickly after the landings and the commune became part of the liberated zone on 20 August. Unlike the departmental trend, population loss continued long after the war until 1982 when the town, had only 21 inhabitants. Population growth began at the end of the 20th century. Population reduced by 90% since 1793 with a population of only 40 in the 2000s.

Heraldry

Politics and Administration

Municipal administration

Based on its size the town has a council of 9 members (Article L2121-2 of the General Local Authorities Code). During the 2014 elections there was only one round and Alain Rahon was elected councilor with 56 total votes, or 94.91% of the vote. The turnout was 92.19%. He was then appointed mayor by the council

List of mayors

The mayoral election was an innovation of the French Revolution in 1789. From 1790 to 1795 mayors were elected by suffrage for 2 years. From 1795 to 1800 there was no mayor and the commune simply designated a municipal agent who was delegated to the ''Municipality of the Canton''. In 1799-1800, the

Consulate A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an embassy (or, only between two Commonwealth countries, a ...

returned to the election of mayors who were now appointed by the central government. This system was maintained by the following schemes except during the Second Republic (1848-1851). After keeping the authoritarian system the Third Republic liberalized the system by the law of 5 April 1884 Administration of Communes: the council, elected by universal suffrage, elects the mayor from among its members.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors

Judicial and administrative proceedings

Authon is one of fifteen communes in the Canton of Sisteron. The canton was in the Arrondissement of Sisteron from 17 February 1800 to 10 September 1926 when it was moved to the Arrondissement of Forcalquier and to the Alpes de Haute Provence's 2nd constituency. Authon has been part of the canton of Sisteron since 1801 after having been in the Canton of Saint-Geniez from 1793 to 1801. Authon falls within the area of the ''

Tribunal d'instance In France prior to 2020, the ''Tribunal d'instance'' (literally "Court of First Instance") was a judicial lower court of record of first instance for general civil suits and included a criminal division, the Police Court (''tribunal de police''), ...

'' (District court) of

the ''Tribunal de grande instance'' (High Court) of

, the ''Cour d'appel'' (Appeal court) of

, the ''Tribunal pour enfants'' (

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

) of Digne-les-Bains, the ''

Conseil de prud'hommes In France, the Labour Courts or employment tribunals () resolve individual disputes arising out of an employment contract. The dispute is resolved by a judgment only if conciliation cannot be achieved by the court. Judges are not professionals; cur ...

'' (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 (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...

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

Taxation

The Regional part of the Residential tax is not applicable. In 2010 Business tax was replaced by the property contribution of enterprises (CFE) on the rental value of the property and the value added contribution of the business sector (CAVE) (both forming the territorial economic contribution (CET) which is a local tax introduced by the Finance Act 2010).Law No. 2009-1673
of 30 December 2009 for finance for 2010 (Légifrance)

Population and society

As with many communes in the department Authon has had a rural exodus. The commune has steadily lost population since 1765 although its population doubled between 1982 and 2007. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Authoniers'' or ''Authonières'' in French.

Population

After the crises of the 14th and 15th centuries and a long period of growth until the beginning of the 19th century, there was a period of "slack" where the population remained stable at a high level. This period lasted from 1806 to 1846. The

then caused long term population loss. In 1901 the town recorded the loss of more than half its population since 1800. The outwards movement of population continued until 1980. Since then the population has increased to over 60 people, 15% of its historical peak. Authon has an area of 4,016 hectares and a population of 45 and is ranked in the following table:

Education

The commune has neither a kindergarten nor a primary school. Students from the commune are assigned to the Paul Arène Scholastic City in Sisteron.

Health

The nearest hospital is at Sisteron which depends on the inter-communal hospital of the Southern Alps headquartered in Gap.

Economy

Overview

In 2017, the active population amounted to 32 people, including 3 unemployed. These workers are in majority not employees (74%), and are in majority employed in the commune (65%).Dossier complet: Commune d'Authon (04016)
/ref> At the end of 2015 businesses active in the commune were mainly farms (8 out of 19) and services (6).

Agriculture

At the end of 2015 the primary sector (agriculture, forestry, fisheries) had 8 businesses under the INSEE definition and 10 according to the Agreste Department of Agriculture survey. The farms are sheep and polyculture farms. The utilized agricultural area (UAA) has almost doubled in ten years from 572 to 1,056 hectares with almost all of the area being devoted to livestock. Authon is included in the boundaries of an

Appellation d'origine contrôlée In France, the ''appellation d'origine contrôlée'' (, ; abbr. AOC ) is a label that identifies an agricultural product whose stages of production and processing are carried out in a defined geographical area – the ''terroir'' – and using ...

(AOC) Designation for

Lavender oil Lavender oil is an essential oil obtained by distillation from the flower spikes of certain species of lavender. It is commonly used in aromatherapy, perfumery, and as a flavoring or fragrance in consumer products. A standardized oral ...

(''Huile essentielle de lavande de Haute-Provence'') and nine Geographically Protected Indications (IGP):. *''Pommes des Alpes de Haute-Durance'' (Apples of Alpes de Haute-Durance) *''Miel de Provence'' (Honey of Provence) *''Agneau de Sisteron'' (Sisteron Lamb) *''Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (VDP) blanc, rouge, and rosé'' *''VDP de Méditerranée'' blanc, rouge, and rosé

Lavender

Lavender has been harvested for centuries in the wild until cropping was organized in the 16th century along with the distillation of its flowers.Jean-Paul Bonnefoy, p. 125. Its golden age was at the beginning of the 20th century although it was during the 1920s that there was a real fever for planting. After the crisis of 1929 and the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

the market saw renewed demand from 1955 only to go into crisis five years later.Jean-Paul Bonnefoy, p. 126 Mechanization of harvesting, better organization of the market, and obtaining an AOC for "Lavender essential oil from Haute-Provence" in 1981 should have boosted production.Jean-Paul Bonnefoy, p. 127. Production fell however from approximately 200 tonnes in the early 1980s to 25 tonnes in 1990 then finally increased to 80 tons in 2003.Jean-Paul Bonnefoy, p. 128.

Sisteron lamb

''Sisteron lamb'' is a lamb raised by its mother in the Alps or Drôme of Provence for a minimum 60 days with an age between 70 and 150 days and weighing 13 to 19 kg. It comes from traditional farms with Merino, Mourerous, or Prealpes du Sud mothers who breastfeed for at least two months on a pastoral area with less than 10 sheep per hectare and with a minimum of 10 hectares in area. Lambs who meet these criteria can be sold under the control of the INAO with the red ''Sisteron lamb'' label granted by a governmental decree dated 3 January 2005. These quality requirements put an end to the practice of flocks being reared in the same conditions but from other regions. Each year nearly 400,000 animals used to pass through the slaughterhouses of Sisteron enjoying a certain laxity sought to usurp their provenance.

Apples of Alpes de Haute-Durance

Apples from Alpes de Haute-Durance received a Protected Geographical Indication which was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 17 April 2010. The IGP covers the apple varieties ''Golden Delicious'' and ''Gala'' from six cantons in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and thirteen cantons in Hautes-Alpes located between 450 metres and 900 metres above sea level. The quality of these apples is linked to their soil and, in particular, the climate of Haute-Durance with over 300 days of sunshine per year. The prevailing cold nights during the maturation of apples prevents the degradation of acids while a strong diurnal temperature range allows them to yellow and even become pink.INAO page on the IGP for Apples from Alpes de Haute-Durance
17 April 2010, INAO

Honey of Provence

Honey from Provence is protected by a red label associated with a protected geographical indication for honey from all flowers as well as for honey from lavender and lavandin. There are a number of Beekeepers estimated at about 4,500 of which 700 have between 70 and 150 hives. Regional production is around 2,000 tonnes/year or 8% of the production of France Many practice

transhumance Transhumance is a type of pastoralism or Nomad, nomadism, a seasonal movement of livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures. In montane regions (''vertical transhumance''), it implies movement between higher pastures in summer and low ...

along a path from the coast to Haute-Provence. Summer is the prime season for lavender honey and beehives are located in an area bounded in the north by a line from Montelimar to Digne and in the south

Mont Ventoux Mont Ventoux (; ) is a mountain in the Provence region of southern France, located some northeast of Carpentras, Vaucluse. On the north side, the mountain borders the department of Drôme. At , it is the highest mountain in the region and h ...

, the ''Plateau d'Albion'', ''Lure mountain'', the Vaucluse Mountains, and

Luberon The Luberon ( or ; Provençal dialect, 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 mounta ...

. Honey from other flowers is produced in a wide area bounded by

Nîmes Nîmes ( , ; ; Latin: ''Nemausus'') is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Gard Departments of France, department in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region of Southern France. Located between the Med ...

Montélimar Montélimar (; Vivaro-Alpine dialect, Vivaro-Alpine: ''Montelaimar'' ; ) is a town in the Drôme Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region in Southeastern France. It is the second-largest town in t ...

, Gap,

Nice Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million Toulon Toulon (, , ; , , ) is a city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the French Riviera and the historical Provence, it is the prefecture of the Var (department), Var department. The Commune of Toulon h ...

, and

Avignon Avignon (, , ; or , ; ) is the Prefectures in France, 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 Communes of France, commune had a ...

.Transhumance of provençal hives

Service activities

At the end of 2010 the tertiary sector (trades and services) had 6 businesses (no employees) plus three administrative entities employing one person. According to the Departmental Observatory of tourism, tourism is very important for the commune with more than 5 tourists per resident per year. Nevertheless accommodation is rare in the commune since one small cottage is the only collective accommodation accessible to tourists: there is no hotel nor camping nor furnished accommodation, nor cottages. Second homes provide more capacity with 29 secondary residences out of 63 housing units (46%).

Sites and Monuments

Near the Calade passage of Malpas between Authon and Saint-Geniez there is an engraved stone, dated 1849, depicting a devil or demon, smiling and with feline features like the ''Matagot des Hautes-Alpes''. There are remains of a castle destroyed in 1393 in the hamlet of Briançon. The Sainte-Marie-Madeleine church in the village is a simple rectangular shape and capped in timber except for the choir which is surmounted by a bower of slats. It is considered to be "without style" by Raymond Collier. Its walls are deformed. There is also the Church of Notre-Dame (formerly Sainte-Marie-Madeleine) at Feissal. The Sainte-Marthe Chapel was completely rebuilt on its remains in 2007.

Notes and references

Notes

References

{{authority control Communes of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence