Barcelonnette (; oc, Barciloneta de Provença, also ; obsolete it, Barcellonetta) 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 ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

and a

subprefecture A subprefecture is an administrative division of a country that is below prefecture or province. Albania There are twelve Albanian counties or prefectures, each of which is divided into several districts, sometimes translated as subprefectures. ...

in the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, in the

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (; or , ; commonly shortened to PACA; en, Provence-Alps-French Riviera, italic=yes; also branded as Région Sud) is one of the eighteen administrative regions of France, the far southeastern on the mainland. Its pref ...

region. It is located in the southern

French Alps The French Alps are the portions of the Alps mountain range that stand within France, located in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions. While some of the ranges of the French Alps are entirely in France, others, such as ...

, at the crossroads between

Provence Provence (, , , , ; oc, Provença or ''Prouvènço'' , ) is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which extends from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the Italian border to the east; it is bor ...

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

and the

Dauphiné The Dauphiné (, ) 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 originally the Dauphiné of Viennois. In the 12th centu ...

, and is the largest town in 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, ...

. The town's inhabitants are known as ''Barcelonnettes''.

Toponymy

Barcelonnette was founded and named in 1231, by Ramon Berenguer IV,

Count of Provence The land of Provence has a history quite separate from that of any of the larger nations of Europe. Its independent existence has its origins in the frontier nature of the dukedom in Merovingian Gaul. In this position, influenced and affected by ...

. Albert Dauzat and Charles Rostaing, ''Dictionnaire étymologique des noms de lieux en France'', Éd. Larousse, 1968, pp. 1693–1694. While the town's name is generally seen as a diminutive form of

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a '' nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the nort ...

, Albert Dauzat and Charles Rostaing point out an earlier attestation of the name ''Barcilona'' in Barcelonnette in around 1200, and suggest that it is derived instead from two earlier stems signifying a mountain, *''bar'' and *''cin'' (the latter of which is also seen in the name of

Mont Cenis Mont Cenis ( it, Moncenisio) is a massif (el. 3,612 m / 11,850 ft at Pointe de Ronce) and a pass (el. 2,085 m / 6,840 ft) in Savoie (France), which forms the limit between the Cottian and Graian Alps. Route The term "Mont Cenis" cou ...

). Charles Rostaing, ''Essai sur la toponymie de la Provence depuis les origines jusqu'aux invasions barbares'', Laffite Reprints, Marseille, 1973 (1st edition 1950), p 91Ernest Nègre, ''Toponymie générale de la France : étymologie de 35 000 noms de lieux'', Genève : Librairie Droz, 1990. Collection ''Publications romanes et françaises'', volume CVCIII. Volume III : Formations dialectales (suite) ; formations françaises § 30208 § 30208 In the

Vivaro-Alpine Vivaro-Alpine ( oc, vivaroalpenc, vivaroaupenc) 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 ...

dialect of Occitan, the town is known as ''Barcilona de Provença'' or more rarely ''Barciloneta'' according to the classical norm; under the

Mistralian norm The Mistralian norm is a linguistic norm for the Occitan language. It was first used in a published work by Joseph Roumanille in 1853, and then by Frédéric Mistral in 1854. Its aim is to make Provençal Occitan orthography more logical, relying ...

it is called ''Barcilouna de Prouvença'' or ''Barcilouneto''. In ''Valéian'' (the dialect of Occitan spoken in the Ubaye Valley), it is called ''Barcilouna de Prouvença'' or ''Barcilounéta''.François Arnaud, Gabriel Maurin, ''Le langage de la vallée de Barcelonnette'', Paris : Champion, 1920 - Re-edited in 1973, Marseille: Laffitte ReprintsJean-Rémy Fortoul, ''Ubaye, la mémoire de mon pays : les gens, les bêtes, les choses, le temps'', Barcelonnette: Sabença de la Valeia/Mane: Alpes de Lumière, 1995. ; ''Barcino Nova'' is the town's

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

name meaning "new Barcelona"; ''Barcino'' was the Roman name for Barcelona in Catalonia from its foundation by Emperor

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...

in 10 BC,Chapter 2: Colonia Julia Augusta Faventia Paterna Barcino, Romans at Mons Taber
Town Hall of Barcelona and it was only changed to ''Barcelona'' in the

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

. The inhabitants of the town are called ''Barcelonnettes'', or ''Vilandroises'' in Valéian.

History

Origins

The Barcelonnette region was populated by

Ligures The Ligures (singular Ligur; Italian: liguri; English: Ligurians) were an ancient people after whom Liguria, a region of present-day north-western Italy, is named. Ancient Liguria corresponded more or less to the current Italian regi ...

from the 1st millennium BC onwards, and the arrival of the

Celts The Celts (, see pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples () are. "CELTS location: Greater Europe time period: Second millennium B.C.E. to present ancestry: Celtic a collection of Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancien ...

several centuries later led to the formation of a mixed Celto-Ligurian people, the Vesubians. Polybius described the Vesubians as belligerent but nonetheless civilised and mercantile, and

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, ...

praised their bravery. The work ''History of the Gauls'' also places the Vesubians in the Ubaye Valley. Following the Roman conquest of Provence, Barcelonnette was included in a small province with modern Embrun as its capital and governed by Albanus Bassalus. This was integrated soon afterwards into Gallia Narbonensis. In 36 AD, Emperor

Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was the second Roman emperor. He reigned from AD 14 until 37, succeeding his stepfather, the first Roman emperor Augustus. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC. His father ...

transferred Barcelonnette to the province of the

Cottian Alps The Cottian Alps (; french: Alpes Cottiennes ; it, Alpi Cozie ) are a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps. They form the border between France (Hautes-Alpes and Savoie) and Italy (Piedmont). The Fréjus Road Tunnel and Fréjus Ra ...

. The town was known as ''Rigomagensium'' under the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...

and was the capital of a civitas (a provincial subdivision),Raymond Collier, ''La Haute-Provence monumentale et artistique'', Digne, Imprimerie Louis Jean, 1986, p. 15 though no Roman money has yet been found in the canton of Barcelonnette.Raymond Collier, ''La Haute-Provence monumentale et artistique'', p. 37

Medieval town

The town of Barcelonnette was founded in 1231 by Ramon Berenguer IV,

. According to Charles Rostaing, this act of formal "foundation", according certain privileges to the town, was a means of regenerating the destroyed town of ''Barcilona''. The town was afforded a ''consulat'' (giving it the power to administer and defend itself) in 1240.Under the direction of Édouard Baratier, Georges Duby, and Ernest Hildesheimer, ''Atlas historique. Provence, Comtat Venaissin, principauté d'Orange, comté de Nice, principauté de Monaco'', Librairie Armand Colin, Paris, 1969, p. 163 Control of the area in the

swung between the

Counts of Savoy The titles of count, then of duke of Savoy are titles of nobility attached to the historical territory of Savoy. Since its creation, in the 11th century, the county was held by the House of Savoy. The County of Savoy was elevated to a duchy at ...

and of Provence. In 1388, after Count Louis II of Provence had left to conquer

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

, the Count of Savoy Amadeus VIII took control of Barcelonnette; however, it returned to Provençal control in 1390, with the d'Audiffret family as its lords. On the death of Louis II in 1417 it reverted to Savoy, and, although Count René again retook the area for Provence in 1471, it had returned to Savoyard dominance by the start of the 16th century, by which point the County of Provence had become united with the Kingdom of France due to the death of Count

Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infa ...

in 1481.

Ancien Régime

During

's invasion of Provence in 1536,

Francis I of France Francis I (french: François Ier; frm, Francoys; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin on ...

sent the Count of Fürstenberg's 6000 ''

Landsknechte The (singular: , ), also rendered as Landsknechts or Lansquenets, were Germanic mercenaries used in pike and shot formations during the early modern period. Consisting predominantly of pikemen and supporting foot soldiers, their front line ...

'' to ravage the area in a scorched earth policy. Barcelonnette and the Ubaye Valley remained under French sovereignty until the second Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis on 3 April 1559. In 1588 the troops of François, Duke of Lesdiguières entered the town and set fire to the church and convent during their campaign against the Duke of Savoy. In 1600, after the Treaty of Vervins, conflict returned between

Henry IV of France Henry IV (french: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarch ...

and Savoy, and Lesdiguières retook Barcelonnette until the conclusion of the Treaty of Lyon on 17 January the following year. In 1628, during the

War of the Mantuan Succession The War of the Mantuan Succession (1628–1631) was a related conflict of the Thirty Years' War, caused by the death in December 1627 of Vincenzo II, last male heir in the direct line of the House of Gonzaga and ruler of the duchies of Mantua ...

, Barcelonnette and the other towns of the Ubaye Valley were pillaged and burned by Jacques du Blé d'Uxelles and his troops, as they passed through towards Italy to the Duke of Mantua's aid. The town was retaken by the Duke of Savoy in 1630; and in 1691 it was captured by the troops of the Marquis de Vins during the War of the League of Augsburg. Between 1614 and 1713, Barcelonnette was the seat of one of the four prefectures under the jurisdiction of the Senate of Nice. At this time, the community of Barcelonnette successfully purchased the '' seigneurie'' of the town as it was put to auction by the Duke of Savoy; it thereby gained its own justicial powers.Jean Nicolas, ''La Rébellion française : mouvements populaires et conscience sociale, 1661-1789'', Paris: Gallimard, 2008. Collection ''Folio'', , p. 311 In 1646, a college was founded in Barcelonnette.Prefecture of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence,
Histoire de l'Arrondissement de Barcelonnette
», ''Préfecture des Alpes de Haute-Provence'', accessed 23 June 2012 A "significant" part of the town's inhabitants had, by the 16th century, converted to

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

, and were repressed during the

French Wars of Religion The French Wars of Religion is the term which is used in reference to a period of civil war between French Catholics and Protestants, commonly called Huguenots, which lasted from 1562 to 1598. According to estimates, between two and four mi ...

. The '' viguerie'' of Barcelonnette (also comprising Saint-Martin and Entraunes) was reattached to France in 1713 as part of a territorial exchange with the Duchy of Savoy during the

Treaties of Utrecht The Peace of Utrecht was a series of 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 vacant throne of ...

. The town remained the site of a ''viguerie'' until the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

.''La Révolution dans les Basses-Alpes'', Annales de Haute-Provence, bulletin de la société scientifique et littéraire des Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, no 307, 1st term 1989, 108th year, p 107 A decree of the council of state on 25 December 1714 reunited Barcelonnete with the general government of Provence.

Revolution

Barcelonnette was one of few settlements in Haute-Provence to acquire a

Masonic Lodge A Masonic lodge, often termed a private lodge or constituent lodge, is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also commonly used as a term for a building in which such a unit meets. Every new lodge must be warranted or chartered ...

before the Revolution, in fact having two: * the lodge of ''Saint-Jean-d'Écosse des amis réunis'', affiliated with the ''Saint-Jean-d'Écosse'' lodge in

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fra ...

; * the lodge of ''Saint-Jean'', affiliated with the ''Saint-Jean-de-Jérusalem d'Avignon'' lodge founded in 1749. Robert-Henri Bautier, "Les loges maçonniques (seconde moitié du XVIII^e siècle)", maps 120 and 121 and commentary ''in'' Baratier, Duby & Hildesheimer, ''Atlas historique''Patrice Alphand, "Les Sociétés populaires", ''La Révolution dans les Basses-Alpes'', Annales de Haute-Provence, bulletin de la société scientifique et littéraire des Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, no 307, 1st term 1989, 108th year, p. 292 In March 1789, riots took place as a result of a crisis in wheat production.''La Révolution dans les Basses-Alpes'', Annales de Haute-Provence, bulletin de la société scientifique et littéraire des Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, no 307, 1st term 1989, 108th year, p. 11 In July, the

Great Fear The Great Fear (french: Grande Peur) 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, ...

of aristocratic reprisal against the ongoing

struck France, arriving in the Barcelonnette area on 31 July 1789 (when the news of the

storming of the Bastille The Storming of the Bastille (french: Prise de la Bastille ) occurred in Paris, France, on 14 July 1789, when revolutionary insurgents stormed and seized control of the medieval armoury, fortress, and political prison known as the Bastille. At ...

first reached the town) before spreading towards

Digne Digne-les-Bains (; Occitan: ''Dinha dei Banhs''), or simply and historically Digne (''Dinha'' in the classical norm or ''Digno'' in the Mistralian norm), is the prefecture of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Cô ...

. Michel Vovelle, "Les troubles de Provence en 1789", map 154 and commentary, ''in'' Baratier, Duby & Hildesheimer, ''Atlas historique'' This agitation continued in the Ubaye Valley; a new revolt broke out on 14 June,Annales de Haute-Provence, p. 15 and famine was declared in April 1792. The patriotic society of the commune was one of the first 21 created in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, in spring 1792, by the envoys of the departmental administration.Alphand, "Les Sociétés populaires", pp. 296–301 Around a third of the male population attended at the club.Alphand, "Les Sociétés populaires", p. 320 Another episode of political violence occurred in August 1792. Barcelonnette was the seat of the District of Barcelonnette from 1790 to 1800.

Modern history

Barcelonnette-Villas mexicaines-IMG 1240

In December 1851, the town was home to a movement of republican resistance towards

Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...

's coup. Though only a minority of the population, the movement rebelled on Sunday 7 December, the day after the news of the coup arrived. Town officials and gendarmes were disarmed and placed in the

maison d'arrêt Maison d'arrêt are a category of prisons in France, in Belgium and other French-speaking countries, which hold prisoners awaiting trial or sentencing, or those being held for less than one year, similar to county jails in the United States. In t ...

. A committee of public health was created on 8 December; on 9 December the inhabitants of

Jausiers Jausiers (; Vivaro-Alpine: ''Jausièr'') is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. Politics and administration Population See also * Ubaye Valley *Communes of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department ...

and its surroundings formed a colony under the direction of general councillor Brès, and Mayor Signoret of

Saint-Paul-sur-Ubaye Saint-Paul-sur-Ubaye (, literally ''Saint-Paul on Ubaye''; Vivaro-Alpine: ''Sant Pau d'Ubaia'') is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. Population See also * Ubaye Valley *Communes of the Alpes-de-Haut ...

. This was stopped, however, on 10 December before it could reach Barcelonnette, as the priest of the subprefecture had intervened. On 11 December, several officials escaped and found refuge in L'Argentière in Piedmont. The arrival of troops on 16 December put a final end to the republican resistance without bloodshed, and 57 insurgents were tried; 38 were condemned to deportation (though several were pardoned in April). Between 1850 and 1950, Barcelonnette was the source of a wave of emigration to Mexico. Among these emigrants was Jean Baptiste Ebrard, founder of the

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...

department store chain in Mexico;

Marcelo Ebrard Marcelo Luis Ebrard Casaubón (; born 10 October 1959) is a Mexican politician who is serving as the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of Mexico. Affiliated with the National Regeneration Movement (MORENA) since 2018, he was appointed to lead the f ...

, the head of government of Mexico City from 2006 to 2012, is one of his descendents. On the edges of Barcelonnette and Jausiers there are several houses and villas of colonial style (known as ''maisons mexicaines''), constructed by emigrants to Mexico who returned to France between 1870 and 1930. A plaque in the town commemorates the deaths of ten Mexican citizens who returned to Barcelonnette to fight in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, 26 Jews were arrested in Barcelonnette before being deported.AJPN,
Département des Alpes-de-Haute-Provence en 1939-1945
, ''Anonymes, Justes et Persécutés durant la période nazie dans les communes de France'', accessed 25 May 2012 The 89th ''compagnie de travailleurs étrangers'' (Company of Foreign Workers), consisting of foreigners judged as undesirable by the Third Republic and the

Vichy regime Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its ter ...

and committed to forced labour, was established in Barcelonnette.AJPN,
89e CTE
, ''Anonymes, Justes et Persécutés durant la période nazie dans les communes de France'', accessed 27 May 2012Josette Lesueur, Gérard Lesueur, ''Les travailleurs espagnols en Ubaye, 1939-1940'', Barcelonnette, Sabença de la Valeia, 2010, collection "Cahiers de la Vallée", , p. 11 The 11th Battalion of ''

Chasseurs alpins The ''chasseurs alpins'' ( en, Alpine Rangers) are the elite mountain infantry force of the French Army. They are trained to operate in mountainous terrain and in urban warfare. History France created its own mountain corps in the late 19th ...

'' was garrisoned at Barcelonnette between 1948 and 1990.Conseil général des AHP, "Un second souffle pour l'Ubaye?", ''Le Magazine du conseil général'', no. 70 June 2009, p. 6

Geography

Barcelonnette is situated in the wide and fertile

, of which it is the largest town. It lies at an elevation of 1132 m (3717 ft) on the right bank of the Ubaye River, and is surrounded by mountains which reach peaks of over 3000 m;Jacques Levainville
"La vallée de Barcelonnette"
In: ''

Annales de Géographie The ''Annales de Géographie'' is a French journal devoted to geography, first published in 1891. From the start the journal was an influential and respected academic journal. History The ''Annales de Géographie'' was founded in 1891 by Paul Vi ...

''. 1907, t. 16, n°87. pp. 223–244. the tallest of these is the Needle of Chambeyron at 3412 m. Barcelonnette is situated 210 km from

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The ...

, 91 km from

Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard dialect, Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department in France. The Nice urban unit, agg ...

and 68 km from Gap.

Biodiversity

As a result of its relief and geographic situation, the Ubaye Valley has an "abundance of plant and animal species".« Au cœur des Alpes « sèches »
, ''www.mercantour.eu'' The fauna is largely constituted of golden eagles, marmots,

ibex An ibex (plural ibex, ibexes or ibices) is any of several species of wild goat (genus ''Capra''), distinguished by the male's large recurved horns, which are transversely ridged in front. Ibex are found in Eurasia, North Africa and East Africa ...

and vultures, and the flora includes a large proportion of

larches Larches are deciduous conifers in the genus ''Larix'', of the family Pinaceae (subfamily Laricoideae). Growing from tall, they are native to much of the cooler temperate northern hemisphere, on lowlands in the north and high on mountains furth ...

, génépis and white asphodels.

Climate

The

has an

alpine climate Alpine climate is the typical weather (climate) for elevations above the tree line, where trees fail to grow due to cold. This climate is also referred to as a mountain climate or highland climate. Definition There are multiple definitions o ...

and winters are harsh as a result of the altitude, but there are only light winds as a result of the relief. There are on average almost 300 days of sun and 700 mm of rain per year.

Hazards

None of the 200 communes of the department is entirely free of seismic risk; the canton of Barcelonnette is placed in zone 1b (low risk) by the determinist classification of 1991 based on seismic history,Prefecture of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence,
Dossier départemental sur les risques majeurs dans les Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
'' (DDRM), 2008, p. 39 and zone 4 (average risk) according to the probabilistic EC8 classification of 2011.Minister of Ecology, Sustainable development, transport and housing
Notice communale
on the Gaspar database, uploaded 8 July 2011, accessed 30 June 2012 The commune is also vulnerable to avalanches, forest fires, floods, and landslides. Barcelonnette is also exposed to the possibility of a technological hazard in that road transport of dangerous materials is allowed to pass through on the RD900.Prefecture of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, ''Dossier départemental sur les risques majeurs'', p. 95Prefecture of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, ''Dossier départemental sur les risques majeurs'', p. 80 The town has been subject to several orders of natural disaster: floods and mudslides in 1994 and 2008, and landslides in 1996 and 1999. The strongest recorded earthquakes in the region occurred on 5 April 1959, with its epicentre at

and a recorded intensity of 6.5 at Barcelonnette, and on 17 February 1947, with its epicentre at Prazzo over the Italian border. BRGM,
Epicentres of distant tremors (greater than 40 km) felt in Barcelonnette
", ''Sisfrance'', accessed 30 June 2012

Architecture

* The town hall was constructed in the 1930s after the destruction of the Saint Maurice chapel in July 1934.Raymond Collier, ''La Haute-Provence monumentale et artistique'', p. 212 Its pediment was originally from the old Dominican convent and was identified in 1988.Arrêté du 30 décembre 1988, , accessed 25 October 2008 No houses in the town date from before the 17th century, the town having been rebuilt after the fire of 1628. The old hospital in the town dates from 1717.Raymond Collier, ''La Haute-Provence monumentale et artistique'', p. 434 * The old gendarmerie on Place Manuel was originally constructed to house the subprefecture in 1825 in a neoclassical style, and its façade occupies one entire side of the square. Place Manuel was named after the Restoration politician

Jacques-Antoine Manuel Jacques-Antoine Manuel (10 December 1775 – 20 August 1827) was a French lawyer, politician, and noted orator. Biography Manuel was born in the hamlet of La Conchette, in Enchastrayes (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence), near Barcelonette. His family inc ...

; the fountain in the centre of the square contains his image sculpted by

David d'Angers Pierre-Jean David (12 March 1788 – 4 January 1856) was a French sculptor, medalist and active freemason.Initiated in ""Le Père de famille"" Lodge in Angers He adopted the name David d'Angers, following his entry into the studio of the painter ...

.Raymond Collier, ''La Haute-Provence monumentale et artistique'', p. 533 * The parish church was originally built in the Middle Ages, but was destroyed in the fire of 1628. It was quickly reconstructed between 1634 and 1638, and further between 1643 and 1644. This was later demolished in 1926–27 to allow the construction of the current church, though this still contains the steeple from the 17th-century reconstruction.Raymond Collier, ''La Haute-Provence monumentale et artistique'', pp. 193 and 392-393 * The Cardinalis tower was constructed in the 14th century as a bell tower for the Dominican convent, which was founded on the bequest of Hugh of Saint-Cher. It was damaged in the wars of the 17th century and was rebuilt, though parts still exist from the original construction. It is classed as a monument historique of France. The subprefecture has been situated since 1978 in a ''maison mexicaine'', the Villa l'Ubayette, constructed between 1901 and 1903.

Population

In 1471, the community of Barcelonnette (including several surrounding parishes) comprised 421 fires (households). In 1765, it had 6,674 inhabitants, but emigration, particularly to Mexico, slowed the town's growth in the period before the

. According to the census of 2017, Barcelonnette has a population of 2,598 (municipal population) across a total area of 16.42 km². The town is characterised by low population density. Between 1990 and 1999 the town's annual mean population growth was -0.6%, though between 1999 and 2007 this increased to an average of -0.2%.

Economy

The city is mainly a tourist and resort centre, serving many

ski A ski is a narrow strip of semi-rigid material worn underfoot to glide over snow. Substantially longer than wide and characteristically employed in pairs, skis are attached to ski boots with ski bindings, with either a free, lockable, or partia ...

lodges. The

Pra-Loup Pra-Loup is a ski resort in France, at Uvernet-Fours in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, from the town of Barcelonnette. Geography Ski area The ski station has two separate base areas, 2 km apart: * Pra-Loup 1600 - primary base area at above ...

resort is 7 km from Barcelonnette; Le Sauze is 5 km away. It and the Ubaye Valley are served by the Barcelonnette – Saint-Pons Airfield. Notably, Barcelonnette is the only subprefecture of France not served by rail transport; the Ubaye line which would have linked Chorges to Barcelonnette was never completed as a result of the First World War and the construction of the Serre-Ponçon Dam between 1955 and 1961.

Education

An '' école normale'' (an institute for training primary school teachers) was founded in Barcelonnette in 1833, and remained there until 1888 when it was transferred to Digne.Th. L., "École primaire", ''in'' Renaud Alberny, Denis-Armand Canal, Thomas Laurenceau, Dominique Voisin, ''Les Écoles de la République'', Niort : Eclectis, 1993. , p. 17 The '' lycée André-Honnorat de Barcelonnette'', originally the ''collège Saint-Maurice'' and renamed after the politician

André Honnorat André Honnorat (10 December 1868 – 24 July 1950) was a French politician. He served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies from 1910 to 1921, and as a member of the French Senate from 1921 to 1945, representing Basses-Alpes. Together with É ...

in 1919, is located in the town;

Pierre-Gilles de Gennes Pierre-Gilles de Gennes (; 24 October 1932 – 18 May 2007) was a French physicist and the Nobel Prize laureate in physics in 1991. Education and early life He was born in Paris, France, and was home-schooled to the age of 12. By the age of ...

and

Carole Merle Carole Merle (; born 24 January 1964) is a former French Alpine skier. A specialist of Giant Slalom and Super-G, she won 22 World Cup races, 6 World Cup season titles and 1 World Championship gold medal. Skiing career A native of , a ski resort ...

both studied there.Renaud Alberny ''et al.'', "École primaire", p. 19Academic inspection of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence,
Liste des lycées publics
'', published 6 April 2010, Accessed 31 October 2010 Currently, three schools exist in Barcelonnette: a public nursery school, a public elementary school, and a private school (under a contract by which the teachers are paid by the national education system).Academic inspection of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence,
Liste des écoles de la circonscription de Sisteron-Sud
'', published 27 April 2010, accessed 31 October 2010 In 2010 the ''lycée André-Honnorat'' opened a boarding school aimed at gifted students of poorer social backgrounds, in order to give them better conditions in which to study.Académie d'Aix-Marseille,
Installation des 46 premiers internes dans le premier internat d’excellence de l’Académie à Barcelonnette
'', published 3 September 2010, accessed 21 September 2010Academic inspection of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence,
Liste des collèges publics
'', published 6 April 2010, accessed 31 October 2010 It is located in the ''Quartier Craplet'', formerly the garrison of the 11th Battalion of ''

Chasseurs Alpins The ''chasseurs alpins'' ( en, Alpine Rangers) are the elite mountain infantry force of the French Army. They are trained to operate in mountainous terrain and in urban warfare. History France created its own mountain corps in the late 19th ...

'' and then the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed Force ...

's ''Centre d'instruction et d'entraînement au combat en montagne'' (CIECM).

Transportation

Barcelonnette - Saint-Pons Airfield ( IATA: BAE, ICAO LFMR) is located at Saint Pons, 3 km (2 miles) west of Barcelonnette.

International links

Barcelonnette is twinned with: *

Valle de Bravo Valle de Bravo () is one of 125 municipalities in State of Mexico, Mexico. The largest town and municipal seat is the town of Valle de Bravo. It is located on the shore of Lake Avándaro, approximately 156 km (97 miles) southwest of Mexico ...

, Mexico It is also the site of a Mexican

honorary consulate A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people ...

Notable residents

(1775–1827), lawyer, politician and orator. *

Paul Reynaud Paul Reynaud (; 15 October 1878 – 21 September 1966) was a French politician and lawyer prominent in the interwar period, noted for his stances on economic liberalism and militant opposition to Germany. Reynaud opposed the Munich Agreement of ...

(1878–1966), liberal politician and lawyer *

(1932–2007), physicist and winner of the

Nobel Prize in Physics ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , alt = A golden medallion with an embossed image of a bearded man facing left in profile. To the left of the man is the text "ALFR•" then "NOBEL", and on the right, the text (smaller) "NAT•" then " ...

in 1991 * Daniel Spagnou (born 1940), UMP politician *

Bruno Dary Bruno Dary (born 21 December 1952 in Barcelonnette, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence) is a Général d'armée of the French Army and Commandant of the Foreign Legion. Général Dary is the 136th Military governor of Paris (french: Gouverneur militaire ...

(born 1952), general and

military governor of Paris The Military governor of Paris is a post within the French Army. He commands the garrison of Paris and represents all the military based in Paris at high state occasions. He is also responsible (subordinate to the President of France) for organiz ...

* Pierre Bottero (1964–2009), a French writer.

References

External links

*
Tourism website
{{Authority control Communes of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Subprefectures in France People from Barcelonnette