Seyne (; Vivaro-Alpine: ''Sèina'') is a commune in

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 ...

, a department of 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 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 ...

in south-east France. It is roughly 30 km north of Digne. The village's official name is listed under the INSEE Official Geographic Code as "Seyne". However it is known locally as "Seyne-les-Alpes", not to be confused with La Seyne-sur-Mer which is the second largest city in the Var. The residents are traditionally referred to as " Seynois". In more recent years locals have been known to also go by "Seynard" (male) and "Seynarde" (female). The Alpes-de-Haute-Provence tourism board listed Seyne-les-Alpes as one of their "villages and towns of character", an award given to places around the region with remarkable architecture and less than 2000 inhabitants.

Geography

The village sits at an altitude of . The Seyne Valley, known for its rich soil, is nicknamed ''the Swiss Provençal''. The only river to run through the village is the , a tributary of the

Maddalena Pass The Maddalena Pass (Italian: ''Colle della Maddalena'' French: ''Col de Larche'', historically ''Col de l'Argentière'') (elevation 1996 m.) is a high mountain pass between the Cottian Alps and the Maritime Alps, located on the border between It ...

on the Italian-French border. The nearest

SNCF The Société nationale des chemins de fer français (, , SNCF ) is France's national State-owned enterprise, state-owned railway company. Founded in 1938, it operates the Rail transport in France, country's national rail traffic along with th ...

railway station is the .

Climate

Toponymy

The name of the village, as it appeared for the first time in 1147 (''in Sedena''), is thought to refer to the Gallic tribe of the Adanates, or to be built on the root *''Sed-'', for rock, according to Charles Rostaing. According to , the name comes from a Pre-Celtic root oronym (mountain

toponym Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of ''wikt:toponym, toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage, and types. ''Toponym'' is the general term for ...

), *''Sed-''. The municipality is named ''Sanha'' in the

Vivaro-Alpine dialect Vivaro-Alpine () is a variety of Occitan spoken in southeastern France (namely, around the Dauphiné area) and northwestern Italy (the Occitan Valleys of Piedmont and Liguria). There is also a small Vivaro-Alpine enclave in the Guardia Piem ...

and

Provençal dialect Provençal (, , , ; or ) is a variety of Occitan, spoken by people in Provence and parts of Drôme and Gard. The term Provençal used to refer to the entire Occitan language, but more recently it has referred only to the variety of Occitan ...

of the , and ''Sagno'' in the

Mistralian norm The Mistralian norm is a linguistic norm for the Occitan language Occitan (; ), also known by its native speakers as (; ), sometimes also referred to as Provençal, is a Romance language spoken in Southern France, Monaco, Italy's Occitan ...

History

Antiquity

Before the Roman conquest, Seyne was the capital of the Adanates. It held the status of ''

civitas In Ancient Rome, the Latin term (; plural ), according to Cicero in the time of the late Roman Republic, was the social body of the , or citizens, united by Roman law, law (). It is the law that binds them together, giving them responsibilitie ...

'' under the Roman Empire.

Middle Ages

The first counts appeared in the area with the advent of c.950 of Boson, son of Rothbald. His grand-daughter later married the count of Toulose, the beginning of lengthy ties between the two cities. Seyne appeared in charters in 1146 ('in Sedena')

Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona Ramon Berenguer IV (; c. 1114 – 6 August 1162, Anglicized Raymond Berengar IV), sometimes called ''the Saint'', was the count of Barcelona and the consort of Aragon who brought about the union of the County of Barcelona with the Kingdom of Ara ...

forced the submission of Provençal barons who had revolted in the Baussenque Wars. After taking control of

Arles Arles ( , , ; ; Classical ) is a coastal city and Communes of France, commune in the South of France, a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture in the Bouches-du-Rhône Departments of France, department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Reg ...

, he summoned the lords of Haute-Provence to Seyne to renew their fealty. The Counts of Provence endowed the consulate as early as 1223Baratier, Duby & Hildesheimer, p. 200 (1220 according to legal historian ), which served as a model to other consulates. Around the 1220s, a large tower was built to defend the city, which was then called Seyne-la-Grande-Tour. A regional council took place in 1267. The Saint-Jacques Hospital was founded in 1293, followed at the end of the 15th century by the Hôtel-Dieu. The death of

Joanna I of Naples Joanna I, also known as Johanna I (; December 1325 – 27 July 1382), was Queen of Naples, and Countess of Provence and Forcalquier from 1343 to 1381; she was also Princess of Achaea from 1373 to 1381. Joanna was the eldest daughter of C ...

opened a succession crisis at the head of the . The towns of the Union of Aix (1382-1387) supported Charles, Duke of Durazzo against Louis I, Duke of Anjou. The community supported the Durazzo side until 18 September 1385, then changed camp and joined the Angevins through the patient negotiations of Marie de Blois, Louis I's widow and regent of their son Louis II. The surrender of Seyne involved the communities of Couloubrous and Beauvillars. The fair held in Seyne in the late Middle Ages benefitted from its crossroads location, and continued until the end of the

Ancien Regime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for "ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for " ancient, old" ** Socié ...

. Seyne was a

baillie A bailie or baillie is a civic officer in the local government of Scotland. The position arose in the burghs, where bailies formerly held a post similar to that of an alderman or magistrate (see bailiff). Baillies appointed the high constables ...

which subsequently became a

seneschal The word ''seneschal'' () can have several different meanings, all of which reflect certain types of supervising or administering in a historic context. Most commonly, a seneschal was a senior position filled by a court appointment within a royal, ...

headquarters: It included the communities of Auzet, Barles,

La Bréole La Bréole (; Vivaro-Alpine: ''La Breula'') is a former commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune Ubaye-Serre-Ponçon.Montclar, Pontis, Selonnet,

Saint-Martin-lès-Seyne Saint-Martin-lès-Seyne (, literally ''Saint-Martin near Seyne''; Vivaro-Alpine: ''Sant Martin de Sèina'') is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. With 13 inhabitants (as of 2019), it is the second l ...

, Saint-Vincent, Ubaye, Verdaches, Le Vernet. The community of Beauvillars, which had 88 feus at the enumeration of 1316, depended administratively upon Seyne. In the 15th century, the inhabitants of Beauvillars, who had wanted to secede, were massacred, the survivors were deported, and the name of Beauvillars was erased from the archives. The community of Couloubrous (''Colobrosium'', cited in the 13th century), was also attached to 15th century Seyne. There were 19 ''feus'' in 1316, and it also had a .

Early modern (1483-1789)

In the middle of the 16th century,

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

took root in Seyne. Through the

Edict of Amboise The Edict of Amboise, also known as the Edict of Pacification, was signed at the Château of Amboise on 19 March 1563 by Catherine de' Medici, acting as regent for her son Charles IX of France. The Edict ended the first war of the French Wars ...

(1563), adherents of this religion were allowed to build a place of worship, but outside the municipality. The town was captured and looted by Protestant captain in the summer of 1560, during the Wars of Religion. The town was again attacked by Protestants in 1574, who this time held it thereafter. The hid here in 1585, before the offensive of the Catholic League, without preventing the capture of the city by the Duke of Épernon. During the siege, the bell tower was destroyed.Raymond Collier, p. 89. At the end of the Wars of Religion, the Duke of Lesdiguières established a camp where he prepared his campaign to take Provence back from the Catholic Leaguers. The

Protestant Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the papacy and ...

had despite this fighting some success in Seyne, and some of the town's inhabitants remained Protestant. The Protestant community remained into the 17th century around their church, through the

Edict of Nantes The Edict of Nantes () was an edict signed in April 1598 by Henry IV of France, King Henry IV and granted the minority Calvinism, Calvinist Protestants of France, also known as Huguenots, substantial rights in the nation, which was predominantl ...

(1598). However, the

Edict of Fontainebleau The Edict of Fontainebleau (18 October 1685, published 22 October 1685) was an edict issued by French King Louis XIV and is also known as the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes. The Edict of Nantes (1598) had granted Huguenots the right to prac ...

abolished the provisions of the edict of Nantes in 1688. It was fatal to the Protestant community, which disappeared, its people either emigrating or converted by force. In 1656, the two hospitals (Hôtel-Dieu and hospital Saint-Jacques) merged into a single institution and moved to a shared building in 1734. In 1690, the Marquis de Parelle led the

Piedmont Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...

aise army of 5,000 men down from the

Ubaye Valley The Ubaye Valley is an area in the Alpes de Haute-Provence ''département'', in the French Alps, having approximately 7,700 residents. Its residents are called ''Ubayens''. Its principal town is the ''sous-préfecture'' of Barcelonnette. 350px, A ...

and

besiege A siege () . is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or by well-prepared assault. Siege warfare (also called siegecrafts or poliorcetics) is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characte ...

d Seyne. The city was forced to negotiate since the medieval enclosure was insufficient to ensure its defence, and a ransom was set at 11,000

livre Livre may refer to: Currency * French livre, one of a number of obsolete units of currency of France * Livre tournois, one particular obsolete unit of currency of France * Livre parisis, another particular obsolete unit of currency of France * Fre ...

s. However, the

militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

of Provence and the succeeded in driving them back. On 24 December, funds were found and new

bastion A bastion is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fire from the ...

s were built by Niquet. The new wall completed in August 1691 left the great tower outside of the city, but reinforced. After a more serious alert in 1692, the entire Alpine border was reconsidered by Sebastien Vauban. In December 1692, he asked for the construction of a citadel including the great tower. led the work from 1693 to 1699. Although not satisfied during his inspection tour in 1700, Vauban failed to modify the fortifications, in part by building redoubts of setbacks in the north. The annexation of Ubaye by the

Treaty of Utrecht The Peace of Utrecht was a series of peace treaty, peace treaties signed by the belligerents in the War of the Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht between April 1713 and February 1715. The war involved three contenders for the vac ...

removed the threat sufficiently for the work to be deferred indefinitely, (except for repairs to the walls in 1786). The city was occupied in this condition by the Austro-Sardes in 1748 during the

War of the Austrian Succession The War of the Austrian Succession was a European conflict fought between 1740 and 1748, primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italian Peninsula, Italy, the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Related conflicts include King Ge ...

and again in 1815, at the end of the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

. The city was almost undefended at the end of the

Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for " ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...

, with nine guns served by a garrison of three invalids, and an arsenal of 93 guns. The city was the seat of a viguerie until the French Revolution and an office of the at the end of the Ancien Régime.

French Revolution

Just before the French Revolution, unrest mounted. Several years of fiscal problems preceded a bad harvest in 1788 and a very cold winter of 1788-89. The election of the

Estates-General of 1789 The Estates General of 1789 () was a general assembly representing the French estates of the realm: the clergy (First Estate), the nobility (Second Estate), and the commoners (Third Estate). It was the last of the Estates General of the Kingdom ...

was prepared by elections for in 1788 and in January 1789, which highlighted the political oppositions of class and caused some agitation. At the end of March, as the

cahiers de doléances The Cahiers de doléances (; or simply Cahiers as they were often known) were the lists of grievances drawn up by each of the three Estates in France, between January and April 1789, the year in which the French Revolution began. Their compilatio ...

were drawn up, a wave of insurrection shook Provence. A

wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...

riot occurred in Seyne on 29 March. Peasants gathered, protesting with shouts and threatens against the wealthy. However, the riot went no further, and did not cause any changes, unlike others in the region. At first, reaction consisted in gathering the ''

Maréchaussée The were corps of soldiers in the armies of France initially put in charge of military policing and justice during the Middle Ages, and later extended to civilian responsibilities. They gradually coalesced into a police force with jurisdictio ...

'' staff. Then lawsuits were commissioned by the Parlement of Aix-en-Provence, but sentences were not carried out because 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 ...

and 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 ...

. In appeasement, an

amnesty Amnesty () is defined as "A pardon extended by the government to a group or class of people, usually for a political offense; the act of a sovereign power officially forgiving certain classes of people who are subject to trial but have not yet be ...

was announced in early August. The fall of the Bastille was welcomed and thought to presage the end of arbitrary use of royal power, and perhaps profound changes. The advent of the new regime triggered a great phenomenon of collective fear that seized France, fear of an aristocrats conspiring to recover their privileges. Rumours of armed soldiers devastating everything in their path spread rapidly, accompanied by gunfire, violence against nobles, and the organization of militias. The Great Fear came from Tallard, and awareness of the ''fear of the Mâconnais'' reached Seyne on the evening of 31 July 1789. Michel Vovelle, "Les troubles de Provence en 1789" (Unrest in Provence in 1789), map 154 and commentary, in Baratier, Duby & Hildesheimer The of

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 ...

and

Bellaffaire Bellaffaire (; ) 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-Pr ...

, warned by those at Gap that a troop of 5-6,000 brigands was headed to Haute-Provence after plundering 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 ...

, sent word to the consuls of Seyne, who sent word to Sisteron and Digne, thereby spreading the Great Fear. They also warned all parishes within the purview of the viguerie of Seyne, and sent messengers to Gap and Embrun to ask for news. The arsenal of the citadel was requisitioned, and 93 guns and nine cannons were distributed in Seyne and the villages of Saint-Pons, Selonnet and Chardavon. Men took refuge with their furniture and livestock away from the walls of the citadel. That night, messengers from Rochebrune and La Motte confirmed the news, and added that

Romans-sur-Isère Romans-sur-Isère (; ; Old Occitan: ''Romans'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Drôme Departments of France, department in southeastern France. Geography Romans-sur-Isère is located on the Isère (river), Isère, northeast of Valence, ...

had been sacked. From the south, disquieting news arrived of the occupation of

Castellane Castellane (; Provençal dialect, Provençal Occitan language, Occitan: ''Castelana'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region ...

by 4,000 and the advance of 1,000

soldiers in 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 .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. ...

on foot. As soon as the fear had settled, the authorities disarmed workers and landless peasants, and kept only landowners and business owners in the National Guard. The of the municipality was created in the summer of 1792.

19th century

Seyne saw some industrialization in the 19th century with the development of textile industries. As with many municipalities in this department, Seyne had schools 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, it had five, one in the town proper and also in the villages of Pompiery, Bas-Chardavon, Pons and Couloubroux. These schools provided

primary education Primary education is the first stage of Education, formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary education. Primary education takes place in ''primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or first schools and middle s ...

for boys. In the main town, a school for girls was mandated by the

Falloux Laws The Falloux Laws promoted Catholic schools in France in the 1850s, 1860s and 1870s. They were voted in during the French Second Republic and promulgated on 15 March 1850 and in 1851, following the presidential election of Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte ...

of 1851. The commune took advantage of subsidies from the second Duruy Law (1877) to rebuild or renovate its schools. Only the Bas-Chardavon school was not addressed.

Politics and administration

Trends in policies and results

List of mayors

Environmental policy

Seyne is classified as a flower in the towns and villages floral competition.

Administration

A brigade of the

National Gendarmerie The National Gendarmerie ( ) is one of two national law enforcement forces of France, along with the National Police (France), National Police. The Gendarmerie is a branch of the French Armed Forces placed under the jurisdiction of the Minister ...

is located in the town center of Seyne.

Population and society

Demography

Demographic evolution

In 2012, Seyne had 1419 inhabitants. Its population had been stagnant since 1999. In the 21st century, communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants only have a census every five years (2004, 2009 and 2014, etc. for Seyne). Since 2004, the other figures are estimates. In 2008, the commune was 6,862nd in size in the national rankings. It was 6,215th in 1999, and of the 200 communes in the departement it ranked 22nd. The demographic history of Seyne, after the population losses of the 14th and 15th centuries, and the long period of growth until the beginning of the 19th century, was marked by a period of 'spread' where the population remained relatively stable at a high level. This period lasted from 1821 to 1861. The then caused a trend of long-term demographic decline. By 1921, the town had lost more than half its population from its maximum in 1846. The drop continued until the 1970s. Since then, population growth has resumed but without returning to the level of 1911.

Age pyramid

The population of the commune is relatively old. The proportion of people over 60 (34.1%) is higher than in France as a whole (21.6%) and the department (27.3%). Like national and departmental allocations, the female population of the commune is greater than the male population. The rate (52.2%) is of a similar order of magnitude as the national rate (51.6%). The distribution of the population of the commune by age is, in 2007, as follows: *47.8% of men (0–14 years = 18.4%, 15–29 years = 12.1%, 30-44 year olds = 17.1%, 45–59 years = 20.1%, more than 60 years = 32.3%) *52.2% of women (0–14 years = 15.7%, 15–29 years = 10.5%, 30-44 year olds = 17.2%, 45–59 years = 20.8%, more than 60 years = 35.8%)

Education

The municipality has three educational institutions: *Two schools; a primary school and a kindergarten. *The Marcel-André College.

Health

A hospital is located in the municipality.

Economy

The economy of Seyne revolves around sports activities and tourism.

Industry

''Alp'entreprise'', active in the (BTP) sector, has 15

employee Employment is a relationship between two party (law), parties Regulation, regulating the provision of paid Labour (human activity), labour services. Usually based on a employment contract, contract, one party, the employer, which might be a cor ...

Tourism

The commune has an

Alpine skiing Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel Ski binding, bindings, unlike other types of skiing (Cross-country skiing, cross-country, Telemark skiing, Telemark, or ski jumping) ...

ski station at Le Grand Puy and a

Nordic skiing Nordic skiing encompasses the various types of skiing in which the toe of the ski boot is fixed to the binding in a manner that allows the heel to rise off the ski, unlike alpine skiing, where the boot is attached to the ski from toe to heel. Re ...

station at . Formerly, the town had one or two

ski lift A ski lift is a mechanism for transporting skiers up a hill. Ski lifts are typically a Lift ticket, paid service at ski resorts. The first ski lift was built in 1908 by German Robert Winterhalder in Schollach/Eisenbach, Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, ...

s to Col Saint-Jean. In 2024, the commune voted to close the Grand Puy ski facilities effective 1 November because there was no longer adequate snow. The lifts will be dismantled and other forms of tourism are under consideration. , connecting Sainte-Foy to Saint-Paul-sur-Ubaye, passes through Seyne.

Local culture and heritage

Sites and monuments

Fortifications

Medieval fortifications remain: *The fortified gate of the Rue Basse, from the 14th century. *The Tour Maubert, or great tower, a three-storey tower built outside the walls in the 12th century. This was built as a rectangle high connected to the town. It has been reviewed as under restoration. The rest of the city wall enclosure in fact consisted of the walls of houses, built continuously, without openings to the outside. In 1690-1691, the engineer Niquet began construction of a new, much larger enclosure with nine bastion towers, of which six survive.Raymond Collier, p. 323 These towers had two levels, the lower a pentagonal, a design innovation of Niquet. The construction was reviewed by Vauban, who requested the addition of a citadel during his visit in 1692. The was built by , beginning in 1693, and completed in 1700. This citadel, too narrow, known as Vauban but which did not satisfy him during his inspection trip, dominates the Valley, long by wide. It incorporates an old tower modified to accommodate artillery, is equipped with a barracks, and entry was barred, on the town side, by a tenaille.Collier, p. 324 The wall was completed in 1705. The , at the front line at the time of its construction, was found in the third line after the

(1713), which reunited the

with France, was defended by two invalid companies to the Revolution, and a reduced garrison during the period between 1790-1815. The restoration added an advanced battery or hornwork, a rebuilt door (1821), and some

casemate A casemate is a fortified gun emplacement or armoured structure from which guns are fired, in a fortification, warship, or armoured fighting vehicle.Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary When referring to antiquity, the term "casemate wall" ...

s for rear firing and

caponier A caponier is a type of defensive structure in a fortification. Fire from this point could cover the ditch beyond the curtain wall (fortification), curtain wall to deter any attempt to storm the wall. The word originates from the French ', meaning ...

s. It was decommissioned in 1866, then occupied by a single guard from 1887 to 1907, when it was sold. Passed from hand to hand, the commune bought it in 1977, and has since begun restoration work. The enclosure is a listed

historic monument A monument is a type of structure that was explicitly created to commemorate a person or event, or which has become relevant to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, due to its artistic, historical ...

Civil architecture

Several houses on the streets of the old center date from the 17th century, including the old town hall on the main street and a house nearby from 1788, with an arched gate. Another house on the high street dates from 1605. A further house on the high street dates from 1708 and, nearby, one more dates from the end of the Middle Ages, with an overhang supported by

corbel In architecture, a corbel is a structural piece of stone, wood or metal keyed into and projecting from a wall to carry a wikt:superincumbent, bearing weight, a type of bracket (architecture), bracket. A corbel is a solid piece of material in t ...

s of wood mouldings.Raymond Collier, p. 369 Other houses on the high street, retained in front of the arches, have characteristic medieval elements. However, these date to the 18th century.Raymond Collier, p. 369-370 The hospital was built in 1734.Collier, p. 370 A carved bench, leather seat, and a five foot long table of beech from the 17th and the 18th centuries, currently kept at the town hall, originally came from the hospital.Collier, p. 518 These items are classified as

objects. Several farms in the commune are fortified.

The Church of Our Lady of Nazareth

The (Notre-Dame-de-Nazareth), built in Romanesque style, has completely retained its initial appearance.Collier, p. 74

Legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the ...

arily attributed to

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...

, in fact construction of the present building can be traced back to the middle of the 12th century.Collier, p. 88 The western façade is decorated with a large

rose window Rose window is often used as a generic term applied to a circular window, but is especially used for those found in Gothic cathedrals and churches. The windows are divided into segments by stone mullions and tracery. The term ''rose window'' wa ...

with twelve rays and a

sundial A sundial is a horology, horological device that tells the time of day (referred to as civil time in modern usage) when direct sunlight shines by the position of the Sun, apparent position of the Sun in the sky. In the narrowest sense of the ...

, composed on a marble slab, dating from 1878. The old porch has disappeared. Its arched portal has retained its carved capitals. The

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

, long and high, has three arched barrel

bay A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a ''gulf'', ''sea'', ''sound'', or ''bight''. A ''cove'' is a small, ci ...

s, and is separated with a double-roll of a double-arch. The

chancel In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the Choir (architecture), choir and the sanctuary (sometimes called the presbytery), at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may termi ...

has a flat

chevet In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. In Byzan ...

and is also

barrel-vault A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault, wagon vault or wagonhead vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve (or pair of curves, in the case of a pointed barrel vault) along a given distance. The curves are ...

ed. In front of the choir, two side chapels form a false

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform ("cross-shaped") cruciform plan, churches, in particular within the Romanesque architecture, Romanesque a ...

. The portal of the south façade is Gothic, from the 13th or 14th century, notable for being framed by two separations of

arch An arch is a curved vertical structure spanning an open space underneath it. Arches may support the load above them, or they may perform a purely decorative role. As a decorative element, the arch dates back to the 4th millennium BC, but stru ...

es which rely on the surrounding

buttress A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall. Buttresses are fairly common on more ancient (typically Gothic) buildings, as a means of providing support to act ...

es. The gate leaves date to 1631. The church spire was rebuilt after the siege of the Duke of Épernon. Some renovation work (repointing, restoration of the southwestern buttresses) was done in 1967. The

capital Capital and its variations may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** Capital region, a metropolitan region containing the capital ** List of national capitals * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Econom ...

s have carved human faces and characters with bodies twisted by torments that devils impose upon them. The

baptismal font A baptismal font is an Church architecture, ecclesiastical architectural element, which serves as a receptacle for baptismal water used for baptism, as a part of Christian initiation for both rites of Infant baptism, infant and Believer's bapti ...

s are in diameter. The church has been a classified

since 1862. The

Holy Family The Holy Family consists of the Child Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph. The subject became popular in art from the 1490s on,Ainsworth, 122 but veneration of the Holy Family was formally begun in the 17th century by Saint François de La ...

altarpiece was painted directly onto the panel of the

retable A retable is a structure or element placed either on or immediately behind and above the altar or communion table of a church. At the minimum, it may be a simple shelf for candles behind an altar, but it can also be a large and elaborate struct ...

, in archaic style, during the 17th century. The wooden

pulpit A pulpit is a raised stand for preachers in a Christian church. The origin of the word is the Latin ''pulpitum'' (platform or staging). The traditional pulpit is raised well above the surrounding floor for audibility and visibility, accesse ...

, carved and decorated, dates to the turn of the 17th and 18th centuries and is also a listed object. The furnishings of the church include: *Several processional crosses, one of silver decorated with

Champlevé Champlevé is an enamelling technique in the decorative arts, or an object made by that process, in which troughs or cells are carved, etched, die struck, or Casting (metalworking), cast into the surface of a metal object, and filled with vitreo ...

enamels, (listed, 16th century) *A wood carving in

high relief High may refer to: Science and technology * Height * High (atmospheric), a high-pressure area * High (computability), a quality of a Turing degree, in computability theory * High (tectonics), in geology an area where relative tectonic uplift t ...

Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cr ...

, gilt, (18th century, listed) *The altar and the tabernacle of the Dominican convent, gilded wood, 17th century, listed) *An image of the Holy Family (16th century, listed) *A marble font by Maurin (17th century, classified) *A

tabernacle According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle (), also known as the Tent of the Congregation (, also Tent of Meeting), was the portable earthly dwelling of God used by the Israelites from the Exodus until the conquest of Canaan. Moses was instru ...

placed under a

baldachin A baldachin, or baldaquin (from ), is a canopy of state typically placed over an altar or throne. It had its beginnings as a cloth canopy, but in other cases it is a sturdy, permanent Architecture, architectural feature, particularly over Alta ...

at six feet, from the convent of the Trinitarian Order (16th century, listed) Finally, the priest has full vestments (

chasuble The chasuble () is the outermost liturgical vestment worn by clergy for the celebration of the Eucharist in Western-tradition Christian churches that use full vestments, primarily in Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches. In the Eastern ...

dalmatic The dalmatic is a long, wide-sleeved tunic, which serves as a liturgical vestment in the Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, United Methodist, and some other churches. When used, it is the proper vestment of a deacon at Mass, Holy Communion or other ...

, clevis, veil covering the

chalice A chalice (from Latin 'cup', taken from the Ancient Greek () 'cup') is a drinking cup raised on a stem with a foot or base. Although it is a technical archaeological term, in modern parlance the word is now used almost exclusively for the ...

, purse, stole, maniple), satin brocade, with colourful ornaments, and an undecorated cross of a landscape, from the 18th century. This set is unique in the department, and is also listed as an historic object.

Dominican Church

The Church of the

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers (, abbreviated OP), commonly known as the Dominican Order, is a Catholic Church, Catholic mendicant order of pontifical right that was founded in France by a Castilians, Castilian priest named Saint Dominic, Dominic de Gu ...

, of classic style, has a relatively complex layout. In a nave with six bays, each wide span is followed by a narrow span, all flattened and barrel-vaulted. The narrow spans are filled with an oeil-de-boeuf, while the wide aisles are square bays. Six

reliquary A reliquary (also referred to as a ''shrine'', ''Chasse (casket), chasse'', or ''phylactery'') is a container for relics. A portable reliquary, or the room in which one is stored, may also be called a ''feretory''. Relics may be the purported ...

busts, from the 17th century, are still archaic style and are listed as historic objects. The church is decorated with a

Crucifixion of Jesus The crucifixion of Jesus was the death of Jesus by being crucifixion, nailed to a cross.The instrument of Jesus' crucifixion, instrument of crucifixion is taken to be an upright wooden beam to which was added a transverse wooden beam, thus f ...

from the 17th century, in which Christ is surrounded by all the instruments of the Passion, two penitents and two angels, and is also a listed object. The convent, which forms part of the church, was built in 1683 and is a registered monument. The sacramental veil in the church is golden

embroidered Embroidery is the art of decorating Textile, fabric or other materials using a Sewing needle, needle to stitch Yarn, thread or yarn. It is one of the oldest forms of Textile arts, textile art, with origins dating back thousands of years across ...

silk (67 cm by 71 cm). It represents two angels in prayer on either side of an altar on which a silver lamb has been sacrificed. This veil has been a listed object since 1908.

Chapels

The town has many surviving chapels: *Chapel of the Penitents, with a three-sided steeple, 17th–18th century. *The chapel of Saint-Pons, in Saint-Pons, from the beginning of the 17th century, with a nave of five bays and a Gothic bell tower from 1437). Its furnishings include a silver chalice from the 17th century, a listed historic object. *The chapels in the hamlets of Bas-Chardavonet, Haut-Chardavon, at Couloubroux, and Le Fault; at Maur, Pompiéry, Rémusats, and Haut-Savornin.

Museums

Ecomuseum An ecomuseum is a museum focused on the identity of a place, largely based on local participation and aiming to enhance the welfare and development of local community, local communities. Ecomuseums originated in France, the concept being develop ...

s: The tailor, the old school, the and the forge.

Events

*Each year, during the second weekend of August, the last horse competition in France is held at Seyne (a competition for the best

mule The mule is a domestic equine hybrid between a donkey, and a horse. It is the offspring of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare). The horse and the donkey are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes; of the two ...

, with categories). *During the second weekend of October, an autumn fair is organized (cattle, horses, and a few other animals)

Notable people

* Antoine Laugier, born in Seyne, died in

Aix Aix or AIX may refer to: Computing * AIX, a line of IBM computer operating systems *Alternate index, for an IBM Virtual Storage Access Method key-sequenced data set * Athens Internet Exchange, a European Internet exchange point Places Belg ...

in 1709, historian of the order of the Trinitarian Order. *Writer Jean Proal (1904-1969) * Jacques Clarion, born October 12, 1776, in Saint-Pons, pharmacist to the Army of Italy. *Historian Abbot Alibert *The family * (1728-1808), member of the Legislative Assembly, born in Seyne * (1753-1816), Deputy to the

National Convention The National Convention () was the constituent assembly of the Kingdom of France for one day and the French First Republic for its first three years during the French Revolution, following the two-year National Constituent Assembly and the ...

during the French Revolution, born in Seyne * (born June 9, 1940, in Seyne), Member of the National Assembly from the 1970s to 1990 * Eugène Michel (1821-1885), born in Seyne, Member of Parliament in 1871 and Senator from 1876 to 1885 * Pierre Martin Borély de la Sapie (1814-1895), born in Seyne, colonist in Algeria, farmer, first mayor of Boufarik (Algiers), mayor of Blida, officer of the Légion d'honneur, general counsel of Algiers, Chairman of the USDA of Algiers Advisory Committee, Member of many commissions. See also
Boufarik: a page of colonization of Algeria
Colonel Trumelet * Sylvain Wojak, model, writer

Heraldry

Bibliography

* * ( BnF no
FRBNF35450017h
*

References

External links

Official websiteVallée de la BlancheLocal website with photosHeritage Association of Pays du Seyne
(Archive)
Hospital of Saint Jacques
(Archive) {{authority control Communes of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence