La Barlatte watermill

6 points of interest

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  Small heritage

  Châteauneuf d'Entraunes

  Châteauneuf was built during the 12th century. It was run by consuls under the counts of Provence and then the village became the property of the Count of Savoie in 1388 and one of the strongholds of the Baron de Beuil. It suffered terrible damage during the wars between Charles Quint and King Francis I of France (1536) and the French Wars of Religion. In 1621, the people of Châteauneuf bought their freedom. The parish church of St Nicolas (17th century) is built on the site of the castle. It was restored in 1934 and its baroque interior is remarkable for its wealth of colours.

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  Geology

  Marl

  This landscape of ravine slopes is the result of high pressure caused by human activities, causing the destruction of the forest and the ground it maintained. These black lands are sedimentary rocks which were generally formed at the bottom of the seas during the secondary era; they are made of a mixture of limestone and clay which can easily be altered at chemically and mechanically. The force of the rainfall in addition to the slope are favourable to a high level of erosion.

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  Small heritage

  The Barlatte mill

  The cogs and water wheels at Monsieur Jusbert’s mill have been silent since 1942. Until this date, the peasants from the surrounding villages and hamlets would go down to the mill with their mule. The sieved flour would be used for bread and to feed the animals.

  When the population of the area was at its highest, the miller worked for a thousand people. Since 1993, the National Park, along with the “Gardaren Casteù-Nou” association, has renovated the mill, saving a bat colony by providing an adapted area for them to reproduce in peacefully.

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  Geology

  The Saucha Negra gorges

  The gorges are the manifestation of a typical limestone landscape. These steep walls are the result of the action of rainwater which, charged with carbonic gas, dissolve the limestone and penetrate into the rocks, creating underground drainage networks which grow gradually bigger.
  Then the upper part collapses and the river flows in the open air, trapped between two vertical walls.
  The return journey to pick up the itinerary takes place along the same track.

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  Flora

  The Roumegier woods

  With the decline in rural activity and farming, the bocage landscapes have tended to alter. The forest has recolonised pasture zones. The southern slope is host to the species which appreciate limestone ground, such as Scotch pine, whose light foliage allows light to reach the undergrowth, thereby allowing hazelnut trees and whitebeam to develop. Despite the trend towards colonisation by Scotch pine, the downy oak has also managed to remain. The boxwood, which is also there, could be as old as 500 years. In lesser quantities, there are also maples, dogwood, rowans and laburnum, which are used to make collars for pets.

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  History and historical trail

  History of a landscape

  Above the Tourrès track, opened in 1910, the limestone cliffs, protected by a prefectorial Biotope decree, are the reproduction ground for several birds of prey: golden eagle, peregrine falcon, Eurasian eagle owl… The whole area appears natural and wild but the remains of old crop beds or hay meadows, ruined farms or barns and even an entire ruined hamlet, Barels (located within the boundaries of the commune of Guillaumes), provide an insight into how life was long ago.

  Each plot of land was cultivated using a mule or a mare, the indispensable assistants for humans at the time.

  In 1828, Châteauneuf has 298 inhabitants living entirely self-sufficiently thanks to their agricultural activities.

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