La Barben

La Barben is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southern France.

La Barben
The Château of La Barben
Coat of arms
Location of La Barben
La Barben
La Barben
Coordinates: 43°37′51″N 5°10′38″E
CountryFrance
RegionProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
DepartmentBouches-du-Rhône
ArrondissementAix-en-Provence
CantonPélissanne
IntercommunalityAix-Marseille-Provence
Government
  Mayor (20202026) Franck Santos
Area
1
22.85 km2 (8.82 sq mi)
Population
 (2017-01-01)[1]
845
  Density37/km2 (96/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
13009 /13330
Elevation87–204 m (285–669 ft)
(avg. 114 m or 374 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Barbenais or Barbenaises.[2]

The town is perhaps best known for its castle and its zoo.[3]

Geography

La Barben is located some 18 km north-west of Aix-en-Provence and 5 km east of Salon-de-Provence. Access to the commune is by the D572 road from Salon-de-Provence which passes through the centre of the commune and continues east to Saint-Cannat. The D17 from Pélissanne to Éguilles forms the south-western border of the commune. The D67E from Lambesc to Coudoux forms the south-eastern border of the commune. The D22A comes from Pelissane and passes through the village continuing as the D22 to join the D572 in the centre of the commune next to the zoo.[4]

The commune is served by routes 9 and 14 of the Libébus network.[5]

The Touloubre river flows through the centre of the commune from the east and continues west to join the Mediterranean Sea south of Saint-Chamas. The Vallat de Boulery forms the northern border of the commune as it flows west to join the Touloubre at the village. The Canal de Marseille comes from the south and passes through the centre of the commune continuing north-east.[4]

Climate

Town Sunshine

(hours/yr)
Rain

(mm/yr)
Snow

(days/yr)
Storm

(days/yr)
Fog

(days/yr)
National Average 1,973770142240
La Barben[7] -5802208
Paris 1,661637121810
Nice 2,7247671291
Strasbourg 1,693665292956
Brest 1,6051,21171275

Weather Data for La Barben

Climate data for Salon-de-Provence
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 11.0
(51.8)
12.4
(54.3)
15.7
(60.3)
18.4
(65.1)
22.8
(73.0)
26.9
(80.4)
30.2
(86.4)
29.7
(85.5)
25.3
(77.5)
20.6
(69.1)
14.6
(58.3)
11.4
(52.5)
19.9
(67.8)
Daily mean °C (°F) 6.1
(43.0)
7.0
(44.6)
9.9
(49.8)
12.6
(54.7)
16.7
(62.1)
20.6
(69.1)
23.6
(74.5)
23.3
(73.9)
19.4
(66.9)
15.4
(59.7)
10.0
(50.0)
6.8
(44.2)
14.3
(57.7)
Average low °C (°F) 1.1
(34.0)
1.6
(34.9)
4.1
(39.4)
6.8
(44.2)
10.6
(51.1)
14.3
(57.7)
17.0
(62.6)
16.8
(62.2)
13.5
(56.3)
10.2
(50.4)
5.3
(41.5)
2.2
(36.0)
8.6
(47.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 50.9
(2.00)
34.7
(1.37)
35.7
(1.41)
58.3
(2.30)
48.9
(1.93)
26.3
(1.04)
10.6
(0.42)
33.7
(1.33)
78.2
(3.08)
84.9
(3.34)
67.0
(2.64)
50.7
(2.00)
579.9
(22.83)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) 5.1 4.8 4.5 6.3 5.2 3.2 1.5 2.9 4.8 6.5 6.2 5.5 56.5
Source: Meteorological data for Salon-de-Provence - 59m altitude, from 1981 to 2010 January 2015

Neighbouring communes and villages[4]

History

Middle Ages

The death of Queen Joanna I of Naples created a succession crisis for the County of Provence with the cities of the Union of Aix (1382-1387) supporting Charles III of Naples against Louis I, Duke of Anjou. The King of France, Charles VI, intervened and sent the Seneschal of Beaucaire, Enguerrand d'Eudin, who conquered La Barben in the summer of 1383. When Louis I died and his widow, Marie of Blois, Duchess of Anjou, arrived in Provence to defend the rights of her son, Louis II of Naples, she claimed that the seneschal gave her the city which she refused on the instruction of the King of France.[8]

Heraldry

Arms of La Barben
The official status of the arms remains to be determined

Blazon:
Party per pale, first Gules, an arched bridge Vert masoned in Sable; second Or, a chevron Azure between three leopard's heads of Sable erased affrontant tongued in Gules.

N.B. These arms do not respect the Rule of tincture and are therefore faulty.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors[9]

FromToNamePartyPosition
19952006Alain Ruault
20062008Jean-Luc Vasserot-Merle
20082020Christophe Amalric
20202026Franck Santos

(Not all data is known)

Demography

In 2017 the commune had 845 inhabitants.

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1793 316    
1800 496+6.65%
1806 383−4.22%
1821 385+0.03%
1831 330−1.53%
1836 304−1.63%
1841 325+1.34%
1846 359+2.01%
1851 348−0.62%
1856 324−1.42%
1861 316−0.50%
1866 329+0.81%
1872 294−1.86%
1876 310+1.33%
1881 306−0.26%
1886 311+0.32%
1891 275−2.43%
1896 269−0.44%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1901 283+1.02%
1906 282−0.07%
1911 231−3.91%
1921 212−0.85%
1926 192−1.96%
1931 192+0.00%
1936 196+0.41%
1946 207+0.55%
1954 224+0.99%
1962 259+1.83%
1968 315+3.32%
1975 350+1.52%
1982 420+2.64%
1990 500+2.20%
1999 555+1.17%
2007 704+3.02%
2012 724+0.56%
2017 845+3.14%
Source: EHESS[10] and INSEE[11]

Culture and heritage

The Chateau de la Barben
At the zoo

Civil heritage

The commune has many buildings and sites that are registered as historical monuments:

  • A Laundry at La Blancherie (18th century)[12]
  • A Chateau Garden on the D22 (17th century)[13]
  • A Bridge over the Canal de Marseille on RN572 (19th century)[14]
  • A Montjoie[Note 1] at La Baou[15]
  • The fortified Chateau de la Barben (11th century)[16]
  • A Farmhouse at La Baou (18th century)[17]
  • The Clos Farmhouse at Sufferchoix (15th century)[18]
  • A Farmhouse at Val d'Estable (18th century)[19]
Other sites of interest
Zoo Picture Gallery

Religious heritage

The commune has several religious buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments:

  • The Parish Church of Saint-Sauveur[20] The Church contains several items that are registered as historical objects:
    • 2 Chairs (19th century)[21]
    • A Statue: Virgin and child (18th century)[22]
    • A framed Painting: the Transfiguration (1632)[23]
    • A Painting: Saint Jerome (17th century)[24]
  • The Benedictine Church of Saint-Sauveur (11th century)[25]
  • The Benedictine Convent of Saint-Victor-de-Danes at Le Mounestier (12th century)[26]
  • A Monumental Cross at Val d'Estable (17th century)[27]
  • A Monumental Cross at La Beaumé de Matelas (19th century)[28]

Notable people linked to the commune

See also

Notes

  1. A Stone or pile of stones used to mark a migratory trail, a pilgrimage route, the limit of a territory, or to commemorate a battle

References

  1. "Populations légales 2017". INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  2. Inhabitants of Bouches-du-Rhône (in French)
  3. Official website for the zoo
  4. Google Maps
  5. La Barben on the Libébus website (in French)
  6. Paris, Nice, Strasbourg, Brest
  7. Data from the Station at Salon-de-Provence, sources:Salon-de-Provence
  8. Geneviève Xhayet, Supporters and adversaries of Louis d'Anjou during the war of the Union of Aix Archived 2015-07-23 at the Wayback Machine, Historical Provence, Fédération historique de Provence, Vol. 40, No. 162, "Autour de la guerre de l'Union d'Aix", 1990, p. 407 and 413 (note 61). (in French)
  9. List of Mayors of France (in French)
  10. Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet La Barben, EHESS. (in French)
  11. Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  12. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA13000215 Laundry (in French)
  13. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA13001029 Chateau Garden (in French)
  14. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA13000211 Bridge over the Canal de Marseille (in French)
  15. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA13000441 Montjoie (in French)
  16. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée PA00081199 IA13000219 Chateau de la Barben (in French)
  17. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA13000217 Farmhouse at La Baou (in French)
  18. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA13000214 Clos Farmhouse at Sufferchoix (in French)
  19. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA13000213 Farmhouse at Val d'Estable (in French)
  20. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée PA00125709 Parish Church of Saint-Sauveur (in French)
  21. Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM13001966 2 Chairs (in French)
  22. Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM13001965 Statue: Virgin and child (in French)
  23. Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM13001356 Framed Painting: the Transfiguration (in French)
  24. Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM13001355 Painting: Saint Jerome (in French)
  25. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA13000218 Benedictine Church of Saint-Sauveur (in French)
  26. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA13000216 Benedictine Convent of Saint-Victor-de-Danes at Le Mounestier (in French)
  27. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA13000212 Monumental Cross at Val d'Estable (in French)
  28. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA13000210 Monumental Cross at La Beaumé de Matelas (in French)
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.