Vaumeilh

Vaumeilh (French pronunciation: [vomɛj]; Occitan: Vaumelha) is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.

Vaumeilh
Commune
The church and surrounding buildings in Vaumeilh
Coat of arms
Location of Vaumeilh
Vaumeilh Show map of France Vaumeilh Show map of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Coordinates: 44°17′21″N 5°57′35″E
Country	France
Region	Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Department	Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Arrondissement	Forcalquier
Canton	Seyne
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Élisabeth Collombon[1]
Area 1	25.52 km2 (9.85 sq mi)
Population  (2022)[2]	268
• Density	11/km2 (27/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	04233 /04200
Elevation	460–1,055 m (1,509–3,461 ft) (avg. 600 m or 2,000 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography

It is a small Provençal village with narrow, winding streets which backs on to a hill. The Durance flows 1 km (0.62 mi) away below a plateau which grows mainly cereals and apples and also supports some livestock.

Origin of the name

The most common theory is that the name comes from the Latin word 'Vallis Mellis' which is translated as valley of honey. Charles Rostaing suggested that the name sounds like a word for mountain and so this might be its origin. Ernest Nègre proposed that the name is composed of the Latin word 'vallem' and the Roman name 'Maelius'.

History

The village was mentioned, as 'Vaumel', for the first time in charters dated 1171. It was occupied by Protestants at the end of the French Wars of Religion. A 'patriotic society' was created in the spring of 1792, which was one of 21 in the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence to debate political matters.

Administration

List of mayors:^[3]

• March 1989 - March 1995 Louis Touche
• March 1995 - March 2001 Jean-Marie Collombon
• March 2001 - March 2008 Georges Richaud
• March 2008 - to date Élisabeth Collombon

Population

The inhabitants are called Vaumeilhois.

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 609 —     1800 563 −1.12% 1806 625 +1.76% 1821 461 −2.01% 1831 480 +0.40% 1836 550 +2.76% 1841 540 −0.37% 1846 567 +0.98% 1851 553 −0.50% 1856 554 +0.04% 1861 530 −0.88% 1866 493 −1.44% 1872 522 +0.96% 1876 513 −0.43% 1881 517 +0.16% 1886 477 −1.60% 1891 441 −1.56% 1896 375 −3.19%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1901 345 −1.65% 1906 320 −1.49% 1911 309 −0.70% 1921 278 −1.05% 1926 282 +0.29% 1931 249 −2.46% 1936 220 −2.45% 1946 198 −1.05% 1954 196 −0.13% 1962 170 −1.76% 1968 159 −1.11% 1975 152 −0.64% 1982 159 +0.65% 1990 170 +0.84% 1999 197 +1.65% 2007 276 +4.31% 2012 265 −0.81% 2017 262 −0.23%
Source: EHESS[4] and INSEE[5]

Sights

• A priory, Notre-Dame de Chane, existed in 1210, and depended on the monastery in Aniane. It fell in ruins in 1469, was given to the Church of Gap, which rebuilt it with mainly agricultural objectives around a triple court between the end of the 17th century and the French Revolution. A dovecote which is the oldest in the department dating from the 15th or 16th centuries was built almost entirely out of large boulders.
• The parish church was built in 1667. It has fine stained glass and marble statues^[6]
• The chapel of Saint Marcellin, below the village, was built around 1770 ^[6]
• There is a monument to the fourteen dead of the First World War
• A tower remains from an ancient feudal manor that was destroyed during the French Revolution
• The town square (Place de Trois Torrents) was enlarged adding a children's play area and a "kiosk" (bandstand). This was formally opened 10 July 2010.
• The "sentier des Contes" (the Tales' Path) starting from Fombeton Bridge is part of the "Trail of Talking Rocks".^[7] A special booklet available from tourist offices when pressed to the right rock will trigger an electronic story about the location.
• The airfield midway between Vaumeilh and Thèze is well known for the sport of gliding and attracts many visitors each year for flights and for its restaurant

See also

• Communes of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department

References

1. "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
2. "Populations de référence 2022" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 19 December 2024.
3. Site de la préfecture des AHP
4. Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Vaumeilh, EHESS (in French).
5. Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
6. Web-site maintained by the mayor
7. Trail of Talking Rocks