Natural region
A natural region (landscape unit) is a basic geographic unit. Usually, it is a region which is distinguished by its common natural features of geography, geology, and climate.
From the ecological point of view, the naturally occurring flora and ...
located in the
Alps
The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia.
...
at the south of the
Isère
Isère ( , ; ; , ) is a landlocked Departments of France, department in the southeastern French Regions of France, region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Named after the river Isère (river), Isère, it had a population of 1,271,166 in 2019.
département
In the administrative divisions of France, the department (, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. There are a total of 101 ...
. Its relief is a
plateau
In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; : plateaus or plateaux), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. ...
surrounded by mountains. Matheysine is also called Plateau Matheysin.
Geography
The Plateau Matheysin is located in the
Isère
Isère ( , ; ; , ) is a landlocked Departments of France, department in the southeastern French Regions of France, region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Named after the river Isère (river), Isère, it had a population of 1,271,166 in 2019.
département
In the administrative divisions of France, the department (, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. There are a total of 101 ...
, 30 km south of
Grenoble
Grenoble ( ; ; or ; or ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region ...
when heading to Gap. Included in the overall Taillefer massif, its average elevation is 1,000 m.
Belonging to south-
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 ...
, it is crossed over by the
45th parallel north
The 45th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 45 degrees north of Earth's equator. It crosses Europe, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean.
The 45th parallel north is often called the halfway point between the ...
and roughly matches the boundaries of the former canton of La Mure. It is around 20 km long from north to south and around 13 km wide from east to west. At the south and at the west, the border of the plateau is marked by the river Drac, which defines the boundary with Trièves (at the south) and with the
Vercors Plateau
The Vercors massif (; ) is a mountain range in eastern France consisting of rugged plateaus and mountains straddling the ''département in France, départements'' of Isère and Drôme in the French Prealps. It lies west of the Dauphiné Alps, ...
(at the west). At the north, the plateau ends at the
Laffrey
Laffrey () is a commune in the Isère department in southeastern France. It stands at the top of the Rampe de Laffrey, which is known for a large number of deadly automobile accidents.
History
Napoleon passed through the village on 7 March ...
slope down to the
Romanche
The Romanche () is a mountain river in southeastern France. It is a right tributary of the Drac, itself a tributary of the Isère. Its drainage basin is .Grand Serre (elev. 2,141m.) and
Tabor
Tabor may refer to:
Places
Czech Republic
* Tábor, a town in the South Bohemian Region
** Tábor District, the surrounding district
* Tábor, a village and part of Velké Heraltice in the Moravian-Silesian Region
Israel
* Mount Tabor, Galilee, ...
(elev. 2,389m.) marks the boundary with the Valbonnais canton.
Beside these mountains, the plateau is crossed over from north to south by the summits of the Connest Mountain ( Peyrouse, Connex) and of the
Sénépy
Sénépy is a mountain located in Matheysine, in the Dauphiné Alps of south-eastern France.
Its elevation is 1,769m. It overlooks the Drac river valley, the Monteynard lake, as well as the Trièves plateau on the opposite riverbank.
It is ma ...
. These mountains overlook a succession of four lakes of
glacier
A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...
origin called the Laffrey lakes. From north to south, these lakes are composed of the lac Mort, the
Grand lac de Laffrey
The Grand lac de Laffrey (, ''Great Laffrey lake'') is the largest of the Laffrey lakes, located in Matheysine 23 km south of Grenoble, in the Isère département of France.
Laffrey
Laffrey () is a commune in the Isère department in ...
Pierre Percée
The Pierre Percée () is a natural arch located on a hill of Matheysine, in the Isère département, upon the commune of Pierre-Châtel. It belongs to the Seven Wonders of Dauphiné.
Internal gap is 3m. high.
Overall aspect evokes the one of ...
.
La Mure
La Mure () is a commune in the Isère département in southeastern France. It is located south of Grenoble on the plateau Matheysin.
Population
Sights
* The Chemin de fer de la Mure is a small touristic train using a railway initially buil ...
is Matheysine's main city.
Climate
On this plateau, shaped by
glacier
A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...
s during the previous
glacial period
A glacial period (alternatively glacial or glaciation) is an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate betw ...
s and surrounded by high mountain ranges, the
bise
The Bise (French: ''La Bise'') is a cold, dry wind in Switzerland which blows through the Swiss Plateau from the northeast to the southwest.
Cause and effect
It is caused by canalisation of the air-current along the northern edge of the Alps, d ...
wind blows intensely, being frosty during Winter, but pleasant in Summer.
Furthermore, at Winter time, the area can face heavy snowfalls.
For these reasons, Matheysine is being nicknamed Little Siberia.
History
Etymology
The area has been called Mathaysana (11th century) and later Mataisine (13th century) and Mattacena (14th century), which could possibly be derived from ''Matta'' ("to be wet") and ''Cena'' ("plateau"). This depicts actually rather well both the geography and the climatic characteristics of the place.
The inhabitants of Matheysine are called Matheysins.
Napoléon I in Matheysine
The alpine road used by emperor
Napoléon I
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
, after having landed at
Juan-les-Pins
Juan-les-Pins (; ) is a town in the commune of Antibes in the Alpes-Maritimes department in Southeastern France. Located on the French Riviera, it is situated between Nice and Cannes, to the southwest of Nice Côte d'Azur Airport. Juan-les-Pins ...
on his return from
Elba
Elba (, ; ) is a Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean island in Tuscany, Italy, from the coastal town of Piombino on the Italian mainland, and the largest island of the Tuscan Archipelago. It is also part of the Arcipelago Toscano National Park, a ...
, crosses Matheysine. There, in a prairie located along the shore of
Grand lac de Laffrey
The Grand lac de Laffrey (, ''Great Laffrey lake'') is the largest of the Laffrey lakes, located in Matheysine 23 km south of Grenoble, in the Isère département of France.
Laffrey
Laffrey () is a commune in the Isère department in ...
, at the place now called Prairie de la Rencontre (Meeting Prairie), the emperor and his troops (1,100 men led by 3 generals) met the royal army sent in order to stop them. Napoléon succeeded in rallying his opponents to his cause and could finally proceed to
Grenoble
Grenoble ( ; ; or ; or ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region ...
.
An equestrian statue of Napoléon still reminds this event.
Coal mining
The history of Matheysine has been strongly impacted by
coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen.
Coal i ...
mining. This coal, of superior quality (
anthracite
Anthracite, also known as hard coal and black coal, is a hard, compact variety of coal that has a lustre (mineralogy)#Submetallic lustre, submetallic lustre. It has the highest carbon content, the fewest impurities, and the highest energy densit ...
) but in thin veins, was extracted from the beginning of the 19th century until the late 1990s. It has highly contributed to the reputation of the plateau.
Economic characteristics
Matheysine has been going through an economic reconversion since the planned decline and the cessation of the
coal mining
Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to Electricity generation, generate electr ...
activity on the plateau.
New industries installations have been favoured through aids and fiscal easy terms.
Tourism
Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...
, as well as local craft industry, also help at renewing Matheysine's economic health.
Furthermore, the area presently experiences the arrival of urban people from the
Grenoble
Grenoble ( ; ; or ; or ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region ...
built-up area, looking for more affordable real estate costs whilst keeping on working downtown. This phenomenon is partly contributing to a revival of the local trade.
See also
*
Dauphiné Alps
The Dauphiné Alps () are a group of mountain ranges in Southeastern France, west of the main chain of the Alps. Mountain ranges within the Dauphiné Alps include the Massif des Écrins in Écrins National Park, Belledonne, Le Taillefer range ...