Saint-Michel-l'Observatoire

Saint-Michel-l'Observatoire is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. It was the death place of 18th-century botanist Jean-Paul de Rome d'Ardène and Taos Amrouche, the French-speaking Algerian writer, singer of Kabyle music, and activist for women's causes.

Saint-Michel-l'Observatoire
Commune
Church of Saint-Pierre
Coat of arms
Location of Saint-Michel-l'Observatoire
Saint-Michel-l'Observatoire
Saint-Michel-l'Observatoire
Coordinates: 43°54′38″N 5°43′00″E
CountryFrance
RegionProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
DepartmentAlpes-de-Haute-Provence
ArrondissementForcalquier
CantonReillanne
IntercommunalityHaute Provence
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Jean-Paul Grosso[1]
Area
1
27.78 km2 (10.73 sq mi)
Population
 (2017-01-01)[2]
1,238
 • Density45/km2 (120/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
04192 /04870
Elevation386–767 m (1,266–2,516 ft)
(avg. 543 m or 1,781 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Population
Historical population
YearPop.±%
1793 875—    
1800 857−2.1%
1806 882+2.9%
1821 934+5.9%
1831 973+4.2%
1836 986+1.3%
1841 999+1.3%
1846 949−5.0%
1851 1,014+6.8%
1856 1,028+1.4%
1861 1,000−2.7%
1866 983−1.7%
1872 940−4.4%
1876 877−6.7%
1881 857−2.3%
1886 785−8.4%
1891 779−0.8%
1896 713−8.5%
YearPop.±%
1901 701−1.7%
1906 706+0.7%
1911 656−7.1%
1921 581−11.4%
1926 515−11.4%
1931 460−10.7%
1936 374−18.7%
1946 420+12.3%
1954 387−7.9%
1962 380−1.8%
1968 443+16.6%
1975 617+39.3%
1982 713+15.6%
1990 844+18.4%
1999 904+7.1%
2006 1,065+17.8%
2009 1,164+9.3%

Observatory

Saint-Michel-l'Observatoire is the "host town" of the Haute-Provence Observatory, a nationally ranked facility. It is considered, by many astronomers, to be the best European low-altitude (400 meters) observatory in operation. There is also an astronomy center for educational purposes. It hosts students of elementary schools for brief stays (1–2 weeks) during the year and organizes theme nights of combined sky observations and expositions/debates on different themes.

St. Michael was chosen as the location of the Haute-Provence Observatory site, about 600 meters north. The village is located 543m altitude. The rock Guerin rises to 767 meters in the municipality.

The neighboring towns of Saint-Michel-Observatoire are Revest des Brousses, Mane, Dauphin, Saint-Martin-les-Eaux, Villemus, Reillane and Aubenas-les-Alpes.

The territory of the Regional Natural Park of Luberon

The village is located in the Regional Natural Park of Luberon. The town is one of the seventy-seven Member States of the Regional Natural Park of the Luberon Park, which extends from Cavaillon in the west to the east Durance, two departments and eighty-five towns and 185,145 hectares. To the south, it overlooks the Luberon Durance basin and the county of Aigues.

The town has two main villages, Saint-Michel and Lincel and several hamlets including the Craux, and quite a few differences.

International relations

The commune is twinned with:

See also

References
  1. "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  2. "Populations légales 2017". INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
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