Vérignon | |
|---|---|
 The south side of the village | |
.svg) Coat of arms | |
 Location of Vérignon | |
  Vérignon  Vérignon | |
| Coordinates:43°39′13″N6°16′25″E / 43.6535°N 6.2737°E /43.6535; 6.2737 | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur |
| Department | Var |
| Arrondissement | Brignoles |
| Canton | Flayosc |
| Intercommunality | Lacs et Gorges du Verdon |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2020–2026) | Philippe Murat-David[1] |
Area 1 | 36.9 km2 (14.2 sq mi) |
| Population (2023)[2] | 8 |
| • Density | 0.22/km2 (0.56/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 83147 /83630 |
| Elevation | 696–1,142 m (2,283–3,747 ft) (avg. 850 m or 2,790 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Vérignon (French pronunciation:[veʁiɲɔ̃];Verinhon in ClassicalProvençal andVerignoun inProvençal of the mistralian norm) is acommune in theVardepartment in theProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azurregion in southeasternFrance.
The town is situated at the foot of the GreatCanjuers Plain, at the heart of a forest ofoaks. 15 square kilometres of the commune were requisitioned for the Canjuers military camp in 1970.
Canjuers is supposed to be derived from the Latin Campus Julii (the field of Julius), preserving a folk-memory ofJulius Caesar's army passing across it during theGallic Wars. On a mountain range between Aups and Vérignon is anoppidum of the Verrucini. In the Roman era, the main road that linked upFréjus toRiez passed through Vérignon, and four milestones have been discovered.
The plain is also an important findspot for prehistoric fossils, with most of those found being conserved fossils in thechâteau at Vérignon, not open to the public. According to Raoul Bérenguier, theBlacasseigneurs ofAups installed themselves in Vérignon around the year 1000 and constructed their castle on a rocky outcrop in the town. It had an encircling wall, rectangular living quarters in the north corner, a private chapel of the Assumption for the Blacas (with their family vault under its altar), and abarbican round its south gate. However, this castle proved too constricted, uncomfortable and small, and was abandoned at the start of the 18th century, with the Blacas building a new, unfortified château, which remained in their hands until 1947. It is rectangular in plan, with two levels of overhanging elevations, an attic-storey, and corner towers. Two short wings project out from and frame the main building. The castle stands up in the middle of a magnificent park.
Up to the nineteenth century, the town had 120 inhabitants.
The Chapel of Notre-Dame de Liesse, at 991 m above sea level, is an oratory found between Aups and Vérignon. A lady from the Blacas family came here to await the arrival of her son back from the Crusades and vowed to construct a chapel as soon as he should return safely. He did return, and it was built as a witness of the "liesse" of the family. At 1.066 km altitude on the same mountain range is the Chapel Saint Priest, built in 1098.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 48 | — |
| 1975 | 17 | −13.78% |
| 1982 | 14 | −2.74% |
| 1990 | 26 | +8.05% |
| 1999 | 16 | −5.25% |
| 2007 | 17 | +0.76% |
| 2012 | 10 | −10.07% |
| 2017 | 10 | +0.00% |
| Source: INSEE[3] | ||
