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The Ubaye Valley is an area in the Alpes de Haute-Provence
département, in the
French AlpsThe French Alps are those portions of the Alps mountain range which stand within France, located in the Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions....
and has approximately 7,700 residents. Its residents are called
Ubayens. Its chief town is the
sous-préfecture of
BarcelonnetteBarcelonnette is a commune in the Ubaye Valley, in the southern French Alps, in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, of which it is a subprefecture.-History:...
.
Ubaye River - Hydrography
- The Ubaye
The Ubaye is a river of southeastern France. It is 83 km long and flows through the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department.Its rises at the Col de Longet, in the Cottian Alps on the border with Italy. It flows generally southwest, through Saint-Paul-sur-Ubaye, Jausiers and Barcelonnette...
River gives its name to the valley. The Ubaye rises on the Franco-Italian border, in Longet Lake, in the massive of Monte VisoMonte Viso or Monviso , is a mountain in the Cottian Alps in Italy close to the French border. Monte Viso is well known for its pyramid-like shape, and because it is higher than all its neighbouring peaks by about 500 m it can be seen from some distance, from the Piedmontese plateau and the...
. It runs from east to west during 70 km (43 mi), after it flows in the Serre-Ponçon LakeLake Serre-Ponçon is a lake in southeast France; it is one of the largest artificial lakes in western Europe. The lake gathers the waters of the Durance and the Ubaye rivers, flowing down through the Hautes-Alpes and the Alpes du Sud to the Rhône River...
. Its main tributary is the Ubayette River, which rise in the Lauzanier Lake.
- Ubaye Valley has many lakes :
- Terre-Plaine lake
- Neuf-Couleur Lake
- Sagnes Lake
- Lauzanier lake
- Allos
Allos is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.-Population:-References:*...
lake
- Petite Cayolle lake
- Mans lakes
- Longet lake
- Oronaye lake, near Longet lake
- Marinet Lake
Summits
Ubaye Valley's highest mountain is the Aiguille de Chambeyron (3412 m (11,194 ft). The second one is the Brec de Chambeyron (3389 m (11,119 ft).
Towns
- Its two largest towns are Barcelonnette
Barcelonnette is a commune in the Ubaye Valley, in the southern French Alps, in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, of which it is a subprefecture.-History:...
and JausiersJausiers is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.-Population:-References:*...
. From Low Valley to High Valley, near Ubaye the towns are: Le Lauzet-UbayeLe Lauzet-Ubaye is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.-Population:-References:*...
, Les Thuiles (Lauzet's hamlet), Méolans-RevelMéolans-Revel is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.-Population:-References:*...
, Barcelonnette, Faucon-de-BarcelonnetteFaucon-de-Barcelonnette is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.-Population:-References:*...
, Jausiers, La Condamine-ChâtelardLa Condamine-Châtelard is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.-Population:-References:*...
, Saint-Paul-sur-UbayeSaint-Paul-sur-Ubaye is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.-Population:-References:*...
and Tournoux.
- There are several ski stations: Le Sauze, Pra Loup
Pra Loup, is a French ski resort in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence in the town of Uvernet-Fours. 7 km from the town of Barcelonnette.The ski station is divided into two separate parts, 2 km apart:* Pra Loup 1500 * Pra Loup 1600Features...
(near Barcelonnette) and Sainte Anne (near La Condamine-Châtelard.
- Two small towns in the Ubayette valley: Meyronnes
Meyronnes is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.-Population:-See also:* Ouvrage Saint Ours Haut* Ubaye Valley* Communes of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department-References:*...
and LarcheLarche is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.-Geography:It lies on the northwestern foot of the Maddalena Pass, called Col de Larche in French.-Population:-References:*...
.
Access
There are only six passable vehicle roads during the summer:
- From the Haute-Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
(West) : "Pas-la-Tour" near Le Lauzet-UbayeLe Lauzet-Ubaye is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.-Population:-References:*...
, open year-round
- From the Verdon
-Several places in the United States:*Verdon Township, Aitkin County, Minnesota*Verdon, Nebraska*Verdon, South Dakota-Name or part of the name of several communes in France:* Verdon, in the Dordogne département* Verdon, in the Marne département...
(South) : Col de la CayolleCol de la Cayolle is a high mountain pass in the French Alps at the border between the departments of Alpes-Maritimes and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence in France.It connects Barcelonnette in the Ubaye Valley and Saint-Martin-d'Entraunes....
and Col d'AllosCol d'Allos is a high mountain pass in the Alps in the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence in France.It connects Barcelonnette in the Ubaye Valley and Colmars and goes on to the Col des Champs....
(closed in winter)
- From the Tinée
The Tinée is a river that flows through the Alpes-Maritimes department of southeastern France. Its source is on the east side of the Col de la Bonette, in the Maritime Alps. It flows through Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée, Isola and Saint-Sauveur-sur-Tinée, and it flows into the Var near Utelle.-External...
(South) : Col de la BonetteCol de la Bonette 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...
at 2,750 meters, the higher road of Alps (closed in winter)
- From Stura
Stura was a département of the First French Empire in present Italy. It was named after the river Stura di Demonte. It was formed in 1802, when Napoleon Bonaparte occupied the Kingdom of Sardinia. Its capital was Cuneo. It was divided into the arrondissements of Cuneo, Alba, Mondovì, Saluzzo, and...
Valley (Italy), (East): Pass of Col de Larche (closed in winter)
- From the Queyras
The Queyras is a valley located in the French Hautes-Alpes, of which the geographical extension is the basin of river Guil, a tributary of the Durance...
(North) : Col de VarsCol de Vars, elevation 2108 m is a high mountain pass in the Alps between the departments of Hautes-Alpes and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence in France.It connects the Ubaye Valley with the Queyras valley and Embrun...
(closed in winter).
History
- The Ubaye valley has been populated since the end of Prehistory
- A Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
ish tribe, named the Esubiens, lived in the valley during Antiquity
- It was incorporated into the Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
by AugustusAugustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
. A Roman roadThe Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
crossed the valley and the Romans occupied the Faucon-de-Barcelonnette's area.
- Christianized since the end of Roman Empire, Ubaye Valley belonged to the diocese of Embrun
- The valley was in the county of Provence during the Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
.
- Barcelonnette was founded in 1231 by Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence
Ramon Berenguer IV , Count of Provence and Forcalquier, was the son of Alfonso II of Provence and Garsenda of Sabran, heiress of Forcalquier. After his father's death , Ramon was imprisoned in the castle of Monzón, in Aragon until he was able to escape in 1219 and claim his inheritance. He was a...
- François Ier
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
crossed the pass of LarcheLarche is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.-Geography:It lies on the northwestern foot of the Maddalena Pass, called Col de Larche in French.-Population:-References:*...
to attack ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in the 16th century.
- Until the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht
The Treaty of Utrecht, which established the Peace of Utrecht, comprises a series of individual peace treaties, rather than a single document, signed by the belligerents in the War of Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht in March and April 1713...
the valley from its head to the confluence of the rivers UbayeThe Ubaye is a river of southeastern France. It is 83 km long and flows through the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department.Its rises at the Col de Longet, in the Cottian Alps on the border with Italy. It flows generally southwest, through Saint-Paul-sur-Ubaye, Jausiers and Barcelonnette...
and DuranceThe Durance is a major river in south-eastern France.Its source is in the south-western Alps, in Montgenèvre ski resort near Briançon and it flows south-west through the following départements and cities:* Hautes-Alpes: Briançon, Embrun.* Alpes-de-Haute-Provence: Sisteron, Manosque.* Vaucluse:...
was part of the Duchy of SavoyFrom 1416 to 1847, the House of Savoy ruled the eponymous Duchy of Savoy . The Duchy was a state in the northern part of the Italian Peninsula, with some territories that are now in France. It was a continuation of the County of Savoy...
and was the site of two Savoyard invasions of France in 1690 and 1692.
- The French Army of the Alps was based in Ubaye during the French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
.
- In the 1830s, the first real road to the valley was opened.
- During the 19th century and the start of the 20th, many of Ubaye's people emigrated to Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
- Ubaye Valley was occupied by Italians in 1942, then by Germans in 1943 and 1944
Administration
The valley is in the
arrondissement of BarcelonnetteThe arrondissement of Barcelonnette is an arrondissement of France, located in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence département, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur région...
, and has two
cantonThe cantons of France are territorial subdivisions of the French Republic's 342 arrondissements and 101 departments.Apart from their role as organizational units in certain aspects of the administration of public services and justice, the chief purpose of the cantons today is to serve as...
s.
Natural sites
- Lakes
- Massive Mountains: L'Aiguille du Chambeyron, the Séolanes, Siguret, "la Tête de Louis XVI".
- The Mercantour
Monuments
- Cardinalis Tower (Barcelonnette)
- Museum of Ubaye Valley (Barcelonnette)
- "Les Villas Mexicaines" (Barcelonnette and Jausiers
Jausiers is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.-Population:-References:*...
)
- Church of Faucon-de-Barcelonnette
Faucon-de-Barcelonnette is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.-Population:-References:*...
.
- Church Saint Nicolas de Myre (Jausiers)
- Magnans's Castle (Jausiers)
- Abriès Mill (Jausiers)
- Cuguret stronghold. (Jausiers)
- Fort de Tournoux
The Fort de Tournoux is a fortification complex in the Ubaye Valley in the French Alps. It was built between 1843 and the early 20th century to defend France against invasion from Italy and Savoy. It was described as the "Military Versailles of the 19th century," resembling a Tibetan monastery on...
(La Condamine-Châtelard)
Characters
- Paul Reynaud
Paul Reynaud was a French politician and lawyer prominent in the interwar period, noted for his stances on economic liberalism and militant opposition to Germany. He was the penultimate Prime Minister of the Third Republic and vice-president of the Democratic Republican Alliance center-right...
, born in Barcelonnette
- The Brothers Arnaud
The Brothers Arnaud were Jacques, Marc-Antoine and Dominique Arnaud, three brothers from Jausiers in the Ubaye Valley, who were the originators of the Ubayen emigration to Mexico and Louisiana during the 19th and early 20th centuries...
, born in Jausiers
- Jacques-Antoine Manuel
Jacques-Antoine Manuel was a French lawyer, politician, and noted orator.-Biography:Jacques-Antoine Manuel was born in the hamlet of La Conchette, in Enchastrayes , near Barcelonette. His family included judges and attorneys who had established careers in the Ubaye Valley...
, born in Barcelonnette
External links