Ubaye Valley

The Ubaye Valley is an area in the Alpes de Haute-Provence "département", in the French Alps and has approximately 7,700 residents [ [http://www.vallouimages.com/ubaye/ubaye.htm Ubaye - Vallée de l'Ubaye - Ubaye, Barcelonnette, la Condamine-Châtelard, Enchastrayes, le Sauze, Faucon, Jausiers, Larche, Lauzet Ubaye, Méolans Revel, Laverq, Meyronnes, Saint Ours, Pontis, Saint Paul sur Ubaye, Serennes, Maurin, Maljasset, Saint Pons, les Thuiles, Uvernet Fours, Bayasse, Pra Loup, la Bréole, Saint-Vincent-les-Forts, Chambeyron, Séolane, Parpaillon ] ] . Its residents are called "Ubayens". Its chief town is the "sous-préfecture" of Barcelonnette.

Ubaye River - Hydrography

*The Ubaye River gives its name to the valley. The Ubaye rises on the Franco-Italian border, in Longet Lake, in the massive of Monte Viso. It runs from east to west during Convert|70|km|mi|0|abbr=on, after it flows in the Serre-Ponçon Lake. 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 lake
** Petite Cayolle lake
** Mans lakes
** Longet lake
** Oronaye lake, near Longet lake
** Marinet Lake

ummits

Ubaye Valley's highest mountain is the Aiguille de Chambeyron (Convert|3412|m|ft|0|abbr=on. The second one is the Brec de Chambeyron (Convert|3389|m|ft|0|abbr=on.

Towns

* Its two largest towns are Barcelonnette and Jausiers. From Low Valley to High Valley, near Ubaye the towns are: Le Lauzet-Ubaye, Les Thuiles (Lauzet's hamlet), Méolans-Revel, Barcelonnette, Faucon-de-Barcelonnette, Jausiers, La Condamine-Châtelard, Saint-Paul-sur-Ubaye and Tournoux.
* There are several ski stations: Le Sauze, Pra Loup (near Barcelonnette) and Sainte Anne (near La Condamine-Châtelard.
* Two small towns in the Ubayette valley: Meyronnes and Larche.

Access

There are only six passable vehicle roads during the summer:
*From the Haute-Provence (West) : "Pas-la-Tour" near Le Lauzet-Ubaye, open year-round
*From the Verdon (South) : Col de la Cayolle and Col d'Allos (closed in winter)
*From the Tinée (South) : Col de la Bonette at 2,750 meters, the higher road of Alps (closed in winter)
*From Stura Valley (Italy), (East): Pass of Col de Larche (closed in winter)
*From the Queyras (North) : Col de Vars (closed in winter).

History

* The Ubaye valley has been populated since the end of Prehistory
* A Gaulish tribe, named the Esubiens, lived in the valley during Antiquity
* It was incorporated into the Roman Empire by Augustus. A Roman road 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.
* Barcelonnette was founded in 1231 by Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence
* François Ier crossed the pass of Larche to attack Italy in the 16th century.
* After, the valley belongs to the Duchy of Savoy, and it was incorporated into France in 1713 with the Treaty of Utrecht.
* The French Army of the Alps was based in Ubaye during the French Revolution.
* In the 1830s, the first reak road to the valley is open.
* During the 19th century and the start of the 20th, a lot of Ubaye's people emigrated to Mexico.
* Ubaye Valley was occupied by Italians in 1942, then by Germans in 1943 and 1944

Administration

The valley is in the "arrondissement" of Barcelonnette, and has two "cantons".

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)
* Church of Faucon-de-Barcelonnette.
* Church Saint Nicolas de Myre (Jausiers)
* Magnans's Castle (Jausiers)
* Abriès Mill (Jausiers)
* Cuguret stronghold. (Jausiers)
* Fort de Tournoux (La Condamine-Châtelard)

Characters

* Paul Reynaud, born in Barcelonnette
* The Brothers Arnaud, born in Jausiers
* Jacques-Antoine Manuel, born in Barcelonnette

Notes

External links

* [http://www.ubaye.com/ Website of Ubaye Valley]