Manosque

Manosque (in Occitan Of Provence: Manòsca according to the traditional standard or Manosco according to the Standard mistralienne; in occitan medieval Manoasca ) is a common French, located in the department of the Alp-of-High-Provence and the area Provence-Alp-Coast of Azure.

Its inhabitants is called Manosquins.

Geography

Situation

Located at the south-west of the department of the Alp-of-High-Provence, Manosque is a city built on a buttress of the hills of the Eastern Luberon, above the alluvial plain of the Durance. Surrounded of in the north and the west of hills of which some exceed 700 m of altitude, it is turned however towards the valley and the major axes of communication which traverse it (highway A51, trunk road NR 96, chemin de iron). The city is framed in the North-East by the Gold Mount (530 m of altitude) and with south-west by the hill of All-Aures (470 m).

Climate

Manosque is subjected to a Mediterranean Climat of interior, very similar to that which one finds in the remainder of Provence at low altitude. The winters are fresh, with frequent frosts, while the summers are very hot and dry, with sometimes of the storms. The average temperature varies between 5,5°C in January and 23,5°C in July, with 13,5°C of average temperature. The average diurnal thermal amplitude is rather high (10 °C in winter, 15°C in summer), the annual average of precipitations is approximately 700 mm and the city receives more than 2800 hours of sunning per annum.

Structure

The old city, surrounded by boulevards which clearly separate it from the remainder of the agglomeration, is built on a hill between the small valley of Drouille (south-western) and that of Couquières (north-eastern). The old suburbs built around the old center are little extended, and exceed hardly the two small valleys. Around were built the recent districts dating from the demographic explosion of the city in the years 1950 - 1960 (three times over of the population) and an increasingly diffuse urbanization gains the hills and the alluvial plain. The industrial and commercial parks all are located in the plain of the Durance, while the sides of the hills are residential zones. So of many small shops and administrative services are established in downtown area, this one remains primarily residential.

The old city

The old city, in the characteristic pear shape, is surrounded by boulevards which replaced the old ramparts of which there remain only some vestiges, from where a very clear separation with the remainder of the city. The crossing of the Manosque old man, of the Soubeyran door to the Saunerie door, gives an idea of its streets typically of Provence, narrow and bordered of high houses. The downtown area is classified historical center, and the circulation of the cars is restricted there.

Churches

The old city shelters two churches:

Notre-Dame de Romigier : Romance church situéee Place of the Town hall. Restored at the 18th century, this church shelters the statue of the black virgin. On the frontage, Virgin out of marble of Pierre Puget. In a vault, at the end of the left side, are a furnace bridge, formed of a marble sarcophagus of IVe S. and a statue of wood (12th century): Notre-Dame de Romigier.

Saint-Saver : church of late Romance style (12th - 13th centuries). Its bell-tower collapsed at the time of the Séisme of 1708.

Places

The most important places in the old city are:

Place of the Compost , vastest, in the south-west of the center. A castle was formerly built at this place. It is used as paying parking lot except the market days.

Place of the Town hall , with the crossroads of the four streets leaving towards the four doors the city.

Place Marcel Pagnol , between the place of and Town hall Soubeyran the door.

The market is held on these three places Wednesday and saturdays.

Doors

Four doors controlled the access to the old center formerly:

the Door Saunerie , finished in 1382, of Romance style . It is the southern door of the old center. It is thought that his name comes from its situation near the street Saunerie, where salt was conveyed - and where the pigs were bled, according to the historians. Indeed, Saunerie comes from Of Provence the saunarié which means slaughter-house (Lou Pichot Tresor). The district of the slaughter-houses, often near to that of the tanners, was with the periphery of the medieval cities, because of odor which reigned there. The central body of the Saunerie Door is defended by two pole-axes. The two side turrets are crowned beautiful machicolations.

the Door Soubeyran , built at the 14th century, except the bell-tower which was added in 1830. It is the northern door of the old center. This door, restored, is decorated with a pretty stone balustrade.

the Door Guilhempierre , destroyed and recently rebuilt. It is the western door of the old center.

the Door of Bus shelter , destroyed and not rebuilt. It is the door is old center.

Remarkable buildings

Town hall : building of Renaissance style;

Music school : vestiges of the convents of the Carmelite friars and Observantins;

Hotel of Grass : building of style 17th century, sheltering the public library.

History

Origins

It would seem that the name of the city is of origin celto-Ligurian: it would come from the root “man” (mountain/hill), and from the suffix “asq”, meaning “people living the place”.

One knows few things about the origins of the city, although it is known however that a center of trade existed already at the time Roman with the site of the old city. The first reported event of the history of Manosque is the setting with bag of the city by the Sarrasins in 966, at the time of one of their last raids in Provence. The city was completely destroyed and the inhabitants took refuge in five villages neighborhood. Two more important of these villages were the Castle on the Gold Mount, and All-Aures, on the hill of the same name. The Montaigu, more isolated and furthest away from the city, was still populated at the 16th century.

The Middle Ages

With the the Middle Ages, Manosque was divided in four districts: Ebréards, the Palate, Payans and Martels. It was a center of flourishing trade at the 13th century, and the population approached them: 10000 inhabitants. The return of the insecurity to the 14th century, with the threat of the Grandes Companies, led the city to improve its doors, and it is at this time that the Saunerie door and the Soubeyran door took their current form.

Modern times

At the 18th century, the old city increases towards the east to take its current dimensions. The city is strongly touched by the various epidemics which devastate Provence (plague in 1720, cholera in 1834) because of its situation (town of passage). Large village at the beginning of the 20th century limited to the old city and its suburbs, the city increases considerably years 1950 at the years 1970, quadrupling its population in thirty years.

Famous anecdote

At the time of the passage of François Ier in 1516, the girl of the consul, charged to present the keys of the city to the king, makes him a compliment. The admiring glances of the prince stop on it, alarm its decency. To make disappear freshness from its dye and the charms which nature lavished to him, it exposes its face to sulfur vapors. The king, extremely moved, roof of favors and liberalities the young girl and her family. It is since then Manosque took the nickname of “the Modest one”.

Armorial bearings

The Blazon of Manosque, decorated with four hands, has as a currency “Omnia in manu dei sunt” (“All is in the hand of God”).

Administration

Demography

Economy

Agriculture

Part of the commune, primarily the plain going down on the Durance, is devoted to agriculture. The fertile alluvial grounds allow the culture of cereals (corn, corn) and starchy foods, as well as fruit trees (apple trees, péchers). On the slopes turned towards the Durance, the olive groves, the vines as some orchards thrive.

Oleiculture

In Manosque, the Oleiculture, directed towards the production of olive oil of quality, is the agricultural activity which has the most impact on the city. The Mill of Olivette, presses with oil located in the city, received national distinctions numbers and in particular by obtaining several times the gold medal of Paris.

The contribution of oleiculture to the landscape around the city is indisputable. The hills near the city, like the Gold Mount or All-Aures, are covered with olive groves, which in fact of the pleasant places of walk.

Others

The vine is cultivated in Manosque and in the surrounding communes, for the production of the local wine of Alp-of-High-Provence. One counts also many orchards, and an important production of fruits of the moderate and Mediterranean latitudes (apples, pears, fishings, apricots).

Industry

Although Manosque does not shelter heavy industry, there exists a significant industrial activity, directed around three sectors:

Cosmetic industry (in particular l unic factory of the company Occitane in Provence );
of the refined food products (olive oil to the Mill of Olivette);
the underground storage of Oil and Natural gas ensured by Géosel/Géométhane;

One can note that the city is the seat an antenna of the Chamber of commerce and industry of the Alpes de Haute-Provence.

Manosque also profits from the repercussions of the center of ECA established with Cadarache at side of which ITER is built. Many engineers, researchers of the whole world will come to work in this center, and could seek to place towards Manosque, distant approximately 20 km and city nearest.

Education

One finds 9 public schools with Manosque, each one ensuring the nursery school and the primary elections. Two colleges (the Gold Mount and Jean Giono) divide the city, and drain some neighbouring communes. The construction of colleges in common neighbors (Holy-Tulle, Volx) has makes it possible to discharge the establishments of Manosque, hitherto saturated. Three colleges drain all the south-west of the department. The colleges Felix Esclangon (mainstream education and technological) and Martin Bret (vocational training) have a boarding school. The last one opened its doors in 2004. To note the existence of an private establishment (St-Charles) at the same time school, college and college, and of an international school in project.

Personalities related to the commune

Manosque is the birthplace of the writers Élémir Bourges, Jean Giono and Pierre Magnan.

One can also quote Rene Frégni which certainly was not born in Manosque (but in Marseilles), but which lives in Manosque.

the painter Jean Carzou painted the frescos of the church of the Presentation.

the swimmer Esther Baron EP Manosque.

the musician of Jazz Olivier Gatto was born in Manosque in 1963.

Twinnings

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