The Mercantour-Argentera massif (, ) is a
massif
A massif () is a principal mountain mass, such as a compact portion of a mountain range, containing one or more summits (e.g. France's Massif Central). In mountaineering literature, ''massif'' is frequently used to denote the main mass of an ...
in the
Maritime Alps
The Maritime Alps ( ; ) are a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps. They form the border between the regions of France, French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and the regions of Italy, Italian regions of Piedmont and Liguria ...
located astride the
French departments
In the administrative divisions of France, the department (, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level ("territorial collectivity, territorial collectivities"), between the Regions of France, administrative regions a ...
of
Alpes-Maritimes
Alpes-Maritimes (; ; ; ) is a Departments of France, department of France located in the country's southeast corner, on the France–Italy border, Italian border and Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast. Part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'A ...
and
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 ...
and the
Italian region
The regions of Italy () are the first-level administrative divisions of the Italian Republic, constituting its second NUTS administrative level. There are twenty regions, five of which are autonomous regions with special status. Under the Con ...
of
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 ...
. The name of the massif comes respectively from the summit of Mercantour, a secondary central summit, and from
Mount Argentera, the highest point of the massif (), entirely in Italy.
The massif is partially covered by two natural parks, the
Mercantour national park
Mercantour National Park () a French national park located in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Alpes-Maritimes departments. Since it was created in 1979, the park has proven popular, with 800,000 visitors annually enjoying the 600 km (372&nb ...
on the French side and the
Maritime Alps natural park on the Italian side. These parks are important because they protect many rare animal and plant species, like ''
Speleomantes strinatii''
and ''
Saxifraga florulenta'', which is only found in this massif and used to be a symbol of the Mercantour Park. The massif is also full of rivers and lakes, most of which were formed during the
last Ice Age and are found in the basins of the massif’s crystalline rocks.
This area has been home to humans since the
Early Bronze Age
The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
, with signs of this early occupation particularly visible at
Vallée des Merveilles Vallée is a French surname. Notable people with the surname include:
*André Vallée (1930–2015), Canadian Roman Catholic bishop
* Anne Vallée (born 1958), Canadian biologist
*Bernard Vallée (1945–2021), French fencer
* Brigitte Vallée (bor ...
. Human presence in the area grew during
Antiquity
Antiquity or Antiquities may refer to:
Historical objects or periods Artifacts
*Antiquities, objects or artifacts surviving from ancient cultures
Eras
Any period before the European Middle Ages (5th to 15th centuries) but still within the histo ...
and the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
, notably with the establishment of the
salt route. In the 20th and 21st centuries, the massif has become a popular destination for tourism and recreation. The area offers a range of outdoor activities and sports, including
ski touring
Ski touring is skiing in the backcountry on unmarked or unpatrolled areas. Touring is typically done off-piste and outside of ski resorts, and may extend over a period of more than one day. It is similar to backcountry skiing but excludes the ...
,
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) ...
,
cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...
, hiking,
mountaineering
Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become mounta ...
, and
canyoning
Canyoning (canyoneering in the United States, kloofing in South Africa) is a sport that involves traveling through canyons using a variety of techniques, such as walking, scrambling, climbing, jumping, abseiling (rappelling), swimming, and raft ...
. Today, the economy of the massif is primarily focused on the tourism sector, which has largely overtaken agricultural and industrial activities.
The massif is associated with an important cultural heritage, which inspires artists as evident in its representations and appearances in painting, cinema, music and literature.
Toponymy
In France, outside of academic circles, the massif is commonly referred to as the Mercantour massif. This name generally refers to the French part of the massif, which tends to be confused with the territory of the eponymous national park, although the latter is smaller in size.
The name ''massif du Mercantour'' is commonly used in the 21st century. However, its origin is attributed to a mistake made by French military
topographers in the 19th century. These topographers, while conducting
triangulation
In trigonometry and geometry, triangulation is the process of determining the location of a point by forming triangles to the point from known points.
Applications
In surveying
Specifically in surveying, triangulation involves only angle m ...
measurements from
Côte d’Azur
The French Riviera, known in French as the (; , ; ), is the Mediterranean coastline of the southeast corner of France. There is no official boundary, but it is considered to be the coastal area of the Alpes-Maritimes department, extending fr ...
, identified a peak that appeared to be the highest. Upon visiting the location, they were informed by local shepherds that the mountain was known as the summit of Mercantour. Contrary to their initial perception, this peak does not exceed an altitude of 3,000 meters. The reason for their misjudgment was that from the coast,
Mount Argentera, which is actually taller, was obscured by the Mercantour peak in their line of sight.
The etymology of "Mercantour" is based on a legend. Following the
Roman conquest of Gaul
The Gallic Wars were waged between 58 and 50 BC by the Roman general Julius Caesar against the peoples of Gaul (present-day France, Belgium, and Switzerland). Gallic, Germanic, and Brittonic tribes fought to defend their homelands ag ...
, the newly acquired territory required a distinctive name. Informed by the prevailing
Latin language
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
of the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...
, the Romans coined the term “''Marcamtor''” for this region. This composite name drew from three key elements:
# ''Mar'': Symbolizing the sea.
# ''Cam'': Representing the path or route.
# ''Tor'': Denoting the mountain.
Over time, linguistic shifts transformed “''Marcamtor''” into the present-day name, “Mercantour.”
In France, the Italian part of this territory is called the Argentera massif. However, in Italy, the entire massif (i.e. both its Italian and French parts) is named ''
Alpi Marittime''.
Geography
Location
The massif extends over the border part of the mountain range between the
Rocher des Trois-Évêques (near the
Col de la Bonette
Col de la Bonette (el. ) is a high mountain pass in the French Alps, near the border with Italy. It is situated within the Mercantour National Park on the border of the departments of Alpes-Maritimes and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. The road over t ...
) and the
Col de Tende
Col de Tende (; elevation 1870 m) is a high mountain pass in the Alps, close to the border between France and Italy, although the highest section of the pass is wholly within France.
Pass
It separates the Maritime Alps from the Ligurian Alps. I ...
.
Geomorphology
The massif is made up of a main range, oriented northwest/southeast, which serves as a natural
Franco-Italian border. The crest line of this range represents a little more than 70
km. Four main
orographic
Orography is the study of the topographic relief of mountains, and can more broadly include hills, and any part of a region's elevated terrain. Orography (also known as ''oreography'', ''orology,'' or ''oreology'') falls within the broader disc ...
nodes exceeding 3,000
m altitude can be distinguished, from east to west:
* the
Gélas-
Malédie-
Clapier group (culminating at 3,143 m), Gélas being the highest peak of the massif on the French side;
* the Argentera group (culminating at 3,297 m), whose southern summit is the highest peak of the massif;
* the -
Matto group (3,097 m);
* the - group (3,031 m).
Six main valleys cross the massif or delimit its natural borders:
* in France, these are the valleys of
Var,
Tinée
The Tinée (; ) is a river that flows through the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France. It is long. Its drainage basin is .[Vésubie
The Vésubie is a river in the southeast of France. It is a left tributary of the Var in the Maritime Alps. It is long. Its drainage basin is .] , and
Roya (with the exception of the southern end of Roya, which is in Italy);
* in Italy, these are the valleys of ,
Stura di Demonte
Stura () was a department of the French First Republic and of the First French Empire in present-day Italy. It was named after the river Stura di Demonte. It was formed in 1801, when the Subalpine Republic (formerly the mainland portion of t ...
, and
Vermenagna.
These valleys are generally very steep, forming impassable gorges in their lower part, but widening at intermediate altitudes (600 to 1,000
m), where the majority of human occupations are found.
The relief of the massif covers the entire northern half of the department of
Alpes-Maritimes
Alpes-Maritimes (; ; ; ) is a Departments of France, department of France located in the country's southeast corner, on the France–Italy border, Italian border and Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast. Part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'A ...
, in France, and the eastern end of the
province of Cuneo
The province of Cuneo (; ) is a province in the Piedmont region of Italy. To the west, it borders the French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur ( departments of Alpes-Maritimes, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Hautes-Alpes), to the north the ...
, in Italy.
Access
The western and central areas of the massif are accessible from various routes. From the south, one can reach it from Nice via the ''Boulevard du Mercantour'' (formerly ''Route de Grenoble''). This route serves the D6202, M2205, and M2565 roads, leading to the Var, Tinée, and Vésubie valleys respectively.
The eastern part of the massif can also be accessed from Nice via the D2204 road, and from Ventimiglia via the SS20 road. Both these roads converge at the Roya valley.
To the north of the massif, the Departmental Road 900 in France, which becomes the S21 and then the SS21 in Italy, connects the towns of
Barcelonnette
Barcelonnette (; , also ; obsolete ) is a Communes of France, commune of France and a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture in the Departments of France, department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It is l ...
and
Borgo San Dalmazzo
Borgo San Dalmazzo () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about south of Turin and about southwest of Cuneo.
Borgo San Dalmazzo takes its name from Saint Dalmatius of Pavia. Sights ...
. This route skirts the relief and serves all the valleys located to the north of the massif.
The Mercantour Massif is also accessible by rail. The
train des Pignes, which connects Nice to
Digne-les-Bains
Digne-les-Bains (; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Dinha dei Banhs''), or simply and historically Digne (''Dinha'' in the Franco-Provençal, classical norm or ''Digno'' in the Mistralian norm), is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Alpe ...
, runs along the southwest end of the massif. On the eastern side, the railway lines from Nice to
Breil-sur-Roya
Breil-sur-Roya (, literally ''Breil on Roya''; or simply ''Breglio''; ; ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
Population
Geography
Breil-sur-Roya as its name says is located on the scenic and fast movi ...
and from Cuneo to Ventimiglia, often referred to as the Tende lines or the “Train of Wonders”, provide access to the town of
Tende
Tende (; Italian language, Italian, Occitan language, Occitan and Royasc: ''Tenda'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Alpes-Maritimes Departments of France, department in southeastern France.
Geography
Tende is located within Mercanto ...
.
Main summits
Hydrography
The French part of the massif corresponds largely to the watersheds of the tributaries on the left bank of the Var (notably the Tinée and the Vésubie) and the right bank of the Roya, (notably the
Bévéra
The Bévéra (in French, ) or Bevera (in Italian) (''Beura'' in Occitan and Ligurian) is a river of southeastern France and northwestern Italy.
Geography
Bévéra source is in the Maritime Alps, near Moulinet in the French Alpes-Maritimes de ...
). On the Italian part, the massif corresponds to the right bank watershed of the Stura di Demonte, up to Cuneo (including in particular its tributaries Gesso and Vermenagna).
Lakes
The massif is home to just over 200 lakes, making it one of the territories with the highest lake densities in the
French Alpine massifs. The origin of these lakes is primarily glacial. They are situated in basins that were formed by the erosion of glaciers during the
Würm glaciation
The Würm glaciation or Würm stage ( or ''Würm-Glazial'', colloquially often also ''Würmeiszeit'' or ''Würmzeit''; cf. ice age), usually referred to in the literature as the Würm (often spelled "Wurm"), was the last glacial period in the ...
.
Major lakes in the French side (with altitudes):
Major lakes in the Italian side (with altitudes):
File:Lac long.jpg, Lac Long in the Gordolasque valley
File:Lac negre.jpg, Lac Négre
File:Lacs bessons.jpg, Lacs Bessons
Watercourses
The massif benefits from more abundant rainfall than the surrounding low valleys and plains and plays the role of a water reserve for the latter. Notable watercourses within the massif are as follows:
File:Vesubie.JPG, Vésubie
The Vésubie is a river in the southeast of France. It is a left tributary of the Var in the Maritime Alps. It is long. Its drainage basin is .
File:Bevera 01.png, Bévéra
The Bévéra (in French, ) or Bevera (in Italian) (''Beura'' in Occitan and Ligurian) is a river of southeastern France and northwestern Italy.
Geography
Bévéra source is in the Maritime Alps, near Moulinet in the French Alpes-Maritimes de ...
File:Gordolasque.jpg, Gordolasque
The Gordolasque is a mountain river that flows from the Mercantour National Park in the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France. It is long. Its source is in the Maritime Alps
The Maritime Alps ( ; ) are a mountain range in the sout ...
File:Gesso bisalta.jpg, Gesso
Glaciers
The massif was characterized by the presence of several glaciers by the end of the 20th century. During the early 1930s, these glaciers, located on the Italian slopes, covered an area of approximately 200 hectares. However, by the start of the 21st century, these glaciers had either vanished or were reduced to inert ice beneath the
moraine
A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris (regolith and Rock (geology), rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a gla ...
. At the beginning of the
20th century, the main glaciers of the massif were the following:
Geology
Orogeny
In geological terms, the massif has an elliptical shape with a northwest-southeast axis. It is part of the external crystalline massifs of the Alps chain, being the southernmost of them. This massif is a fragment of the continental crust of the
Hercynian chain. It has undergone deformation and Alpine
metamorphism
Metamorphism is the transformation of existing Rock (geology), rock (the protolith) to rock with a different mineral composition or Texture (geology), texture. Metamorphism takes place at temperatures in excess of , and often also at elevated ...
, with the events of the
Alpine orogeny
The Alpine orogeny, sometimes referred to as the Alpide orogeny, is an orogenic phase in the Late Mesozoic and the current Cenozoic which has formed the mountain ranges of the Alpide belt.
Cause
The Alpine orogeny was caused by the African c ...
superimposed on
Paleozoic
The Paleozoic ( , , ; or Palaeozoic) Era is the first of three Era (geology), geological eras of the Phanerozoic Eon. Beginning 538.8 million years ago (Ma), it succeeds the Neoproterozoic (the last era of the Proterozoic Eon) and ends 251.9 Ma a ...
events. This has resulted in a massif composed of very old crystalline rocks, dating back at least 350 million years.
Four main complexes can be distinguished within the massif:
* the Tinée complex (made up of
migmatite
Migmatite is a composite rock (geology), rock found in medium and high-grade metamorphic environments, commonly within Precambrian craton, cratonic blocks. It consists of two or more constituents often layered repetitively: one layer is an old ...
s and
gneiss
Gneiss (pronounced ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. This rock is formed under p ...
);
* the Gesso-Stura-Vésubie complex (composed of migmatite,
anatexites and
amphibolite
Amphibolite () is a metamorphic rock that contains amphibole, especially hornblende and actinolite, as well as plagioclase feldspar, but with little or no quartz. It is typically dark-colored and dense, with a weakly foliated or schistose ...
s);
* the
Permian
The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years, from the end of the Carboniferous Period million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.902 Mya. It is the s ...
granite
Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...
s, in the center of massif;
* the
mylonite
Mylonite is a fine-grained, compact metamorphic rock produced by dynamic recrystallization of the constituent minerals resulting in a reduction of the grain size of the rock. Mylonites can have many different mineralogical compositions; it is a ...
of Valletta-Mollières, crossing the massif from one side to the other, along the northwest – southeast axis, composed mainly of
mica schists.
To the east of the massif, more recent sedimentary rocks such as
limestone
Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
, schist, and the purplish
sandstone
Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...
of the Vallée des Merveilles can be found. Similarly, to the north and west of the massif, along the edges of the
Ubaye
The Ubaye (; ) is a river of southeastern France. It is long and flows through the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department. Its drainage basin is . , Tinée, and Var valleys,
alluvium
Alluvium (, ) is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluvium is also sometimes called alluvial deposit. Alluvium is ...
is still present.
Glaciations
The study of Alpine glaciations has shed light on the impact of glacial periods on the massif. While knowledge about very ancient glaciations remains fragmentary as of the early 21st century, the effects of the
Riss Riss or RISS may refer to:
__NOTOC__ People
* Riss (cartoonist), French cartoonist, author and publisher Laurent Sourisseau (born 1966), majority owner of the satirical newspaper ''Charlie Hebdo''
* Dan Riss (1910–1970), American actor
* Erik R ...
and
Würm glaciation
The Würm glaciation or Würm stage ( or ''Würm-Glazial'', colloquially often also ''Würmeiszeit'' or ''Würmzeit''; cf. ice age), usually referred to in the literature as the Würm (often spelled "Wurm"), was the last glacial period in the ...
s have been better understood since the early 20th century. The Würm glaciation, in particular, significantly reshaped the landscapes and altered the moraine traces of the Riss glaciation. Field data analysis, especially from the Italian Stura di Demonte valley, has helped establish the glacial maximum during the Riss period. The maximum advance of the
glacier terminus
A glacier terminus, toe, or snout, is the end of a glacier at any given point in time. Although glaciers seem motionless to the observer, in reality they are in endless Glacier#Motion, motion and the glacier terminus is always either advancing o ...
was located between the communes of
Saint-Martin-Vésubie
Saint-Martin-Vésubie (; Vivaro-Alpine: ''Sant Martin de Lantosca''; ) is a commune of the Alpes-Maritimes department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. Established on the edge of a glacial plate, it had a population ...
and
Lantosque
Lantosque (; Italian language, Italian formerly and Occitan language, Occitan: ''Lantosca'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Alpes-Maritimes Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, regi ...
in Vésubie on the French side. During the Würmian period, the Gordolasque glacier, which was particularly large, reached a thickness of 300 meters.
The traces left by these glaciers are visible within the massif in the form of erratic blocks as well as rocks scraped or polished by the action of ice are widespread there, particularly in the Merveilles and
Fontanalbe valleys.
Seismicity
The French part of the massif is mainly located in a zone of average seismicity. The Vésubie valley in particular was affected by major earthquakes
during the
15th, 16th and
17th centuries. The Italian part of the massif is located in a zone of low to medium seismicity.
Climate
The climate of the massif is characterized by
hot and dry summers and mild winters, typical of a mountainous region. The climatic conditions within the massif are diverse due to its geographical location, being subject to both Alpine influences in the north and Mediterranean influences in the south. Consequently, the massif experiences milder temperatures, on average for a given altitude, compared to massifs located further north.
The existence of three topoclimates, namely , , and ''fond de vallée'', is confirmed by records from meteorological stations installed in the upper Vésubie. Rainfall patterns across the massif vary, decreasing from east to west. The Roya valley receives the highest rainfall, while the Var valley receives the least. Overall, the massif experiences abundant precipitation, exceeding 1,000 mm per year, which is often intense, especially in autumn.
The massif is sensitive to the
Foehn effect
A Foehn, or Föhn (, , , ), is a type of dry, relatively warm downslope wind in the lee of a mountain range. It is a rain shadow wind that results from the subsequent adiabatic warming of air that has dropped most of its moisture on windwa ...
and is influenced by the depression of the
Gulf of Genoa
The Gulf of Genoa (''Golfo di Genova'') is the northernmost part of the Ligurian Sea. This Italian gulf is about wide from the city of Imperia in the west to La Spezia in the east. The largest city on its coast is Genoa, which has an importan ...
, which results in cold winds, such as the
Lombarde wind, blowing from the east. In winter, the snow cover follows the same geographical distribution as precipitation and can often reach several meters. The massif is also experiencing the effects of global warming, with an increase in temperature of 0.3 °C per decade over the period from 1959 to 2009.
Flora and fauna
The Mercantour-Argentera massif benefits from exceptional biological wealth, with a very high rate of endemism.
Flora
The massif is home to more than 2,000 plant species, which represents more than half of the species present in the
Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur region, and more than 40% of the French native flora.
The supra-Mediterranean level is dominated by forests of common ash (''
Fraxinus excelsior
''Fraxinus excelsior'', known as the ash, or European ash or common ash to distinguish it from other types of ash, is a flowering plant species in the olive family Oleaceae. It is native throughout mainland Europe east to the Caucasus and Alb ...
'') and chestnut (''
Castanea sativa
The sweet chestnut (''Castanea sativa''), also known as the Spanish chestnut or European chestnut, is a species of tree in the family Fagaceae, native to Southern Europe and Asia Minor, and widely cultivated throughout the Temperate climate, te ...
''). On the right side, the slopes are largely populated by formations of juniper (''
Juniperus thurifera
''Juniperus thurifera'', the spanish juniper, is a species of juniper native to the mountains of the western Mediterranean region, from southern France (including Corsica) across eastern and central Spain to Morocco and locally in northern Alger ...
'').
On the
subalpine
Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial f ...
level, larch (''
Larix decidua
''Larix decidua'', the European larch, is a species of larch native to the mountains of central Europe, in the Alps and Carpathian Mountains, with small disjunct lowland populations in northern Poland. Its life span has been confirmed to be clos ...
'') and stone pine (''
Pinus cembra
''Pinus cembra'', also known as Swiss pine, Swiss stone pine, Arolla pine, Austrian stone pine, or just stone pine, is a species of pine tree in the subgenus ''Strobus''.
Description
The Swiss pine is a member of the white pine group, ''Pinus ...
'') dominate, mixed with Rhododendron heaths (''
Rhododendron ferrugineum
''Rhododendron ferrugineum'', the alpenrose, snow-rose, or rusty-leaved alpenrose is an evergreen shrub that grows just above the tree line in the Alps, Pyrenees, Jura mountains, Jura and northern Apennine Mountains, Apennines, on acid soils. It ...
''). Well-developed
megaphorbs of ''
Adenostylion alliariae'' border the numerous watercourses of the subalpine level.
These
wetland
A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...
s include endemic species, such as the elegant cherophyll (''
Chaerophyllum elegans''), the Balbis ragwort (''
Tephroseris balbisiana''), the mountain cirsus (''
Cirsium alsophilum'') and the Austrian Doronicum (''
Doronicum austriacum''). Acidic lakes and ponds with black sedge (''
Carex nigra'') allow observation of ''
Caricion fuscae'' which shelter rare species such as the round-leaved sundew (''
Drosera rotundifolia
''Drosera rotundifolia'', the round-leaved sundew, roundleaf sundew, or common sundew, is a carnivorous species of flowering plant that grows in bogs, marshes and fens. One of the most widespread sundew species, it has a circumboreal distribut ...
''), the short sedge (''
Carex canescens
''Carex canescens'' L. (syn. ''C. cinerea'' Poll.; ''C. curta'' Gooden.) is a perennial species of plants in the family Cyperaceae growing in damp forests and wetlands. It is widespread across much of Europe, Asia, Australia, New Guinea, North Am ...
'') and various species of sphagnum moss (''
Sphagnum auriculatum'', ''
Sphagnum teres'', ''
Sphagnum russowii'', and ''
Sphagnum warnstorfii'').
The
siliceous rock
Siliceous rocks are sedimentary rocks that have silica (SiO2) as the principal constituent. The most common siliceous rock is chert; other types include diatomite. They commonly form from silica-secreting organisms such as radiolarians, diatoms, o ...
walls, located on the subalpine to alpine levels, are dominated by endemic species: the heart-leaved silene (''
Silene cordifolia'') and the many-flowered Saxifrage (''Saxifraga florulenta''). The limestone walls are also populated by endemic species: the bellflower (''
Silene campanulata'') and the heart-leaved rapunzel (''
Phyteuma cordatum
''Phyteuma'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Campanulaceae, native to Europe and Morocco.
The common name is rampion, a name shared with the related plant ''Campanula rapunculus''. Rampion features prominently in some versions of t ...
'').
At the alpine stage, the lakes, numerous in the massif, are populated with narrow-leaved ribbon tree (''
Sparganium angustifolium
''Sparganium angustifolium'' is a species of flowering plant in the cat-tail family known by the common names floating bur-reed and narrowleaf bur-reed. It has a circumboreal distribution, occurring throughout the northern latitudes of the Nor ...
''). Silicicolous snow valleys, also widespread in the Alpine stage, allow the development of ''
Salicetum herbaceae''.
File:Larix decidua autumn.JPG, ''Larix decidua
''Larix decidua'', the European larch, is a species of larch native to the mountains of central Europe, in the Alps and Carpathian Mountains, with small disjunct lowland populations in northern Poland. Its life span has been confirmed to be clos ...
''
File:Saxifraga florulenta1.jpg, '' Saxifraga florulenta''
File:Alpenrose (Rhododendron ferrugineum) (8337454975).jpg, ''Rhododendron ferrugineum
''Rhododendron ferrugineum'', the alpenrose, snow-rose, or rusty-leaved alpenrose is an evergreen shrub that grows just above the tree line in the Alps, Pyrenees, Jura mountains, Jura and northern Apennine Mountains, Apennines, on acid soils. It ...
''
File:Carex nigra.JPG, '' Carex nigra''
Fauna
The massif is populated by many animal species, of which 99 are of
natural heritage
Natural heritage refers to the sum total of the elements of biodiversity, includes flora and fauna, ecosystems and geological structures. It forms part of our natural resources.
Definition
Definitions:
* Natural heritage refers to natural feat ...
and 48 are
'determinant' species.
The mammals of the massif are often rare or endemic, such as: the
Alpine ibex (determinant), the
mountain hare
The mountain hare (''Lepus timidus''), also known as blue hare, tundra hare, variable hare, white hare, snow hare, alpine hare, and Irish hare, is a species of Palearctic hare that is largely adapted to polar and mountainous habitats.
Evolution
...
, the
gray wolf
The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gr ...
(determinant), and
Alpine pine vole
The alpine pine vole (''Microtus multiplex'') is a species of rodent in the family Cricetidae.
It is found in Austria, France, Italy, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegowina ( Una National Parkgreater horseshoe bat
The greater horseshoe bat (''Rhinolophus ferrumequinum'') is an Insectivore, insectivorous bat of the genus ''Rhinolophus''. Its distribution covers Europe, Northern Africa, Central Asia and Eastern Asia. It is the largest of the horseshoe bats i ...
(determinant), the
greater noctule bat
The greater noctule bat (''Nyctalus lasiopterus'') is a rare carnivorous bat found in Europe, West Asia, and North Africa. It is the largest and least studied bat in Europe with a wingspan of up to and is one of the few bat species to feed on pa ...
, the
lesser horseshoe bat
The lesser horseshoe bat (''Rhinolophus hipposideros'') is a type of small European and North African insectivorous bat, related to its larger cousin, the greater horseshoe bat. As with all horseshoe bats, the species gets its name from its dist ...
, the
lesser noctule bat, the
northern bat
The northern bat (''Eptesicus nilssonii'') is the most abundant species of bat in northern Eurasia occurring from France to Hokkaidō and south to Kazakhstan.
Description
The northern bat is dark brown or black with some gold touched at the tip ...
(determinant),
Savi's pipistrelle and the
common barbastelle (determinant).
Many species of birds are present, of which 3 are determinant: the
peregrine falcon
The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known simply as the peregrine, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor) in the family (biology), family Falconidae renowned for its speed. A large, Corvus (genus), cro ...
, the
boreal owl
The boreal owl (''Aegolius funereus'') or Tengmalm's owl is a small owl in the "true owl" family Strigidae. It is known as the boreal owl in North America and as Tengmalm's owl in Europe after Swedish naturalist Peter Gustaf Tengmalm or, more r ...
, and the
Eurasian pygmy owl
The Eurasian pygmy owl (''Glaucidium passerinum'') is the smallest owl in Europe. It is a dark reddish to greyish-brown, with spotted sides and half of a white ring around the back of the neck. This species is found in the boreal forests of North ...
. Several other remarkable species populate the massif, such as:
golden eagle
The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird of pr ...
,
rock ptarmigan
The rock ptarmigan (''Lagopus muta'') is a medium-sized game bird in the grouse family. It is known simply as the ptarmigan in Europe. It is the official bird for the Canadian territory of Nunavut, where it is known as the ''aqiggiq'' (ᐊᕿ� ...
,
black grouse
The black grouse (''Lyrurus tetrix''), also known as northern black grouse, Eurasian black grouse, blackgame or blackcock, is a large Aves, bird in the grouse family. It is a Bird migration, sedentary species, spanning across the Palearctic in m ...
,
rock partridge
The rock partridge or common rock partridge (''Alectoris graeca'') is a gamebird in the pheasant family, Phasianidae, of the order Galliformes (gallinaceous birds). It is native to southern Europe, and is closely related and very similar to its ...
,
Eurasian eagle-owl
The Eurasian eagle-owl (''Bubo bubo'') is a species of eagle-owl, a type of bird that resides in much of Eurasia. It is often just called the eagle-owl in Europe and Asia.
It is one of the largest species of owl. Females can grow to a total le ...
,
white-throated dipper
The white-throated dipper (''Cinclus cinclus''), also known as the European dipper or just dipper, is an aquatic passerine bird found in Europe, Middle East, Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. The species is divided into several subspecies ...
,
wallcreeper
The wallcreeper (''Tichodroma muraria'') is a small passerine bird found throughout the high mountains of the Palearctic from southern Europe to central China. It is the only extant member of both the genus '' Tichodroma'' and the family Tichodr ...
,
common rock thrush
The common rock thrush (''Monticola saxatilis''), also known as rufous-tailed rock thrush or simply rock thrush, is a chat belonging to the family Muscicapidae. It was formerly placed in the family Turdidae. The scientific name is from Latin. '' ...
,
red-billed chough
The red-billed chough, Cornish chough or simply chough ( ; ''Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax''), is a bird in the crow family, one of only two species in the genus ''Pyrrhocorax''. Its eight subspecies breed on mountains and coastal cliffs from the we ...
,
hawfinch
The hawfinch (''Coccothraustes coccothraustes'') is a passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae. It is the only extant species placed in the genus ''Coccothraustes''. Its closest living relatives are the genus '' Eophona'' of East Asia, a ...
,
citril finch
The citril finch (''Carduelis citrinella''), also known as the Alpine citril finch, is a small songbird, a member of the true finch family, Fringillidae.
This bird is a resident breeder in the mountains of southwestern Europe from Spain to the ...
,
white-winged snowfinch
The white-winged snowfinch (''Montifringilla nivalis''), or snowfinch, is a small passerine bird. Despite its name, it is a sparrow rather than a true finch.
Taxonomy
In 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description ...
and
Ortolan bunting
The ortolan (''Emberiza hortulana''), also called ortolan bunting, is a Eurasian bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a passerine family now separated by most modern scholars from the finches, Fringillidae. The genus name ''Emberiza'' is fr ...
.
The massif is home to a variety of amphibians and reptiles. Among the amphibians, the ''
Speleomantes strinatii'' is noteworthy. This species is very localized in the region and can be found at altitudes up to 2,400 metres. In terms of reptiles, the
sand lizard #REDIRECT Sand lizard
{{redirect category shell, {{R from alternative capitalisation{{R from move ...
is present up to an altitude of 2,000 metres. The local populations of this species are isolated and fragmented.
Insects are also represented by rare or endemic species, such as the
alpine emerald dragonfly (determinant), the
French grasshopper (determinant), the
Ligurian alpine-bush cricket (determinant),
ephippiger
''Ephippiger'' is a genus of Palaearctic bush crickets described by Berthold in 1827, belonging to the family Tettigoniidae, subfamily Bradyporinae and tribe Ephippigerini.
Description
Bush crickets of this genus have very small wings and the ...
, the Mercantour alpine-bush cricket, and ''
Acalypta visolensis'' (determinant). 6 species of beetles are also determinant (''
Amara lantoscana'', ''
Licinus oblongus'', ''
Cychrus angulicollis'', ''
Bembidion decorum decorum'', ''
Trechus delarouzeei'' and ''
Tragosoma depsarium'').
File:Bouquetin mâle.jpg, Male ibex near the Cougourde refuge
File:FL mercantour3.jpg, Chamois
The chamois (; ) (''Rupicapra rupicapra'') or Alpine chamois is a species of Caprinae, goat-antelope native to the mountains in Southern Europe, from the Pyrenees, the Alps, the Apennines, the Dinarides, the Tatra Mountains, Tatra to the Carpa ...
at ''Madonna de Fenestre''
File:Somatochlora alpestris 01.jpg, '' Somatochlora alpestris'' at Vanoise national park
Vanoise National Park () is a French national park between the Tarentaise and Maurienne valleys in the French Alps, containing the Vanoise massif. It was created in 1963 as the first national park in France.
Vanoise National Park is in the '' ...
File:Benny Trapp Speleomantes strinatii.jpg, '' Speleomantes strinatii''
Demography
The main urbanized areas of the massif, on its French part, are made up of rural communes, of the "rural town" type (), or belonging to "rural zones with dispersed or very dispersed housing" type (), as defined by the municipal density grid of
INSEE. Within the massif, the following towns and villages are present:
* to the west:
Entraunes
Entraunes (; ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
Location
Entraunes lies 110 km northwest of Nice where the Var flows into the Mediterranean. It lies in the northwest corner of Alpes-Maritimes next ...
,
Saint-Martin-d'Entraunes,
Châteauneuf-d'Entraunes,
Péone
Péone (;; ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
The Valberg ski resort is, in part, located in this town. Also in Péone is the 11th century historically-listed, Church of Saint-Arige-et-Saint-Vince ...
,
Beuil
Beuil (; ; ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
Geography
Beuil is a village located in the Maritime Alps, away from Nice. It is the gateway to the Mercantour National Park. A stop-off in the Red-rocked ...
,
Guillaumes
Guillaumes (; ; ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories i ...
,
Daluis
Daluis () is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. Situated on the river Var, it is the end point of the Gorges de Daluis.
Population
See also
* Gorges de Daluis
*Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department ...
,
Pierlas,
Rigaud,
Lieuche,
Thiéry,
Touët-sur-Var,
Puget-Théniers
Puget-Théniers (; ; ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
Geography
It is situated on in the valley of the Var.
History
It was part of the historic County of Nice until 1860 as ''Poggetto Tenieri''.
Pe ...
;
* in the centre:
Saint-Dalmas-le-Selvage
Saint-Dalmas-le-Selvage (; ; ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department
The following is a list of the 163 communes of the Alpes-Maritimes ...
,
Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée
Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée (, literally ''Saint-Étienne of Tinée''; ; Vivaro-Alpine: ''Sant Estève d'en Tiniá'') is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
It was part of the historic County of Nice until 1 ...
,
Isola,
Saint-Sauveur-sur-Tinée
Saint-Sauveur-sur-Tinée (, literally ''Saint-Sauveur on Tinée''; Vivaro-Alpine: ''Sant Sarvaor''; ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.
Population
Its inhabita ...
,
Roubion,
Roure,
Rimplas,
Ilonse,
Valdeblore,
Clans
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship
and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, a clan may claim descent from a founding member or apical ancestor who serves as a symbol of the clan's unity. Many societie ...
,
Bairols
Bairols (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Alpes-Maritimes Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of south-eastern France.
The commune has been awarded two flowers by the ''National Council of Town ...
,
Tournefort,
Marie
Marie may refer to the following.
People Given name
* Marie (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name
** List of people named Marie
* Marie (Japanese given name)
Surname
* Jean Gabriel-Marie, French compo ...
,
La Tour La Tour may refer to:
Places Canada
* Port La Tour, Nova Scotia
France
* La Tour, Alpes-Maritimes
* La Tour, Haute-Savoie
* La Tour-Blanche, Dordogne
* La Tour-d'Aigues, Vaucluse
* La Tour-d'Auvergne, Puy-de-Dôme
* La Tour-de-Salvagny, Rhôn ...
,
Venanson,
Lantosque
Lantosque (; Italian language, Italian formerly and Occitan language, Occitan: ''Lantosca'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Alpes-Maritimes Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, regi ...
,
Roquebillière
Roquebillière (; historical ; ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
History
It was part of the historic County of Nice until 1860 as ''Roccabigliere''. The town was at one time a Templar settlement.
Arth ...
,
Belvédère
Belvédère (; ; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Vésubie valley north of Nice in the Alpes-Maritimes Departments of France, department in southeastern France. The village of Belvédère is located at the entrance of the Gordolasque val ...
,
La Bollène-Vésubie
La Bollène-Vésubie (; ; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Alpes-Maritimes Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Cote-d'Azur region in southeastern France.
Its inhabitants are called Bollénois; in the Niçois dialect ...
,
Saint-Martin-Vésubie
Saint-Martin-Vésubie (; Vivaro-Alpine: ''Sant Martin de Lantosca''; ) is a commune of the Alpes-Maritimes department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. Established on the edge of a glacial plate, it had a population ...
;
* to the east:
Aisone
Aisone is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southwest of Turin and about southwest of Cuneo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 269 and an area of . The mayor is Marisa ...
,
Roaschia,
Valdieri
Valdieri is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southwest of Turin and about southwest of Cuneo, on the border with France. It is part of the Valle Gesso.
Valdieri borders the follo ...
,
Entracque
Entracque is a small town in the Valle Gesso of the Maritime Alps of north-west Italy, about southwest of Cuneo and close to the French border. It is the principal settlement and '' capoluogo'' of the comune or municipality of the same name (pop ...
,
Vinadio
Vinadio () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region of Piedmont, located about southwest of Turin and about southwest of Cuneo, on the border with France. It is located along the Stura di Demonte river.
Vinad ...
,
Vernante
Vernante is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about south of Turin and about south of Cuneo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,307 and an area of .All demographics and othe ...
,
Breil-sur-Roya
Breil-sur-Roya (, literally ''Breil on Roya''; or simply ''Breglio''; ; ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
Population
Geography
Breil-sur-Roya as its name says is located on the scenic and fast movi ...
,
Fontan,
Saorge
Saorge (; ; ; standard ; ; ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France. It is a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (The Most Beautiful Villages of France) Association. Highway E74 which runs north from Me ...
,
Tende
Tende (; Italian language, Italian, Occitan language, Occitan and Royasc: ''Tenda'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Alpes-Maritimes Departments of France, department in southeastern France.
Geography
Tende is located within Mercanto ...
,
Limone Piemonte
Limone Piemonte ( Vivaro-Alpine: ''Limon'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about south of Turin and about south of Cuneo, on the border with France. As of September 2017, it had a p ...
.
The central area of the massif is covered by the intercommunal structure constituted by the
Nice Côte d'Azur metropolis. Urbanization in the area has been governed by the metropolitan local urban development plan (PLUM, ) since 25 October 2019, which incorporates th
charter of the Mercantour National Park The population density on the French part of the massif is low: around 10 inhabitants per km² (as of 2015).
The development of this territory is in fact constrained by a very rugged terrain, and it only includes few industrial or agricultural areas. Transport infrastructure is also poorly developed.
The towns and villages of the massif have been subject to a rural exodus since the beginning of the
20th century, which still continues at the beginning of the
21st century, in particular on the Italian part of the massif. However, on the French side, certain villages have seen their population increase again since the beginning of the
21st century (for example in Clans, Saint-Martin-Vésubie, Valdeblore, Belvédère, Lantosque, Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée or Entraunes).
On the French part of the massif, the “membership area” (peripheral zone) of the
Mercantour national park
Mercantour National Park () a French national park located in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Alpes-Maritimes departments. Since it was created in 1979, the park has proven popular, with 800,000 visitors annually enjoying the 600 km (372&nb ...
covers 23 municipalities, representing 20,600 inhabitants (as of 2022). On the Italian part of the massif, the 5 municipalities of the
Maritime Alps natural park (Aisone, Entracque, Roaschia, Valdieri and Vernante) represent just over 3,000 inhabitants (as of 2011).
History
Prehistory
The occupation of the massif by man began in the
Neolithic age
The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wid ...
, and the colonization of the Alpine valleys dates back to the
5th millennium BC. Then came the organization of
transhumance
Transhumance is a type of pastoralism or Nomad, nomadism, a seasonal movement of livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures. In montane regions (''vertical transhumance''), it implies movement between higher pastures in summer and low ...
and the exploitation of pastures, activities attested from the
Copper Age
The Chalcolithic ( ) (also called the Copper Age and Eneolithic) was an archaeological period characterized by the increasing use of smelted copper. It followed the Neolithic and preceded the Bronze Age. It occurred at different periods in dif ...
. Rock engravings are present in Vallée des Merveilles, located between 2,000 and 2,600
m above sea level. They are dated to the Copper Age and the
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
. These engravings reflect religious and agricultural interests, as well as efforts to track the passage of time. During the Bronze Age, metallurgical activity developed and semi-nomadism continued: shepherds' shelters were identified in this area as seasonal places of passage. However, the development of human activities at altitude experienced a sharp slowdown between 1550 and 1050
BC, due to the cooling of the climate in the
Alpine arch
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.
...
. On the other hand, traces of relationships between
protohistoric
Protohistory is the period between prehistory and written history, during which a culture or civilization has not yet developed writing, but other cultures that have developed writing have noted the existence of those pre-literate groups in their ...
communities are visible, including at long distances, through certain imported weapons (
Carpathian
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe and Southeast Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Urals at and the Scandinavian Mountains at ...
spear found in
Cuneo
Cuneo (; ; ; ) is a city and in Piedmont, Italy, the capital of the province of Cuneo, the fourth largest of Italy’s provinces by area.
It is located at 550 metres (1,804 ft) in the south-west of Piedmont, at the confluence of the ri ...
for example). Archaeological documentation increases from the Late Bronze Age onwards, and indicates a stabilization of settlement areas. Traces of a continuous human presence are visible for example in
Valdieri
Valdieri is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southwest of Turin and about southwest of Cuneo, on the border with France. It is part of the Valle Gesso.
Valdieri borders the follo ...
, where a
necropolis
A necropolis (: necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek ''nekropolis'' ().
The term usually implies a separate burial site at a distan ...
frequented during the recent and final Bronze Age has been identified. At the beginning of the
Iron Age
The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...
, the population of the massif intensified, as did exchanges between communities.
Antiquity
During
Antiquity
Antiquity or Antiquities may refer to:
Historical objects or periods Artifacts
*Antiquities, objects or artifacts surviving from ancient cultures
Eras
Any period before the European Middle Ages (5th to 15th centuries) but still within the histo ...
, the frequentation of the massif and the use of its passes, both by Roman and
barbarian
A barbarian is a person or tribe of people that is perceived to be primitive, savage and warlike. Many cultures have referred to other cultures as barbarians, sometimes out of misunderstanding and sometimes out of prejudice.
A "barbarian" may ...
peoples, are attested by the discoveries made during archaeological excavations. The passes were used for the movement of people and goods (in particular the Col de Tende). To the east of the massif, a paved Roman road, between Limone Piemonte and the Col de Tende, Roman coins (found on this same pass), ceramics and Roman currency in Tende, and a bronze Roman spoon in the town of
La Brigue
La Brigue (; ; ; ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
La Brigue became part of France after World War II, when Italy was forced to hand it over in September 1947 under the terms of the Peace of Paris. Be ...
have been identified among others. The archaeological site of the Tournerie peak is a major Gallic sanctuary frequented between the
5th and
2nd centuries BC
. It is located in the town of
Roubion. Numerous jewels and pieces of weapons were found there. In Valdeblore, mines and
slag
The general term slag may be a by-product or co-product of smelting (pyrometallurgical) ores and recycled metals depending on the type of material being produced. Slag is mainly a mixture of metal oxides and silicon dioxide. Broadly, it can be c ...
deposits have been identified, testifying to
ferrous metallurgy
Ferrous metallurgy is the metallurgy of iron and its alloys. The earliest surviving prehistoric iron artifacts, from the 4th millennium BC in Egypt, were made from meteoritic iron-nickel. It is not known when or where the smelting of iron from ...
on the massif, spread between
2nd century BC and
7th century AD.
The conquest and pacification of the Alpine peoples is due to the
Emperor Augustus
Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in ...
. An inscription was found at
Saint-Dalmas-le-Selvage
Saint-Dalmas-le-Selvage (; ; ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Alpes-Maritimes department
The following is a list of the 163 communes of the Alpes-Maritimes ...
, which can be translated as: “(the legionary)
Fulvius (… ) defeated and subdued the Ligurian (tribes) of
Bagienni The Bagienni (or Vegenni or Vagienni) were an ancient Ligurian people of north-western Italy mentioned in Pliny the Elder’s ''Naturalis Historia''. They were based in various areas of what is today south-western Piedmont, but particularly in the ...
,
Vediantii
The Vediantii were a Celto-Ligurian tribe dwelling on the Mediterranean coast, near present-day Nice, during the Iron Age and the Roman period.
Name
They are mentioned as ''Ou̓ediantíōn'' (Οὐεδιαντίων) by Ptolemy (2nd c. AD), and ...
, Montani and Sallavici”. This Alpine conquest is glorified through the
Trophy of Augustus, or Trophy of the Alps, located at the foot of the massif, in
La Turbie
La Turbie (; ; ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
History
La Turbie was famous in Roman times for the large monument, the Trophy of Augustus, that Augustus made to celebrate his victory over the Ligur ...
. The list of the 44 Alpine peoples conquered by Rome
is engraved on the monument itself, including Celto-Ligurian peoples, present in the region of the massif.
At the end of the
1st century, the western and central parts of the massif were included in the Roman province of the Maritime Alps, and its eastern part was in the
9th Italian
region.
Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages, the dominant monastic power of the massif was the San Dalmazzo da Pedona abbey, created in the
7th century, and ideally located in the town of
Borgo San Dalmazzo
Borgo San Dalmazzo () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about south of Turin and about southwest of Cuneo.
Borgo San Dalmazzo takes its name from Saint Dalmatius of Pavia. Sights ...
(formerly Pedona), at the confluence of the 3 Italian valleys of Gesso, Stura and Vermenagna. It dominates the movement of people and goods between the
Pô plain and
Provence
Provence is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which stretches from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the France–Italy border, Italian border to the east; it is bordered by the Mediterrane ...
. It also has priories and possessions in neighboring French valleys, notably in Saint-Dalmas-le-Selvage and Saint-Martin-Vésubie.
In the
11th century, the massif was part of the
Savoyard state
The Savoyard state comprised the states ruled by the counts and dukes of Savoy from the Middle Ages to the formation of the Kingdom of Italy. Although it was an example of composite monarchy, it is a term applied to the polity by historians an ...
. Subsequently, between the 13th and
14th centuries, the massif was part of the
bailiff
A bailiff is a manager, overseer or custodian – a legal officer to whom some degree of authority or jurisdiction is given. There are different kinds, and their offices and scope of duties vary.
Another official sometimes referred to as a '' ...
of the Val de Lantosque, the
county of Ventimiglia and the county of Tende. In the
14th century, by deedition of Nice to Savoy, the
county of Nice
The County of Nice (; ; Niçard ) was a historical region of France and Italy located around the southeastern city of Nice and roughly equivalent to the modern arrondissement of Nice. It was part of the Savoyard state within the Holy Roman Emp ...
was created, of which the west and centre of the massif are part.
The massif remained an important transit area for shepherds on both sides of the watershed. In the 13th century, there were significant migratory flows related to transhumance, and in the 16th century, shepherds from
Vinadio
Vinadio () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region of Piedmont, located about southwest of Turin and about southwest of Cuneo, on the border with France. It is located along the Stura di Demonte river.
Vinad ...
and
Sambuco traveled to the pastures of the Vésubie by crossing the mountain passes, and vice versa. These practices united communities, as evidenced by the records of villages on both sides, which contain French names on the Italian side and vice versa.
Conquest of the massif
The first ascent of Mount Argentera was made on 18 August 1879, by
William Auguste Coolidge
William Augustus Brevoort Coolidge (; August 28, 1850 – May 8, 1926) was an American historian, theologian and mountaineer.
Early life and education
William Augustus Brevoort Coolidge was born in New York City in 1850 as the son of Frederi ...
, accompanied by
Christian Almer
220px, Christian Almer
Christian Almer (29 March 1826 – 17 May 1898) was a Swiss mountain guide and the first ascensionist of many prominent mountains in the western Alps during the golden and silver ages of alpinism. Almer was born and di ...
. Between 1889 and 1905, Victor de Cessole organized numerous ascents and their systematic documentation. These expeditions were first carried out in summer, then, from 1896, in winter. The southern summit of Argentera, the highest point of the massif, was reached for the first time on 23 January 1902. Among his most notable climbs are two peaks deemed inaccessible at the time:
Corno Stella, reached on 22 August 1903, and the Aiguilles de Pelens, reached in August 1905.
Modern era
In the immediate post-war period, mountain tourism experienced a significant boom. Historic winter sports resorts like
Auron Auron may refer to:
* Auron (comics), two fictional DC Comics superheroes
* Auron (ski resort)
* Auron (river) in central France, a tributary of the Yèvre
* Auron, a playable character in the Square role-playing game ''Final Fantasy X''
* One ...
and Valberg experienced increased attendance, and new resorts were created like
Isola 2000
Isola 2000 is a ski resort in the southern French Alps. It is located on the territory of the commune of Isola, Alpes-Maritimes. It is one of the ''Stations du Mercantour'', along with Auron and St. Dalmas, and is operated by the council of th ...
, in 1971. But this urbanization was not very respectful of the environment: this awareness, in the middle of the 1970s, began the transition towards a more environmentally friendly tourist activity. The Mercantour national park, in France, was created on 8 August 1979 and its Italian equivalent, the Maritime Alps natural park was created in 1995. In May 1986, the
Southern Alps
The Southern Alps (; officially Southern Alps / Kā Tiritiri o te Moana) are a mountain range extending along much of the length of New Zealand, New Zealand's South Island, reaching its greatest elevations near the range's western side. The n ...
, and the massif in particular, was exposed to
radioactive fallout
Nuclear fallout is residual radioactive material that is created by the reactions producing a nuclear explosion. It is initially present in the radioactive cloud created by the explosion, and "falls out" of the cloud as it is moved by the a ...
from the cloud of particles coming from the
Chernobyl disaster
On 26 April 1986, the no. 4 reactor of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, located near Pripyat, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine), exploded. With dozens of direct casualties, it is one of only ...
. The health and environmental impact of this pollution, mainly due to
caesium-137
Caesium-137 (), cesium-137 (US), or radiocaesium, is a radioactive isotope of caesium that is formed as one of the more common fission products by the nuclear fission of uranium-235 and other fissionable isotopes in nuclear reactors and nucle ...
, was studied and debated over between 2000 and 2010. The environmental issue and the role of parks remained a subject of importance in the following decades, as evidenced by the debate around the controversial “Balcons du Mercantour” project and their subsequent abandonment in 23 January 2009. In 2019, an attempt to register the “Mediterranean Alps” (of which the massif is part) as a
UNESCO world heritage site
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
ended in failure. Climatic considerations and their influences in the massif subsequently take on importance: On 2 October 2020,
storm Alex
Storm Alex was a powerful early-season extratropical cyclone that was particularly notable for its extreme flooding around the Mediterranean. Alex caused widespread wind and flooding damage across Europe, and at least 16 fatalities, with one more ...
caused a heavy human and material toll in the Vésubie and Roya valleys. This episode was followed by an exceptional drought a few months later, with consequences on the hydrology of the massif.
Activities
Winter sports resorts
The winter sports resorts of the massif welcome several million visitors each year, both local and international, and offer several hundred kilometres of alpine ski slopes. They have Nordic areas for cross-country skiing or snowshoeing. At the beginning of the
21st century, since snow in the Southern Alps started experiencing regular deficits, most of these resorts, both in France and in Italy, use artificial snow devices such as
snow cannons. There are 10 stations in the massif:
Hiking
The massif welcomes several hundred thousand hikers each year. The Mercantour National Park, located within the massif, maintains 1,700 km of hiking trails, with 550 km in the central zone of the park. On the Italian side, the Maritime Alps Natural Park offers 400 km of hiking trails. The massif is traversed by the GR 5 and GR 52 trails. The ''
Grande Traversée des Alpes'' (GTA) is a segment of the
GR 5
The GR 5 is a GR footpathThe acronym GR stands for "Grande Randonnée" (in French), meaning "Great Hike". that starts in the Netherlands, crosses Belgium and Luxembourg before crossing France from north to south. It is part of the European walk ...
on the French side, with its Italian counterpart being the ''
Grande Traversata delle Alpi
The ''Grande Traversata delle Alpi'' (GTA) is a long-distance hiking trail in the Italian region of Piedmont. In about and 55 day hikes, it runs through the arc formed by the western Alps from the Pennine Alps through the Graian and Cottian Al ...
''. The "blue" and "red" routes of the
Via Alpina
The Via Alpina is a network of five long-distance hiking trails across the Alps, alpine regions of Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Italy, France, and Monaco. The longest of trails is the red trail, whose termini are in Trie ...
also cross the massif. Various hiking routes are available, ranging from day hikes to longer treks like the ''Grande traversée du Mercantour'' (GTM), which takes over two weeks.
Mountaineering
Many rock or mixed climbing routes exist in the massif. The relatively modest altitude of the peaks and the presence of numerous refuges most of the time allow these routes to be undertaken as a day trip. On the French part of the massif alone, in an area located between Mont Malinvern and
Mont Bégo
Mont Bégo (; ) is a mountain in the Mercantour massif of the Maritime Alps, in southern France, with an elevation of . It is included in the Vallée des Merveilles ("Valley of Marvels").
Etymology
The name derives from the ancient Indo-Eu ...
, nearly 1,100 different races are listed. Added to these, among others, are the hundreds of races offered by the Argentera range, on the Italian part of the massif.
The routes are a mixture of historic routes, opened by pioneers in the exploration of this territory, such as Victor de Cessole, and large-scale routes, opened by great names in mountaineering, such as Jean Vernet,
Patrick Berhault
Patrick Berhault (19 July 1957 – 28 April 2004) was a French professional rock climber and mountaineer, who specialized in sport climbing and alpine climbing. He died climbing the Dom ridge, Switzerland, during his attempt to do an enchainm ...
and
Alessandro Gogna, and more modern and often technical routes, some of which opened in the 2010s.
Cycling
The
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
has regularly used the passes of the massif since 1950, and the
Mercan'Tour Classic
The Mercan'Tour Classic Alpes-Maritimes is a French single-day road cycling race held in Valberg in the Alpes-Maritimes region of France. The race was supposed to be first held in 2020, but was cancelled due to the COVID-19. It is classified by ...
is a
road cycling race
Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on paved roads. Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The two most com ...
organized since 2020 around
Valberg. Until 2015, the ''Prom' Gélas'' race took place within the massif, combining
road cycling
Road cycling is the most widespread form of cycling in which cyclists ride on paved roadways. It includes recreational, racing, commuting, and utility cycling. As users of the road, road cyclists are generally expected to obey the same laws a ...
from the seaside with
ski mountaineering
Ski mountaineering (abbreviated to skimo) is a skiing discipline that involves climbing mountains either on skis or carrying them, depending on the steepness of the ascent, and then descending on skis. There are two major categories of equipment ...
up to
Cime du Gélas
Cime du Gélas (Italian: ''Monte Gelàs'') is a 3,143 m high mountain on the boundary between France (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region) and Italy (province of Cuneo). It is part of the Maritime Alps.
It is the highest peak of the Mercanto ...
. Within the massif, it is also possible to go
mountain biking
Mountain biking (MTB) is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability ...
off-season in several winter sports resorts. However, mountain biking in the protected areas of the Mercantour and Alpes Maritimes parks is generally heavily regulated.
In popular culture
Paintings
The Mercantour-Argentera massif has inspired several painters over the centuries. In the
19th century,
Claude Monet
Oscar-Claude Monet (, ; ; 14 November 1840 – 5 December 1926) was a French painter and founder of Impressionism painting who is seen as a key precursor to modernism, especially in his attempts to paint nature as he perceived it. During his ...
produced various
oils on canvas representing the massif seen from
Antibes
Antibes (, , ; ) is a seaside city in the Alpes-Maritimes Departments of France, department in Southeastern France. It is located on the French Riviera between Cannes and Nice; its cape, the Cap d'Antibes, along with Cap Ferrat in Saint-Jean-Ca ...
and Cyrille Besset produced paintings of Saint-Martin-Vésubie and Roya in the village of Fontan. Different watercolorists also represented the places: Alexis Mossa with works of Boréon, Haut-Boréon, as well as Gordolasque, and Antoine Trachel with representations of
Tende
Tende (; Italian language, Italian, Occitan language, Occitan and Royasc: ''Tenda'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Alpes-Maritimes Departments of France, department in southeastern France.
Geography
Tende is located within Mercanto ...
and
Roquebillière
Roquebillière (; historical ; ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
History
It was part of the historic County of Nice until 1860 as ''Roccabigliere''. The town was at one time a Templar settlement.
Arth ...
. By the end
of the 19th century and the beginning of
the 20th century, Pierre Comba, in several of his watercolors, depicted battalions of Alpine hunters evolving within the massif. Alban Larousse and Michel Rohmer in the
20th century then Alexis Nouailhat, in the
21st century produced numerous watercolors representing the massif, as well as its fauna and flora.
File:Monet - View of Cap d’Antibes, 1888.jpg, View of the massif, from Cap d'Antibes, Claude Monet, 1888.
File:Le Boréon par Albert Thiole, 1894.jpg, ''Le Boréon'' by Albert Thiole, 1894.
File:Le Caïre Pounchu vu Depuis Camp Soubran (Boréon), Alexis Mossa, 8 Août 1885.png, ''Le Caïre Pounchu vu depuis Camp Soubran (Boréon)'' by Alexis Mossa, August 8, 1885.
File:CyrilleBesset-SaintMartinVésubie-1895.jpg, ''Le village de Saint-Martin-Vésubie'' by Cyrille Besset, 1895.
Cinema and television
In the Gordolasque, the upper valley served as the setting for the series ''
Belle et Sébastien'', and the film ''Sauvage'', by
Jean-François Amiguet. The village of Belvédère, for its part, served as the setting for the first scenes of the film ''
Le Gendarme de Saint-Tropez
''The Troops of St. Tropez'' (; literally ''The Policeman from Saint-Tropez'') is a 1964 French comedy film set in Saint-Tropez, a fashionable resort on the French Riviera. Starring Louis de Funès as Ludovic Cruchot of the ''gendarmerie'', the fi ...
'', with
Louis de Funès
Louis Germain David de Funès de Galarza (; 31 July 1914 – 27 January 1983) was a French actor and comedian. He is France's favourite actor, according to a series of polls conducted since the late 1960s, having played over 150 roles in fi ...
.
The Vésubie valley also appears in the film ''
Le Cas du Docteur Laurent'', with
Jean Gabin
Jean Gabin Alexis Moncorgé (born Jean-Alexis Moncorgé), known as Jean Gabin (; 17 May 190415 November 1976), was a French actor and singer. Considered a key figure in French cinema, he starred in several classic films, including '' Pépé le ...
, filmed in the villages of
Saint-Martin-Vésubie
Saint-Martin-Vésubie (; Vivaro-Alpine: ''Sant Martin de Lantosca''; ) is a commune of the Alpes-Maritimes department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. Established on the edge of a glacial plate, it had a population ...
and
Venanson. Higher in the valley, the diffusion of 26 September 1965 of the program ''En vue direct de…'', produced by
Jacques Ertaud, took place on the west face of Cougourde, with the mountaineers Jean Grinda, Jean-Marie Morisset,
Gaston Rébuffat
Gaston Rébuffat (; 7 May 1921, Marseille – 31 May 1985, Paris) was a French Mountaineering, alpinist, mountain guide, and author. He is well known as a member of the first expedition to summit Annapurna Massif, Annapurna 1 in 1950 and the f ...
and Maurice Baquet.
In the Roya valley, the film ''
La Fille sur le pont'', with
Daniel Auteuil
Daniel Auteuil (; born 24 January 1950) is a French actor and director who has appeared in a wide range of film genres, including period dramas, romantic comedies, and crime thrillers. In 1996 he won the Best Actor Award at the Cannes Film Fest ...
and
Vanessa Paradis
Vanessa Chantal Paradis (; born 22 December 1972) is a French singer, model and actress. Paradis became a star at the age of 14 with the international success of her single " Joe le taxi" (1987). At age 18, she was awarded France's highest ho ...
, was directed by
Patrice Leconte
Patrice Leconte (; born 12 November 1947) is a French film director, screenwriter and comic strip writer.
Life and career
Leconte grew up in Tours, and began making little amateur films at 15. He went to Paris in 1967 and studied at Institut des ...
partly in the area of the village of
Breil-sur-Roya
Breil-sur-Roya (, literally ''Breil on Roya''; or simply ''Breglio''; ; ) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.
Population
Geography
Breil-sur-Roya as its name says is located on the scenic and fast movi ...
.
And more generally in the massif: ''
Minuscule: Valley of the Lost Ants'' is an animated film with live-action settings using the landscapes of the Mercantour park. ''La montagne aux histoires'' is a film based on exchanges with inhabitants of the valleys of the massif, produced on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Mercantour park.
In the documentary category, ''Naïs au pays des loups'' was filmed by a father and his daughter over three years, going to meet a wolf in the heart of the Mercantour park, and ''Face au vide,'' produced in 2020, highlights amateur mountaineering, and is partly carried out within the massif.
On television, ''L'Homme à l'envers'' is an adaptation of the eponymous novel by
Fred Vargas
Fred Vargas is the pseudonym of Frédérique Audoin-Rouzeau (born 7 June 1957), a French historian, archaeologist and novelist.
As a historian and archeologist, she is known for her work on the Black Death. Her crime fiction ''policiers'' (pol ...
, set in the massif, and the show ''
Des racines et des ailes
''Des racines et des ailes'' (meaning "roots and wings") is a French-language television documentary series, created by Patrick de Carolis and Patrick Charles in France in 1997. ''Des racines et des ailes'' is broadcast two Wednesdays per month ...
''devotes episodes 19 of its season 16 and 9 of its season 25 partly to the massif and its communes.
Music
“''Les Follies des Lacs''” is an annual music festival, created in 2001 by the mayor of Valdeblore, in which pianist
François-René Duchâble
François-René Duchâble (born 22 April 1952, in Paris) is a French pianist. He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris, and at the age of 13 won the institution's first prize in piano. Three years later, he placed 11th at the Queen Elisabeth Mus ...
regularly participates, taking place at the edge of the lakes of the massif.
Julien Doré
Julien Doré (; born 7 July 1982) is a French singer-songwriter, musician and actor.
He is the winner of the fifth season of the television show ''Nouvelle Star'', aired on the French Television M6 channel.
Life
Doré was born in Alès (Gard, ...
composed his album ''
&'' in a
chalet
A chalet (pronounced in British English; in American English usually ), also called Swiss chalet, is a type of building or house, typical of the Alpine region in Europe. It is made of wood, with a heavy, gently sloping roof and wide, well-su ...
in Saint-Martin-Vésubie, and recorded an acoustic version of ''Coco câline'' in the mountains of the massif.
Literature
''Nice et Savoie,'' work commissioned by
Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...
and published in 1864, contains
lithographs
Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the miscibility, immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by ...
representing the departments newly attached to France in 1860, and more particularly from different villages of the massif. ''La Suisse niçoise'', a collection of the writings of Victor de Cessole and Fernand Noetinger, traces the history of the conquest of the massif. Jean Siccardi, a writer from Nice, depicts two shepherd brothers in the heart of the massif, in his book ''Les brumes du Mercantour''. Alain Grinda's novel ''Madonna de Fenestre'' takes place partly within the massif, in the area of the sanctuary of the Madonna de Fenestre. In the category of novels, ''
Étoile errante
''Wandering Star'' (original title: ''Étoile errante'') is a novel by French Nobel laureate writer J. M. G. Le Clézio. The novel tells the story of two teenage girls on the threshold and in the aftermath of World War II. Esther, a French Jew ...
'', a work by
J. M. G. Le Clézio, takes place partly in Saint-Martin-Vésubie. ''Mercantour, l'esprit des lieux'' by Olivier Lemire offers a photographic journey within the massif.
References
{{Authority control, qid=Q3297688
Western Alps
French Alps
Geography of Alpes-Maritimes
Geography of Piedmont
Geography of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence