Cervières (Hautes-Alpes)

Geography

Cervières is located at 9 km of Briançon on the road of the Large Alps to the foot of the collar of Izoard (2364m) and the plain of the Font. The chief town of the village is located at 1.620 m of altitude, with the foot of high mountains in the vicinity immediate of the Queyras (Large peak of Rochebrune, 3323m). Several curiosities are located on the territory of the commune:

the plain of Le Bourget, in high the Valley of Cerveyrette, constitutes a rare example of marsh of altitude (to approximately 2.000 m of altitude), of a very great biological richness.
the Massif of Chenaillet is an universally known geological curiosity, an old underwater volcano of 155 million years, raised by the formation of the Alps.
the Valley of the Font form on ten km length a paradise of the bicycle of the excursion and, of course, ski touring.
Plate of Lasseron (reserve of chamois)
Lake of the Cords, Lake Gimon, Black lake)
River of Cerveyrette.
Collar of Izoard

Access : Starting from Briançon, to take the RD 902 in direction of the Throats of Cerveyrette.

History

The village of Cervières is attested since the Top Moyen-âge. In the beginning it was initially installed on the heights, perhaps because of the innondations. To XIVe in XVe century, the inhabitants approached the Cerveyrette because of the lack of water. The oldest houses date from the 16th century.

The village belonged, between XIVe and the French revolution, with the territory of the let us draw aside from Briançonnais which gathered a dozen localities around Briançon and from Oulx (currently in the Italian Piedmont) in their granting special fiscal advantages and an administrative autonomy with respect to the King of France.

The church St Michel, dating from the 15th century, dominates of approximately 50 meters the village located before the Second world war over left bank of Cerveyrette. But it was destroyed by a fire in 1944, at the time of the combat of the Release between the armies Alliées, which held Briançon, and the Germans in position on the watershed at the Italian border. The houses with wood sides and stocks of fodder fed the fire which destroyed 90% of the dwellings.

The current village was rebuilt in the Années 1950 on Right Bank, in a provision preserving it of the fire: the houses all are in parallel separated and built along the level lines. In 1957, about thirty houses were still destroyed by a flood. Today still along the river some houses with wood sides remain.

In the years 1970, a project of winter sports resort, located at the level of the plain of Le Bourget (1850m) and intended to be connected to the field of Montgenèvre, was fallen through under the pressure of the town councilors. It is one of the rare valleys of the still preserved Alps.

Administration

Demography

The inhabitants are Cerveyrains.

Places and monuments

Church St Michel of the 15th century, built by the architect Rémy Fatin, also author of the church of Névache. A side was added northern side to the 18th century.
Vaults of mountain pasture: the valley of Le Bourget, on 16 km around the Peak of Rochebrune, preserves the near total of its vaults of Alpage (a dozen), whose restoration is undertaken, and 104 country cottages of mountain pasture, of which country cottages of Lachau, Fraches, Pooch, Prafauchier, Chalps and the Font (to 2.050 m of altitude).
Houses of the 18th century: Cervières and its various hamlets present very many other well preserved examples of the houses and country cottages of mountain pasture builds at the XVIIIe century.

House Faure Vincent and Faure Soulet 18th century. The house Faure Vincent contains a Cerverin éco-museum whereas the Faure-Soulet house is restored with old and shelters the Lodging Cerveyrette - Cervières Autrefois (of the name of the book of Justin Faure-Soulet written in the house). The Cerveyrette Lodging makes it possible to find the environment of formerly in a modern comfort. The Faure-Soulet House was used as decoration with the telefilm Gaspard of Meije .

Fortifications: the Vallée of Cervières belongs to the vast strengthened system of Briançonnais, worked out starting from the end of the 17th century until the Années 1930. The commune has works of the Années 1880 (Fort of Gondrans, Fort of Lauzette, Mur of Aittes a wall of protection built at the 19th century) as well as works of the type Maginot (blokhaus of Gondrans and Aittes). These fortifications made it possible to push back the Italian attack in June 1940.
a Sundial allotted to Giovanni Francesco Zarbula, celebrates Piedmontese dial-maker of the 19th century (the last photograph in bottom on the right).
the river, which crosses the village, runs through a giant staircase as an air photograph of the village and some photographs of an Internet site

shows it

Economy

Events

Personalities related to the commune

Gilbert Faure, Olympic champion of Ski touring.

See too

Common of Hautes-Alpes
the High Trace of Escartons

External bonds

Cervières on the site of the national geographical Institute
Cervières on the site of INSEE
Cervières on the site of Quid
Localization of Cervières on a chart of France and communes bordering
Plane on Cervières on Mapquest
air of the commune

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