Claps

Patois Clapas , heap of stones.

Geography

The Claps is located at 2 km in the south of the village of Luc-in-Diois, in the department of the Drome. It is a spectacular site born from the fall of a mountain; place of relaxation and bathe, as well as a site privileged for the amateurs of climbing, since one finds there the many ones equipped: , as well as a Via ferrata .

History

In 1442, a base was detached from the southern side of the Pic of Luc (with the top of Luc-in-Diois). While slipping, it came to run up against a calcareous spur downstream. This rock mass divided, broke in enormous blocks and barred Drome in two points. Thus upstream the Big lake was formed (5 km length approximately) and downstream, the Small Lake . The lake has its history: it gave place to conflicts between lords and residents. It became in 1561, the property of the Carthusian monks of Durban who made a fish reserve of it for their monastery, but had some sorrows to defend it of the petty thieves. One needed the intervention of the Parliament of Grenoble then of Louis XIV itself. Finally, the recognized evil spells of these marshy banks made consider in 1753 its draining. But of the competitions generated new lawsuits and delayed work until 1788… And it was after the Révolution , in 1804, that the rock will be bored by where water of the " runs out; jump of the Drome ". Need for avoiding Claps during the construction of the railway line of the " Briançonnais " (Valence - Briançon) at the beginning of the 20th century, was also worth with the site a splendid viaduct, length 244 m and 44 m height, whose steel deck was entirely rebuilt. Thus this crumbling which in its time was felt like a catastrophe and gave place thereafter to ceaseless local disagreements became a " today; site classé" , expensive with the inhabitants of the Diois, and one of curiosities of the Dauphine .

Caption

One believed, and some still believe, that the Luc of the Middle Ages disappeared then under water, adding faith to the account of the historian Aymar of Rivail, which affirms to have visited the places in 1553 (nearly one hundred years after the crumbling) and to have seen emerging from water the remainders of important constructions. But in addition to the account comprises improbabilities, one with the proof today that the site of Luc did not vary during the centuries.

Bonds

The site of the Claps (with photographs), personal site on the village of Luc-in-Diois:

Booklet in .pdf of the " site classé" placed at the disposal of the public by DIREN the Rhone-Alps:

Random links: