Blieux
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Blieux
| |
|---|---|
 A ravine in the territory of the Blieux commune | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Blieux  | |
  Blieux  Blieux | |
| Coordinates: 43°52′24″N 6°22′18″E / 43.8733°N 6.3717°E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur |
| Department | Alpes-de-Haute-Provence |
| Arrondissement | Castellane |
| Canton | Riez |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Gérard Collomp[1] |
Area 1 | 56.8 km2 (21.9 sq mi) |
| Population (2022)[2] | 52 |
| • Density | 0.92/km2 (2.4/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 04030 /04330 |
| Elevation | 831–1,921 m (2,726–6,302 ft) (avg. 950 m or 3,120 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Blieux (French pronunciation: [blijø]; Occitan: Blieus) is a rural commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France.
Name of the commune
The commune of Blieux first appeared on maps in 1100.[3]
Much later, during the French Revolution, records show that the residents of Blieux had created a political club (patriotic society), which was very common at the time. (See Jacobin Club).[4]
According to Ernest Nègre, the first recorded name for the commune, Bleus, was derived from the Occitan word bleusse, meaning 'dry'. This was likely a reference to the local soil.[5] By contrast, Charles Rostaing argues that the name derives from the pre-Indo-European root word, *BL, meaning 'mountain in the form of a spur'.[6]
La Melle, the name of a nearby hamlet, comes from the Celtic word, mello, meaning an elevated location.[7]
Economy
Historically, Blieux was a pastoral community, with a yearly alpine grazing cycle known as transhumance. As with much of Provence, tourism the primary source of economic activity today[citation needed].
Geography
The village is located at an altitude of 950m,[3] in the valley formed by a tributary of the river Asse, known as the 'Asse de Blieux'.
Hamlets
- le Bas-Chadoul
- la Melle
- la Tuilière
- Thon
- La Castelle
Summits and passes
- Mont Chiran (1905 m)
- le Grand Mourre (1898 m)
- Crête de Montmuye (Montmuye ridge) (Highest point: 1621 m)
- Le Mourre de Chanier ( 1930 m)
