Vaumeilh is a commune

Communes of France

The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...

 in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is a French department in the south of France, it was formerly part of the province of Provence.- History :Nord-de-Provence was one of the 83 original departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...

 department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur or PACA is one of the 27 regions of France.It is made up of:* the former French province of Provence* the former papal territory of Avignon, known as Comtat Venaissin...

 region

Régions of France

France is divided into 27 administrative regions , 22 of which are in Metropolitan France, and five of which are overseas. Corsica is a territorial collectivity , but is considered a region in mainstream usage, and is even shown as such on the INSEE website...

 in southeastern France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

.

Geography

It is a small Provençal village with narrow, winding streets which backs on to a hill. The Durance

Durance

The Durance is a major river in south-eastern France.Its source is in the south-western Alps, in Montgenèvre ski resort near Briançon and it flows south-west through the following départements and cities:* Hautes-Alpes: Briançon, Embrun.* Alpes-de-Haute-Provence: Sisteron, Manosque.* Vaucluse:...

 flows 1 km (0.621372736649807 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 name comes from the Latin 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 Latin '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

French Wars of Religion

The French Wars of Religion is the name given to a period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily fought between French Catholics and Protestants . The conflict involved the factional disputes between the aristocratic houses of France, such as the House of Bourbon and House of Guise...

. A 'patriotic society' was created in the spring of 1792, which was one of 21 in the department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is a French department in the south of France, it was formerly part of the province of Provence.- History :Nord-de-Provence was one of the 83 original departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790...

 to debate political matters.

Administration

List of mayors:

• March 1989 - March 1995 Louis Touche
• March 1995 - March 2001 Collombon
• March 2001 - March 2008 Georges Richaud
• March 2008 - ................. Élisabeth Collombon

Population

Chart of the population of Vaumeilh since 1765




The inhabitants are called Vaumeilhois.

Sights

• A priory, Notre-Dame de Chane, existed in 1210, and depended on the monastery in Aniane
  Aniane
  Aniane is a commune in the Hérault department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France.-Population:-See also:* Benedict of Aniane* Pont du Diable, Hérault* Mas de Daumas Gassac*Communes of the Hérault department...
  
  . It fell in ruins in 1469, was given to the Church of Gap
  Gap, Hautes-Alpes
  Gap is a commune in southeastern France, the capital of the Hautes-Alpes department.-Geography:An Alpine crossroads at the intersection of D994 and Route nationale 85 the Route Napoléon, Gap lies above sea level along the right bank of the Luye River...
  
  , which rebuilt it with mainly agricultural objectives around a triple court between the end of the 17th century and the French Revolution
  French Revolution
  The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
  
  . 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

• The chapel of Saint Marcellin, below the village, was built around 1770

• 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
  French Revolution
  The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
  
  

• 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". 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
  Thèze, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
  Thèze is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.-Population:-References:*...
  
   is well-known for the sport of gliding
  Gliding
  Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word soaring is also used for the sport.Gliding as a sport began in the 1920s...
  
  and attracts many visitors each year for flights and for its restaurant

External links

• Vaumeilh sur le site du Quid (in French)
• Localisation de Vaumeilh sur une carte de France et communes limitrophes (in French)
• Plan de Vaumeilh sur Mapquest (in French)