Gap-Tallard-Vallées, Hautes-Alpes, France

Gap is a French commune located in the region Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, the capital and largest town of the Hautes-Alpes department. At a height of 750 m above sea level, it is France’s highest prefecture (departmental capital). The city is historically attached to the Dauphiné.

Together with other Alpine towns, Gap engages in the Alpine Town of the Year Association for the implementation of the Alpine Convention to achieve sustainable development in the Alpine Arc. Gap was awarded Alpine Town of the Year in 2002. In 2013 Gap was named the sportiest city in France by the national sports newspaper L’Équipe.

Between Provence and Dauphiné, the territory of Gap Tallard Vallées is: orchards by ten, typical villages, a medieval castle from the 13th-14th centuries, the Prefecture of Hautes-Alpes and the mountains at the gates of Ecrins.

History
Thanks to its strategic position between Provence and Dauphiné, it became an important trading centre for trade from the Middle Ages. The current configuration of the city centre corresponds approximately to the general aspect of the medieval city, despite the major urban planning changes initiated in the 19th century. The structure of the city centre must be understood as a historical continuity. Narrow streets and intertwined alleys, high-rise housing are witnesses to the past of a “fortified” city.

The Roman period
The Gapençais was then part of the territory of the Vocontii, a Gallic people who were Romanised during the conquest of Gallia Narbonensis in 125-124 BC, and whose capitals were Luc-en-Diois and Vaison.

Around 20 BC, Cottius, a leader of tribes of the Valley of Suze, allied to Rome, and urged by Augustus, undertook the building of a route of communication in the Valley of the Durance. At this time, the location of the future city was a Roman camp. The camp was protected by a terraced wall surrounded by a ditch. It was the largest between Montgenèvre and Sisteron. They came from the surrounding peoples. They were assigned to protect users of the Roman roads against brigands. Later, an axis towards the Champsaur was created. The Gap site took importance by becoming a hub of communications.

During the first centuries, the population increased significantly. Towards the end of the 3rd century and 4th century, fortifications were built to protect the central core of the town. Ramparts,. These which completely surrounded the enclosure with walls and eleven towers. invasions. With an enclosed area of 2 hectares (4.9 acres) the center of the town formed a big village. The economy was mainly pastoral and the first crops grew on the slopes of Puymaure. Some houses were built on stilts as shown by excavations.

Middle Ages
From 28 December 986, the Bishop of Gap had sovereign rights over the city due to concerns about future Muslim invasions. The bishops kept this power until Revolutionary reforms in 1801 despite Gap being annexed by the French crown in 1512.

Gap and its area became part of the County of Provence which was established at the end of the 10th century. From 1349 to 1457 Dauphiné remained a Principality separated from France, whose prince was the eldest son of the King of France. In 1457, Charles VII put an end to this status and joined the province to the Kingdom of France.

The Knights Templar owned a house at Gap, a secondary establishment which depended on a commandery. The creation of the Consulate, which ruled the city, dated back to before 1209.

In the 14th century, the city took advantage of the benefits of the installation of the Popes in Avignon, which brought a more frequent passage of travellers to develop a craft of wool and skins, which made it thrive. Avignon linkages were strengthened by the presence of many clerics of the entourage of the Pope, within the chapter of the canons of Gap.

Renaissance and early modern era
The 16th and 17th centuries were particularly dark times for the city. The Wars of Religion were lethal in the region. Gap was a Catholic stronghold, while the Champsaur switched to Protestantism.

In 1790, during the French Revolution, the province of Dauphiné was divided into three departments: Drôme, Isère and Hautes-Alpes which Gap became the prefecture. Hautes-Alpes then became the highest Department of France and Gap, the highest prefecture of the country. It remains prefecture of Haute-Alpes to this day.

19th century
In 1802, the baron Charles-François de Ladoucette was appointed Prefect of the Hautes-Alpes. Under his administration, the city of Gap and the Department of the Hautes-Alpes experienced some growth. It built roads linking Gap to Italy and the Drôme Valley and created a departmental nursery. His statue, carved by the Gap sculptor Jean Marcellin, was erected in 1866 at the square which bears his name.

Napoleon I left Elba in February 1815 and stopped at Gap on 5 March 1815 with 40 horsemen and 10 grenadiers, where he had thousands of copies of his Proclamations printed. The whole population of the city accompanied Napoleon when he left Gap.

Gap experienced a new era from 1875 with the arrival of the railway. The commune of Chaudun was joined with Gap, by the prefectoral Decree of 22 October 1895.

20th century

Second World War
During World War II, the city was part of the free zone. But after November 1942 and the Case Anton, it was integrated into the occupied area. In the liberation, resistance fighters faked the sound of Allied tanks, therefore, a few hundred resistance fighters were able to capture 1,200 German soldiers, including 40 officers. The city was liberated on the evening of 19 August 1944.

Fifth Republic
The commune of Romette was associated with that of Gap, by decree dated 25 November 1974. Gap ran a bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics, but lost out as France’s candidate to nearby Annecy.

Historical heritage

The Cathedral
The first cathedral church was built on this site (Place Saint Arnoux) in the 5th century on the ruins of a Roman temple dedicated to Apollo. Over the centuries, several buildings followed one another until the current monument was built between 1867 and 1905 by the architect Charles Laisné. Dedicated to Notre-Dame de l’Assomption, it was classified as a historical monument on August 9, 1906.

The use of stones of various colours from 41 different quarries gives a majestic look to the whole building, where Romanesque and Gothic styles are mixed. The mosaics of the alley and the choir were made by Gian Domenico Facchina in 1892, who designed the facades of the Opéra Garnier in Paris.

The Chapel of the Penitents
A place of worship that has become a mythical concert hall for its incredible acoustics, the Chapelle des Pénitents has a special atmosphere… between history and modernity.

The Town Hall
The first communal house was built in 1400 on the current site of the Town Hall. The construction of the belfry overlooking the building dates back to 1407. Destroyed by the fire caused by the Duke of Savoy’s troops in 1692, the building was rebuilt according to the plans of the architect Lechat and finished in 1743, as indicated by the Roman numeral inscription under the balcony. The facade and interior staircase of the Town Hall were included in the additional inventory of Historic Monuments on 29 November 1948.

The coat of arms of Gap
The coat of arms of the town of Gap consists of an azure-coloured shield, surrounded by two golden branches, one of oak and the other of laurel, and surmounted by four crenellated turrets. The latter correspond to the four gates of the 15th century rampart – Colombe, Jaussaude, Lignole and Saint-Arey – which allowed people to enter the city. Inside the shield is the city gate, from which protrude four other turrets, two crenellated and two covered, which correspond mutually to the two governments of the city: the Civil Power and the Ecclesiastical Power. The choice of colours is also not insignificant – blue for the azure sky of Provence and gold for the sun that had just gilded the city wall.

Cultural heritage

Departmental Museum
At the departmental museum of Gap, in the Hautes Alpes, discover art and history on 2,600 m2 of exhibition space. Archaeological remains, paintings from the 14th to the 20th century, earthenware, ornithological space, ethnography room and temporary exhibitions.

Hautes-Alpes Craft Ecomuseum
Eco Museum covering the agricultural, economic and human history of the Hautes-Alpes from 1790 to 1950. 6 themes to discover. Workshops for the peasant, the clog maker, the blacksmith, the wheelwright, mechanical energies…

‘La Grange Eymery’ Exhibition space
La Grange Eymery, in the heart of the historic center of Gap, is an exhibition space open to contemporary creation. This old building, with a very beautiful traditional framework, is located next to a wash house belonging to the Gapençais heritage. All the aesthetic forms that make it possible to create in the fields of plastic and visual arts are welcomed in this place.

Surroundings

Tallard
Tallard is a municipality located 12kms from Gap, south of the city. Rich in historical heritage, the heart of it is the witness of an omnipresent past. Little and big adventurers, discover the time of the knights.

The castle
The castle from the 14th – 16th century listed as a historic monument since 1969. Its first stones were erected by the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem (order of Malta) 800 years ago. After having been the property of various seigniorial families, it is bought by the town hall of Tallard in 1957 to the descendants of the Clermont-Tonnerre family. Since then, it enjoys a progressive restoration. Guided tours, concerts, exhibitions, nocturnal lighting and medieval shows take place in a medieval setting.

The medieval village of Tallard
Tallard is quoted for the first time in the texts of the seventh century. The old town was located on the hill above the village of Lettret, still called today “Old Town”. It is in the tenth century that the inhabitants come to settle their village in the valley when the princes of Orange become owners of the lands of Tallard and protectors of tallardiens.

Surrounded by ramparts and moats until the seventeenth century, the city has a hospital held by religious, a central street where the majority of shops and many homes. Today, with the exception of the moat, traces of the past are still clearly visible in the historic center. Come to discover this typical architecture as well as the classified buildings of the village center, such as the Saint Gregory church classified as a historical monument.

The Gardens “The Conquests”
In 1787, Tallardians conquered these lands on the alluvial deposits of La Durance to allow villagers to have gardens in case of famine. In this emblematic sector of the town, these gardens respond to new gardening techniques – without fertilizers or pesticides – initiated by René Léautier, gardener and lecturer. A garden of 600m² was selected, prepared and cleaned to host the project. Discover these gardens, at the foot of the castle’s cliff…

The Airfield of Tallard
With its alpine landscapes and Mediterranean sunshine, the result is unmatched: 330 days of flight a year, summer and winter. Recognized unanimously by all the pilots and champions, Gap-Tallard is a place of unique flight in the world. From its earliest days, around 1937, the Tallard aerodrome has grown steadily, with about 60,000 aerial movements per year and 80,000 parachute jumps. The aerodrome is the first European platform for aerial recreation thanks to its exceptional aerology that allows all light air disciplines to mix with air, helicopter, parachuting, microlight, glider, hot air balloon, paramotor, paragliding…

Surrounding Villages
17 communes compose the territory of Gap Tallard Valleys. Each village brings to our territory its originality, its diversity… go to the discovery of this treasure perhaps unknown, which is the small patrimony of our villages.

To the south, Claret and Curbans are the most Provencal of our villages where we find, as for much of the territory, many orchards bordering the Durance. Close to Tallard, medieval town, the villages of Lettret, Châteauvieux and Jarjayesoffer vines and sunny slopes, with exceptional views.

The villages of La Freissinouse, Pelleautier, Neffes and Sigoyer lead us to the foot of the mythical mountain of Céüse. En route, lake, old wash houses and traditional houses will seduce you. At the Col des Guérins is the start of the climbing routes of Céüse, internationally renowned. Towards the Foureyssasse pass, the communes of Fouillouse and Lardier-et-Valença reveal a generous nature between vast fields, expanses of forests and breathtaking views.

In the next valley, the villages of Barcillonnette and Esparron are near the tray of Peyssier and its lake altitude, destination of many hikers. Finally, back in the valley of the Durance, Vitrolles and La Saulce face Pic de Crigne, emblematic mountain of the south of the territory and fully classified Natura 2000 area.

The Saint-Pierre de Curbans Church
At the foot of the village, surrounded by a cemetery, at a place called “Claux”, is the Church of St. Peter XI remodeled over the centuries and listed in the supplementary inventory of historical monuments. It was the old parish church. Its geminated bay on the south facade, its nave with four bays vaulted on its cradle, its low and vaulted apse in the oven and its elevation certify its medieval origin with a primitive Romanesque style, probably of the twelfth century revamped over the centuries.

The Saint-Laurent Chapel of Sigoyer
ue-Provencal style chapel is all that remains of a priory founded by the Abbey St Michel de la Cluse (Piedmont). From the 15th to the 18th century, the Priory was held by the Order of Malta. Altar in painted wood, statues, paintings, pattern on the ceiling of the choir are to see inside, If you want to go in the ruins of the old village located in Vière, abandoned around 1850 and rehabilitated between 2006 and 2007; take the old road starting from the place of the town hall (now reserved for pedestrians): after 1km of marked path, secure, you will arrive at the old village.

Tourist Routes
Gap Tallard Valleys, where the promise of a multi-faceted territory. Our tourist routes allow to discover, according to their theme, villages and points of interest. By car, motorcycle, bike, on foot or even on horseback, these courses will guide you on the road of holidays.

The Perched Villages Route
By car, motorcycle or bicycle… explore this itinerary to discover 14 villages and let us guide you to the heights of our valleys. Mixing nature, culture and agriculture and discover magnificent panoramas, between mountain and Provence, between plains, plateaux, landscapes of orchards, and at the water’s edge. The villages have pretty little churches, wash houses, fountains, old houses with some ruins from another era. The Napoleon Road or the Fruit and Wine Route are tourist routes that cross the “Route des Villages Perchés”. In the courses, discover our local producers, restaurants, accommodation, sports activities, fun and discovery.

The Napoléon Road
Traced in 7 days from 1 to 7 March 1815 by Emperor Napoleon I, this mythical route, 314 km long, crosses exceptional landscapes from Golfe Juan – in the Alpes Maritimes – to Grenoble in Isère. Named “Winter Alpine Roads” or “The Great Alpine Road” at the beginning of the 20th century, it was definitively named “Napoleon Route” in 1932, responds to the interest and curiosity aroused among French and foreign customers for this emblematic character of French history, the flight of the Eagle…

Vitrolles, La Saulce, Tallard and Gap are stops on this famous Route Nationale 85. Some traces remain of Napoleon Bonaparte’s passage to La Saulce and Tallard: The main artery of La Saulce is called “l’Avenue Napoléon” in memory of the battle that took place in the town on 5 March 1815. A fresco depicting a Napoleonic soldier taking shelter in the chapel of Tallard Castle. The emperor will make a triumphant entrance to Gap on the evening of March 5 and will spend the night at the Auberge Marchand on Gap, rue de France, where a commemorative plaque remains.

Fruit and Wine Route
Benefiting from an ideal climate, the valley combines the best conditions for the production of quality apples, pears and peaches at the edge of La Durance. Although the first fruit transactions in the country date back to 1358, the first orchards date back to the beginning of the 20th century. The creation of the Durance canal in the 1960s and the development of irrigation networks have allowed the development of this vocation fruit of the territory with many varieties; Golden delicious apples, American reds, Canadian red puddings, granny smith … and pear side: red and white williams, Louise Bonne, Martin Sec, Doyenné du Comice, Passe-crassane, Conférence.

The Alpine Botanical Conservatory of Gap-Charance houses important fruit collections; many ancient varieties of apple trees, pear trees including napoleon, wood-napoleon, imperial oak leaf that you can discover in the terraced garden, labeled “Remarkable Garden” since 2005. 80% of apple orchards are now covered by nets; it’s not to protect against birds, but to protect against the very frequent hail… Hectares of vineyards also extend on Tallard, Châteauvieux and Jarjayes. The production of these vineyards in red, white, rosé and traditional Champagne method is gaining notoriety little by little throughout France. The fruit and wine producers along this route will make you discover their terroir!

Natural space

Domaine de Charance
The headquarters of the Conservatoire Botanique and the Parc National des Ecrins, the estate is located 4 km from the town centre of Gap. This exceptional natural site welcomes walkers, sportsmen and families. Leaning against the Charance mountain which protects it from the winds, the Domaine de Charance is a sunny balcony located at an altitude of 1000 metres.

Dominating the Gapençais basin and the Val de Durance, it is a unique place in the Southern Alps to discover and admire Nature. The Town of Gap owns and manages Domaine de Charance. Go in the morning to attack the peak of Charance which dominates Gap from the top of its 1852 m.

Take the “squirrel’s trail”: a fun family walk; a giant snail, a perched owl and other new features on the course, which, from surprise to discovery, will lead you to the perched balcony of Le Rochasson, one of the most beautiful views of Gap. Then continue to reach the summit, you will be rewarded with an exceptional panorama, with an orientation table just above the Breche, a natural gateway to the crests, as an air balcony over the vast landscapes of Gapençais, Dévoluy and Champsaur.

Located in front of the castle of Charance, the garden – classified Garden Remarkable – consists of 4 terraces. Their basic structure dates back to the 16th century. At this time when the estate is home to the bishopric of Gap, the garden had a vocation more utilitarian (orchard and kitchen garden) than ornamental. The town of Gap acquired the estate in 1973 and launched a landscaping competition in 1993 to restore the garden. Wild plants and cultivated plants rub shoulders on all four terraces to reflect the rich biodiversity of the Hautes-Alpes.

A unique collection of 600 varieties of old roses. The generosity of their bloom and their intoxicating scents will remind you of the rose gardens of yesteryear.

Bayard
Northeast of the town of Gap lies the Bayard Plateau. Large area of 250 ha at 1250 meters altitude – it is composed of meadows and marshy areas and is the junction between the Champsaur and Gapençais.

The pre-wood landscape, surrounded by the splendid mountains of Champsaur and Dévoluy, is of great value. A diverse range of plant formations characterizes this composite site: meadows and pastures, wetlands, heaths, mountain hedgerows, hardwood and coniferous forests, associating beech forests, pine forests and resinous plantations. It is an ideal place to relax, this exceptional area is offering a wide range of activities each season.

Winter: Cross-country skiing: 50 km of ski runs (skating and classic) maintained daily, supplemented by a system of artificial snow. Courses at all levels with the Gap-Bayard ski school. 3 snowshoe routes of 4 to 6 km are offered from the Oxygenation Center, independently or accompanied. They are marked out, groomed, secure and very accessible whatever your level. Before or after the effort, the comfort: bar & restaurant welcome you at the foot of the snow and sledge stadium every day. Hot chocolate, delicious cappuccino, pancakes, snacks or a menu of the day and the terroir will delight all taste buds…

Summer: The 18-hole golf course: one of the most beautiful French mountain courses. With breathtaking views of the city of Gap, the Durance Valley, the Ecrins, the Dévoluy or the Champsaur, the Bayard plateau offers you a 360° panorama, interspersed with atmospheres in the suburbs. bucolic woods.

Garenne Park
The park of Tallard Castle – classified and equipped with ancient trees has been under the protection of the National Forestry Office (ONF) since 1957. Calm and freshness await you in the heart of this forest where the trees murmur…

In the Renaissance, the park serves as a warren and provides game at the table of the lord of the time, Bernardin De Clermont. In 1499, the latter had him surrounded by walls. Totally destroyed by the fire of the Duke of Savoy in 1692, this park takes years to regain its original splendor. Today, it is the gateway to the castle. Take a family stroll on its two main paths or hike along the marked trail leading to the top of Saint-Abdon Hill.

After crossing the fresh and relaxing undergrowth of the park under century-old trees, you will reach the summit of Saint-Abdon where you will discover a panorama of the Durance, the Castle and the gardens “The Conquests” of Tallard.