Lucéram (; , formerly; ) is a rural commune in the

Alpes-Maritimes Alpes-Maritimes (; ; ; ) is a Departments of France, department of France located in the country's southeast corner, on the France–Italy border, Italian border and Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast. Part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'A ...

department in the southeastern

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 In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

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 ...

. The commune of Lucéram is home to the village of Peïra-Cava, north of the village of Lucéram, the first winter sports station in the department, established in 1909. The village of Lucéram has a number of ecclesiastical and medieval monuments, as well as altarpieces by Ludovico Brea.

Demographics

Its inhabitants are known as ''Lucéramois'' (masculine) and ''Lucéramoises'' (feminine) in French.

Geography

The town is built on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Foil. In the lower valley, there is an intersection of the

salt road A salt road (also known as a salt route, salt way, saltway, or salt trading route) refers to any of the Prehistory, prehistoric and Recorded history, historical trade routes by which essential salt was transported to regions that lacked it. Fro ...

that leads from the port of

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 Savoy Savoy (; )  is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south and west and to the Aosta Vall ...

, through the valley of Vésubie. The village lies at 650 meters altitude, and 27 kilometers from Nice by D 2566.

Toponymy

The origin of the name ''Lucéram'' is uncertain. Lucéram is originally the name Lucerius or Lucerus. Lucerius was a Benedictine monk. The name is a derivative of a Luceranus that appears in text in 1057, and may have given the village its name. The Latin phrase ''Lux eram'' ("I was light") could also be the origin of the name. Durante gives another expression, ''Lucus eram'' ("I was a sacred grove"), which appears to refer to the ancient worship of the forest that surrounds the village. This etymology is questionable when it is compared with its Latin name Pagus Liccirum. Louis Durante also indicates that the village was built on a fully wooded eminence. In ancient texts there are also the names Lucis-ramus and Luciramus. Luceram was the capital of the tribe of Lepontii quoted on listing Trophée des Alpes.

Sights

Sights include the church St. Margaret (late 15th century), housing an altarpiece by Ludovico Brea and a 13th-century ''Pietà''.

Culture

Each year, the mayor and villagers decorate the village in the theme of Christmas. The village is covered with pine branches and red and gold ribbons. There are nativity scenes set up on window sills, in cellars or any available nook and cranny.

References