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

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Alpes-de-Haute-Provence or sometimes abbreviated as AHP (; oc, Aups d'Auta Provença; ) is a department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France, bordering Alpes-Maritimes and Italy to the east, Var to the south, Vaucluse to the west ...

, a

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

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

Geography

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

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

in the south, all the way to the

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

on the Italian-French border. The nearest SNCF railway station is the .

Toponymy

The name of the village, as it appeared for the first time in 1147 (''in Sedena''), is thought to refer to the Gallic tribe of the

Adanates The Adanates or Edenates were a small Gallic tribe dwelling around present-day Seyne, in the Alpes Cottiae The Alpes Cottiae (; English: 'Cottian Alps') were a small province of the Roman Empire founded in 63 AD by Emperor Nero. It was one of ...

, or to be built on the root *''Sed-'', for rock, according to

Charles Rostaing Charles Rostaing (9 October 1904 – 24 April 1999) was a French linguist who specialised in toponymy.Obituar ...

. According to , the name comes from a

Pre-Celtic The pre-Celtic period in the prehistory of Central Europe and Western Europe occurred before the expansion of the Celts or their culture in Iron Age Europe and Anatolia (9th to 6th centuries BC), but after the emergence of the Proto-Celtic l ...

root oronym (mountain

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

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

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

and

Provençal dialect Provençal (, , ; french: provençal , ; oc, provençau or ) is a Romance language, either considered as a variety of Occitan or a separate language, spoken by people in Provence and parts of Drôme. Historically, the term Provençal has be ...

of the , and ''Sagno'' in the

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

History

Antiquity

Before the Roman conquest, Seyne was the capital of the

. It held the status of ''

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

'' under the Roman Empire.

Middle Ages

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

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

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

Arles Arles (, , ; oc, label=Provençal, Arle ; Classical la, Arelate) is a coastal city and commune in the South of France, a subprefecture in the Bouches-du-Rhône department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, in the former province ...

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

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

opened a succession crisis at the head of the . The towns of the Union of Aix (1382-1387) supported Charles, Duke of Durazzo against

Louis I, Duke of Anjou Louis I, Duke of Anjou (23 July 1339 – 20 September 1384) was a French prince, the second son of John II of France and Bonne of Luxembourg, Bonne of Bohemia. His career was markedly unsuccessful. Born at the Château de Vincennes, Louis was th ...

. The community supported the Durazzo side until 18 September 1385, then changed camp and joined the Angevins through the patient negotiations of Marie de Blois, Louis I's widow and regent of their son Louis II. The surrender of Seyne involved the communities of Couloubrous and Beauvillars. The fair held in Seyne in the late Middle Ages benefitted from its crossroads location, and continued until the end of the

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

. Seyne was a

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

which subsequently became a

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

headquarters: It included the communities of

Auzet Auzet is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of south-eastern France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Auzetans'' or ''Auzetanes''. Geography Auzet is located some 45 ...

Barles Barles () is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of south-eastern France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Barlatans'' or ''Barlatanes'' in French. Geography The village is ...

, La Bréole, Montclar, Pontis, Selonnet,

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

, Saint-Vincent,

Ubaye The Ubaye (; oc, Ubaia) is a river of southeastern France. It is long and flows through the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department. Its drainage basin is .Verdaches Verdaches (; oc, Verdacha) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department The following is a list of the 198 communes of the Alpes-d ...

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

Early modern (1483-1789)

In the middle of the 16th century,

Protestantism Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

took root in Seyne. Through the

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

(1563), adherents of this religion were allowed to build a place of worship, but outside the municipality. The town was captured and looted by Protestant captain in the summer of 1560, during the

Wars of Religion A religious war or a war of religion, sometimes also known as a holy war ( la, sanctum bellum), is a war which is primarily caused or justified by differences in religion. In the modern period, there are frequent debates over the extent to wh ...

. The town was again attacked by Protestants in 1574, who this time held it thereafter. The hid here in 1585, before the offensive of the Catholic League, without preventing the capture of the city by the Duke of Épernon. During the siege, the bell tower was destroyed.Raymond Collier, p. 89. At the end of the

, the Duke of Lesdiguières established a camp where he prepared his campaign to take Provence back from the Catholic Leaguers. The

Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

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

Edict of Nantes The Edict of Nantes () was signed in April 1598 by King Henry IV and granted the Calvinist Protestants of France, also known as Huguenots, substantial rights in the nation, which was in essence completely Catholic. In the edict, Henry aim ...

(1598). However, the

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

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

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

aise army of 5,000 men down from the

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

and

besiege A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characteriz ...

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

livre LIVRE (, L), previously known as LIVRE/Tempo de Avançar (, L/TDA), is a green political party in Portugal founded in 2014. Its founding principles are ecology, universalism, freedom, equity, solidarity, socialism and Europeanism. Its symbo ...

s. However, the

militia A militia () is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non- professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of r ...

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

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

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

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

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

War of the Austrian Succession The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George' ...

and again in 1815, at the end of the

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

. The city was almost undefended at the end of the

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

, with nine guns served by a garrison of three invalids, and an arsenal of 93 guns. The city was the seat of a

viguerie In Southern France, a ''viguerie'' (; la, vicaria) was a mediaeval administrative court. A ''viguerie'' is named for the place it serves or is found in, that is, the main town of the borough, which need not be its (administrative capital). Appear ...

until the French Revolution and an office of the at the end of the Ancien Régime.

French Revolution

Just before the

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

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

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

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

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

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

wheat Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeolog ...

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

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

'' staff. Then lawsuits were commissioned by the

Parliament of Aix-en-Provence The Parliament of Aix-en-Provence was the provincial ''parlement'' of Provence from 1501 to 1790. It was headquartered in Aix-en-Provence, which served as the ''de facto'' capital of Provence. History The region of Provence became a member of the ...

, but sentences were not carried out because of the

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

and the

Great Fear The Great Fear (french: Grande Peur) was a general panic that took place between 22 July to 6 August 1789, at the start of the French Revolution. Rural unrest had been present in France since the worsening grain shortage of the spring, ...

. In appeasement, an

amnesty Amnesty (from the Ancient Greek ἀμνηστία, ''amnestia'', "forgetfulness, passing over") is defined as "A pardon extended by the government to a group or class of people, usually for a political offense; the act of a sovereign power offic ...

was announced in early August. The fall of the Bastille was welcomed and thought to presage the end of arbitrary use of royal power, and perhaps profound changes. The advent of the new regime triggered a great phenomenon of collective fear that seized France, fear of an aristocrats conspiring to recover their privileges. Rumours of armed soldiers devastating everything in their path spread rapidly, accompanied by gunfire, violence against nobles, and the organization of militias. The Great Fear came from

Tallard Tallard (; oc, Talard) is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. Location Tallard is to the south of Gap, close to the road from Gap to Marseille. The motorway A51 ends j ...

, and awareness of the ''fear of the Mâconnais'' reached Seyne on the evening of 31 July 1789. Michel Vovelle, "Les troubles de Provence en 1789" (Unrest in Provence in 1789), map 154 and commentary, in Baratier, Duby & Hildesheimer The of

Turriers Turriers () is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. Since 2016, it has been designated a key village in the UNESCO Geopark of Haute Provence because of its outstanding geological features, its rich biodi ...

and

Bellaffaire Bellaffaire (; oc, Belafaire) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department The following is a list of the 198 communes of the Alpe ...

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

Dauphiné The Dauphiné (, ) is a former province in Southeastern France, whose area roughly corresponded to that of the present departments of Isère, Drôme and Hautes-Alpes. The Dauphiné was originally the Dauphiné of Viennois. In the 12th centu ...

, sent word to the consuls of Seyne, who sent word to

Sisteron Sisteron (; , oc, label= Mistralian norm, Sisteroun; from oc, label=Old Occitan, Sestaron) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, southeastern France. Sisteron is situated on the banks of the r ...

and Digne, thereby spreading the Great Fear. They also warned all parishes within the purview of the

of Seyne, and sent messengers to Gap and Embrun to ask for news. The arsenal of the citadel was requisitioned, and 93 guns and nine cannons were distributed in Seyne and the villages of Saint-Pons, Selonnet and Chardavon. Men took refuge with their furniture and livestock away from the walls of the citadel. That night, messengers from Rochebrune and La Motte confirmed the news, and added that

Romans-sur-Isère Romans-sur-Isère (; Occitan: ''Rumans d'Isèra''; Old Occitan: ''Romans'') is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France. Geography Romans-sur-Isère is located on the Isère, northeast of Valence. There are more than 50,000 ...

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

Castellane Castellane (; Provençal: ''Castelana'') is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. With about 1,600 inhabitants, Castellane has the distinction of being the least-populated sub-prefecture of France. Its inh ...

by 4,000 and the advance of 1,000

soldiers in the

Durance The Durance (; ''Durença'' in the Occitan classical norm or ''Durènço'' in the Mistralian norm) is a major river in Southeastern France. A left tributary of the Rhône, it is long. Its drainage basin is .National Guard National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. N ...

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

19th century

Seyne saw some industrialization in the 19th century with the development of textile industries. As with many municipalities in this department, Seyne had schools well before the

Jules Ferry laws The Jules Ferry Laws are a set of French laws which established free education in 1881, then mandatory and ''laic'' (secular) education in 1882. Jules Ferry, a lawyer holding the office of Minister of Public Instruction in the 1880s, is widely ...

. In 1863, it had five, one in the town proper and also in the villages of Pompiery, Bas-Chardavon, Pons and Couloubroux. These schools provided primary education for boys. In the main town, a school for girls was mandated by the

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

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

Politics and administration

Trends in policies and results

List of mayors

Environmental policy

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

Administration

A brigade of the

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

is located in the town center of Seyne.

Population and society

Demography

Demographic evolution

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

Age pyramid

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

Education

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

Health

A hospital is located in the municipality.

Economy

The economy of Seyne revolves around sports activities and tourism.

Industry

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

employee Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any o ...

Tourism

The commune has an

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

ski station Ski Station ( no, Ski stasjon) is a railway station located in Ski, Norway. It is located from Oslo Central Station on the Østfold Line, at the point where the railway splits in two into an eastern and western line. It also serves as the ...

at Le Grand Puy and a

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

station at Col du Fanget. Formerly, the town had one or two

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

s to Col Saint-Jean. The , connecting Sainte-Foy to Saint-Paul-sur-Ubaye, crosses Seyne.

Local culture and heritage

Sites and monuments

Fortifications

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

tenaille A tenaille (archaic tenalia) is an advanced defensive-work, in front of the main defences of a fortress, which takes its name from resemblance, real or imaginary, to the lip of a pair of pincers. It is "from French, literally: tongs, from Late ...

.Collier, p. 324 The wall was completed in 1705. The , at the front line at the time of its construction, was found in the third line after the

(1713), which reunited the

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

hornwork A hornwork is an element of the Italian bastion system of fortification. Its face is flanked with a pair of demi-bastions. It is distinguished from a crownwork, because crownworks contain full bastions at their centers. They are both outwork ...

, a rebuilt door (1821), and some

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

s for rear firing and

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

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

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

Civil architecture

Several houses on the streets of the old center date from the 17th century, including the old town hall on the main street and a house nearby from 1788, with an arched gate. Another house on the high street dates from 1605. A further house on the high street dates from 1708 and, nearby, one more dates from the end of the Middle Ages, with an overhang supported by corbels of wood mouldings.Raymond Collier, p. 369 Other houses on the high street, retained in front of the arches, have characteristic medieval elements. However, these date to the 18th century.Raymond Collier, p. 369-370 The hospital was built in 1734.Collier, p. 370 A carved bench, leather seat, and a five foot long table of beech from the 17th and the 18th centuries, currently kept at the town hall, originally came from the hospital.Collier, p. 518 These items are classified as

objects. Several farms in the commune are fortified.

The Church of Our Lady of Nazareth

Seyne - Église Notre-Dame-de-Nazareth -932

Seyne, église Notre-Dame-de-Nazareth, chapiteau nef

Seyne, église Notre-Dame-de-Nazareth, saint en extase

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

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

arily attributed to

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Em ...

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

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

with twelve rays and a

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

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

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

, long and high, has three arched barrel

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

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

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

has a flat

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

and is also

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

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

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building with ...

. The portal of the south façade is

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

, from the 13th or 14th century, notable for being framed by two separations of

arch An arch is a vertical curved structure that spans an elevated space and may or may not support the weight above it, or in case of a horizontal arch like an arch dam, the hydrostatic pressure against it. Arches may be synonymous with vau ...

es which rely on the surrounding

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

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

capital Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the durable produced goods used fo ...

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

baptismal font A baptismal font is an article of church furniture used for baptism. Aspersion and affusion fonts The fonts of many Christian denominations are for baptisms using a non-immersive method, such as aspersion (sprinkling) or affusion (pouring) ...

s are in diameter. The church has been a classified

since 1862. The

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

altarpiece was painted directly onto the panel of the

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

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

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

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

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

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

high relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term ''relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that the ...

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

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

tabernacle According to the Hebrew Bible, the tabernacle ( he, מִשְׁכַּן, mīškān, residence, dwelling place), also known as the Tent of the Congregation ( he, link=no, אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, ’ōhel mō‘ēḏ, also Tent of Meeting, etc.), ...

placed under a

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

at six feet, from the convent of the

Trinitarian Order , logo = Trynitarze.svg , logo_size = 150px , logo_caption = Flag of the Trinitarians , image = Signumordinis.gif , image_size = 200px , caption = Mosaic of Jesus Christ us ...

(16th century, listed) Finally, the priest has full vestments (

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

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

, clevis, veil covering the

chalice A chalice (from Latin 'mug', borrowed from Ancient Greek () 'cup') or goblet is a footed cup intended to hold a drink. In religious practice, a chalice is often used for drinking during a ceremony or may carry a certain symbolic meaning. R ...

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

Dominican Church

The Church of the

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of C ...

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

oeil-de-boeuf An ''oeil-de-boeuf'' (; en, "bull's eye"), also ''œil de bœuf'' and sometimes anglicized as ''ox-eye window'', is a relatively small elliptical or circular window, typically for an upper storey, and sometimes set in a roof slope as a d ...

, while the wide aisles are square bays. Six

reliquary A reliquary (also referred to as a '' shrine'', by the French term ''châsse'', and historically including '' phylacteries'') is a container for relics. A portable reliquary may be called a ''fereter'', and a chapel in which it is housed a ''fe ...

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

Crucifixion of Jesus The crucifixion and death of Jesus occurred in 1st-century Judea, most likely in AD 30 or AD 33. It is described in the four canonical gospels, referred to in the New Testament epistles, attested to by other ancient sources, and conside ...

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

embroidered Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen on ...

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

Chapels

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

Museums

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

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

Events

*Each year, during the second weekend of August, the last horse competition in France is held at Seyne (a competition for the best mule, with categories). *During the second weekend of October, an autumn fair is organized (cattle, horses, and a few other animals)

Notable people

* Antoine Laugier, born in Seyne, died in

Aix Aix or AIX may refer to: Computing * AIX, a line of IBM computer operating systems *An Alternate Index, for a Virtual Storage Access Method Key Sequenced Data Set * Athens Internet Exchange, a European Internet exchange point Places Belgiu ...

in 1709, historian of the order of the

Trinitarian Order , logo = Trynitarze.svg , logo_size = 150px , logo_caption = Flag of the Trinitarians , image = Signumordinis.gif , image_size = 200px , caption = Mosaic of Jesus Christ us ...

. *Writer

Jean Proal Jean Proal (16 July 1904 – 24 February 1969) was a French writer. Life He wrote some short stories aged twenty-four and twenty-five then his first novel ''Tempête de printemps'' at age 28. Writers such as Jean Giono, Roger Martin du Gard, ...

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

National Convention The National Convention (french: link=no, Convention nationale) was the parliament of the Kingdom of France for one day and the French First Republic for the rest of its existence during the French Revolution, following the two-year National ...

during the French Revolution, born in Seyne * (born June 9, 1940 in Seyne), Member of the National Assembly from the 1970s to 1990 *

Eugène Michel Eugene is a common male given name that comes from the Greek εὐγενής (''eugenēs''), "noble", literally "well-born", from εὖ (''eu''), "well" and γένος (''genos''), "race, stock, kin".Pierre Martin Borély de la Sapie Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...

(1814-1895), born in Seyne, colonist in Algeria, farmer, first mayor of

Boufarik Boufarik is a town in Blida Province, Algeria, approximately 30 km from Algiers. In 2008, its population was 57,162.popul ...

(Algiers), mayor of

Blida Blida ( ar, البليدة; Tamazight: Leblida) is a city in Algeria. It is the capital of Blida Province, and it is located about 45 km south-west of Algiers, the national capital. The name ''Blida'', i.e. ''bulaydah'', is a diminutive ...

, officer of the Légion d'honneur, general counsel of Algiers, Chairman of the USDA of Algiers Advisory Committee, Member of many commissions. See also
Boufarik: a page of colonization of Algeria
Colonel Trumelet *

Sylvain Wojak Sylvain is the French form of Silvanus. It may refer to: People *Sylvain Archambault, Canadian director *Sylvain Bied (1965–2011), French footballer and manager *Sylvain Cappell (born 1946), American mathematician *Sylvain Chavanel (born 1979), ...

, model, writer

Heraldry

Bibliography

* * ( BnF no
FRBNF35450017h
*

References

External links

The internet site of Seyne-les-AlpesThe internet site of the Vallée de la BlancheAn internet site of Seyne-les-Alpes and its environs, in photosThe website of the Heritage Association of Pays du Seyne
(Archive)
The website of the local hospital of Saint Jacques
{{authority control Communes of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence