Throughout the centuries, from generation to generations, the men of Haute-Provence established an incredible heritage on this harsh land, sometimes strong, often fragile : fortresses, abbeys, dry-stone sheepfolds and fountains… Discovering it is understanding it in a better way. In addition to visits, our various museums won't leave you indifferent.
After a bend on the path, a village with its stones gilded in the sun pops up : Provencal village with its cobbled streets where you drink the ‘’apéro’’ under the plane trees, mountaineer village with wooden balconies and bell towers with their strong arrows up-high. Everywhere, thevillages keep the imprint of their history. In the mountains, the houses are spread into many hamlets close to the fields. In the south, the Provencal village is often nested, made out of high houses all around the main square. But more than these two types, villages are found on various sites: protruding villages, almost invisible in the landscape; acropolis, bathed by sun; foothill villages where sources flows; on the hills, at the heart of crops. Heir of the ancient Ligurian oppida, villages often ‘’travelled’’. They went down the hill during the Pax Romana, nested and fortified themselves during the Middle-Ages, then went out of their battlements down the hill again in the 19th century.
Twelve villages of the Alpes de Haute-Provence are gathered under the label ‘’Villages et Cités de Caractère’’. They all benefit from extraordinary architecture and situation with less than 2000 inhabitants. They commit to promote quality welcoming and animations. Their diversity guarantees their authenticity. They all have a strong identity and two of them (Seyne-les-Alpes and Entrevaux) feature Vauban architecture.
The independent Provence witnesses a strong economic boost in the 11th century, together with a true Renaissance of religious architecture. The first Romanesque art is known as Lombard for it was introduced in the Durance valley by transalpine builders. It’s characterised by a taste for polychromy and roses on facades (Senez, Seyne-les-Alpes) as well as the use of Canopy Portal resting on columns held by lions (Digne and Sisteron’s cathedrals). The second Romanesque Art became popular in the 12th century and was influenced byProvencal models. The way stones fit together and the quality of the sculptures are remarkable. At the time, vast monastic ensembles (priories of Carluc and Salagon) are built with an exemplar architectural strength.
As a frontier with the Savoie for many centuries, the Haute-Provence had to protect itself. Many battlements are built in theRenaissance, but it’s only after 1692, following an attack by the Piedmontese army that Louis XIV asked Vauban to re-build the defense system of the Alps. Within a few years, Vauban created a line of fortifications by restructuring, from North to South, the forts of : Saint-Vincent-les-Forts, Seyne-les-Alpes, Colmars-les-Alpes and Entrevaux.
Create your own ‘’Vauban circuit’’ in the Alpes de Haute-Provence:
He rebuilt doors and battlements, introducing flank towers and multiple devices. But in 1713, the Ubaye became French and the Vauban fortresses useless. However, new fortresses will be built only during the 19th century inUbaye, particularly the fortress of Tournoux (1843-1845), its shooting batteries were set-up on 700m of vertical drop. The 20th century witnessed the construction of 2 pieces of the Ligne Maginot between 1930 and 1940 : Haut-Saint-Ours andRoche-la-Croix watching the Ubayette. Disused, these altitude fortresses are perfect for strolls.
See our accommodations in the Ubaye
A stay in a Gîte de France, here's a gift idea which is quite uncommon and that will certainly make the beneficiary more than happy !
GITE LES SYRPHES
We've gathered for you all the housings labelled Gîtes de France for less than 3 months. A good occasion to discover some new adresses of the Gîtes de France in the Alpes de Haute-Provence, whatever the type of accomodation your looking for : gîte, bed and breakfast, group gîte, city break ...
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