Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (sometimes abbreviated asAHP;French pronunciation:[alpdəotpʁɔvɑ̃s]^ⓘ;Occitan:Aups d'Auta Provença;lit. 'Alps of UpperProvence'), formerly until 1970 known asBasses-Alpes (French pronunciation:[basz‿alp],lit. 'Lower Alps'), is adepartment in theProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azurregion of France, borderingAlpes-Maritimes and Italy to the east,Var to the south,Vaucluse to the west,Drôme andHautes-Alpes to the north. Formerly part of theprovince ofProvence, it had a population of 164,308 in 2019,^[3] which makes it the 8th least populated department and the94th most populated French department.

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Aups d'Auta Provença (Occitan)
Department
From top down:Le Lauzet-Ubaye,Digne-les-Bains,Sisteron andLake of Sainte-Croix
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence in France
Coordinates:44°0′N6°10′E / 44.000°N 6.167°E /44.000; 6.167
Country	France
Region	Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Prefecture	Digne-les-Bains
Subprefectures	Barcelonnette Castellane Forcalquier
Government
• President of the Departmental Council	Éliane Barreille[1] (LR)
Area 1
• Total	6,925 km2 (2,674 sq mi)
Population  (2022)[2]
• Total	167,179
• Rank	95th
• Density	24/km2 (63/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Department number	04
Largest city	Manosque
Arrondissements	4
Cantons	15
Communes	198
^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries and lakes, ponds and glaciers larger than 1 km2

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence's main cities areDigne-les-Bains (prefecture),Manosque,Sisteron,Barcelonnette,Castellane andForcalquier. Inhabitants are called theBas-Alpins (masculine) orBas-Alpines (feminine) in reference to the department's former name, Basses-Alpes, which was in use until 1970. Although the prefecture is Digne-les-Bains, the largest city is Manosque. Alpes-de-Haute-Provence'sINSEE and postal code is 04.

The departmental can be divided into three zones depending on the terrain, climate, population and economy:

• the plateaux, hills and valleys of Haute-Provence, which comprise one-third of the area but two-thirds of the population and the most important cities of the department with almost all of the economic activity apart from mountain tourism. The valley of theDurance, the artery of the department, cuts the rest of the department into two parts:
• the Lower Alps: an intermediate mountain area with valleys and very remote villages
• the High Alps: including the valleys ofUbaye, Blanche, and the highVerdon (upstream ofColmars-les-Alpes) where the economy is built around mountain tourism (skiing). In the Haute-Ubaye, the mountain peaks exceed 3000 m above sea level and all the passes are close to or above 2000 m in altitude. In this part of the department is one of the highest roads in Europe: the main road D64 reaches an altitude of 2802 m near theCol de la Bonette (2715 m) and connects the region ofBarcelonnette to theTinée andVésubie valleys.

The relief of the land compartmentalises the region: the enclosed valleys are difficult to access, so dividing the country into as many local areas which communicate very little with the outside. In 1877, 55 communes only had access to trails ormule paths.^[4]

The seismic hazard is moderate (zone 3) to medium (zone 4) with different faults such as the Durance located in the department.^[5]

The main cities areManosque,Digne-les-Bains,Sisteron,Château-Arnoux-Saint-Auban,Oraison,Forcalquier,Les Mées,Pierrevert,Villeneuve,Sainte-Tulle,Gréoux-les-Bains,Barcelonnette andCastellane.

The main river is theDurance which runs in the west of the department. It is in the Durance valley that the most important traffic routes are found: theA51 autoroute and the railway main line. Almost all of the department is in the watershed of the Durance except for the extreme south-east (the cantons ofAnnot andEntrevaux) which are drained by theVar.

The main tributaries of the Durance in the department are theUbaye, theBléone, theAsse, theVerdon on the left bank, theBuëch, the Jabron, and the Largue on the right bank.

The Durance and its tributaries have a torrential character, with a transition between the snow regime of the high valleys and the Mediterranean rainfall regime in the lower mountains and below. The summer low water levels are severe and violent floods occur when heavy rains fall which is often in autumn. The Durance, Verdon, Bléone and Buëch have had the construction of several dams and the diversion of parts of the river for irrigation and power generation in the 20th century.

The climate of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department is aMediterranean climate degrading by altitude and latitude. In fact, while in the lower valleys and flat lands of Haute-Provence an inland Mediterranean climate prevails, by contrast in the hills it is more mixed with the valley of the Ubaye characteristic of the inner Alps, with a marked continentality: winters are very harsh with stormy summers. In between, the two influences mingle in the area of the Lower Alps. The characteristics of both climate trends are found throughout the department to a greater or lesser extent:

• dry air and little fog (less than 20 days per year)
• infrequent rainfall (less than 90 days per year) but heavy (650 to 1500 mm per year)
• frequent thunderstorms in the mountains in summer
• High sunshine hours in all seasons (2550 to 2850 hours per year)
• high thermal amplitudes, diurnal (over 10 °C) and annual (18 °C)
• fresh and bright winters
• very hot summers barely tempered by altitude.

Haute-Provence is therefore very interesting for European astronomers looking for a partly cloudy night sky and untouched by light pollution. Many amateur observatories have been built and theObservatoire de Haute-Provence is one of the largest observatories in continental Europe. It is an active astronomy research centre.

The population was once fairly evenly distributed in the territory, including in the mountainous areas where mountain agriculture was well developed. From the middle of the 19th century, however, it began to decline due to a strongrural exodus. There were more than 150,000 inhabitants in 1850 but it fell to less than 100,000 after theFirst World War. It was not until 1960 that the trend changed upwards quite strongly from less than 90,000 in 1954 to nearly 140,000 in 1999 and 162,565 in 2016. However, if this figure is close to the number of inhabitants the department had 150 years earlier, the distribution and activity of the population are very different. The population is now concentrated in the valley of the Durance and the South West of the department, and agriculture employs less than ever before. Services, mainly tourism and local services, is now the main industry.

In 2016 it had 162,565 inhabitants and a density of 23.5 inhabitants/km².

The population of the department is sightly similar toGuam.

The department has never really developed: in 1870 there were 27 small mines (onelead, fouroil shale and 22lignite).^[10]

According to the general census of the population, 32.8% of available housing in the department are second homes.

The department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is one of the least densely populated of France with barely more than 20 inhabitants per km². The population is concentrated mainly in the valleys of the Durance, the Bléone (up to Digne) and the nearby flat lands. The rest of the department is sparsely populated (less than 10 inhabitants per km² over most of the territory).

83 (42%) of the communes have less than 200 inhabitants, 9 communes have less than 50 and many villages have been abandoned. The towns are small: onlyDigne-les-Bains andManosque approach or exceed 20,000 people. Thearrondissement of Barcelonnette is the least populated arrondissement in France and the only one in France with less than 10,000 inhabitants. The city ofCastellane is the smallest sub-prefecture in France.

Among the 15 cantons in the department, 5 have a resident population of less than 10,000 inhabitants:Barcelonnette,Castellane,Riez,Seyne, andValensole.^[3]

The ten most populous communes are:^[3]

In contrast, the three communes with less than 20 inhabitants in 2019 wereArchail (14 inhabitants),Saint-Martin-lès-Seyne (13 inh.) andMajastres (4 inh.).

Basses-Alpes was one of the 83 original departments created during theFrench Revolution on 4 March 1790 under the Act of 22 December 1789.

On 12 August 1793, the department ofVaucluse was created from parts of the departments ofBouches-du-Rhône, Drôme, and Basses-Alpes. Basses-Alpes lost the canton ofSault to Vaucluse at this point. Seventeen years later, in 1810, the canton ofBarcillonnette was transferred over toHautes-Alpes.

The department of Basses-Alpes was occupied by fascist Italy from November 1942 to September 1943.^[11]

On 13 April 1970, the department of Basses-Alpes was renamed to Alpes-de-Haute-Provence.

Here is an unflattering excerpt from an article called "Basse Alpes" from the Atlas Larousse published at the beginning of the 20th century:

"Scattered whitish rocks stand out like bones, a thin topsoil where bushes languish, some mountain flowers and stunted trees ... these mountains form almost everywhere a dreadful desert which will not have more inhabitants: this is theSahara without the sun ofAfrica, with the snows ofSiberia." (P. Joanne).

"On these steep slopes deforestation and flooding have resulted in a lack of fertile soil and agriculture has been the most miserable. There is a small harvest ofwheat,wine in small quantities (but good), andtruffles in large numbers. In the southern part, which has the climate of Provence, there areolive trees,mulberry trees, andorange trees. Aromatic plants abound, and there are 250,000 beehives.Manosque because its location is by far the second largest city of the department (with 5,500 inhabitants). Near Manosque are thelignite andgypsum mines. Despite a fairly active trade in olive oil, wine and raw silk, this department is also one of the least populated." (Larousse Illustrated Atlas, Printing Larousse, Paris, 1900).

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is subdivided into 4arrondissements, 15cantons and 198communes.^[3]

Therural exodus of the 19th and 20th centuries has had a significant impact on the population of towns: some were completely or almost completely abandoned by their inhabitants which led to the disappearance of fifty communes since the creation of the department. Some villages still exist and sometimes gave their name to a new commune created by mergers (e.g.La Mure-Argens) and others are nothing more than a pile of stones (like Levens in the commune ofMajastres). They are sometimes listed on maps (e.g. Bédejun in the commune ofChaudon-Norante). At its formation, the department had 270 communes (262 after changing the limits of the department) but it is now 198. Apart from eight communes which were attached either toHautes-Alpes (the three communes of the Barcillonnette canton, or toVaucluse (thecanton of Sault) many communes have disappeared.

In 1854, the state of communes in the department was as follows:^[12]

• Arrondissement of Barcelonnette: 20 communes, 4 cantons
• Arrondissement of Castellane: 48 communes, 6 cantons
• Arrondissement of Digne-les-Bains: 87 communes, 9 cantons
• Arrondissement of Forcalquier: 51 communes, 6 cantons
• Arrondissement of Sisteron (former): 50 communes, 5 cantons

in total 256 towns and 30 townships.

Special cases of mergers and changes in municipal boundaries

• some communes have chosen a name without historical connection, e.g.Val-de-Chalvagne formed by the merger of three communes (Castellet-Saint-Cassian, Montblanc and Villevieille)
• some communes have absorbed a large number of others – such was the case of Digne andCastellane with seven towns merged: Villars-Brandis, Taloire, Eoulx, Taulane, Chasteuil, and Castillon when creating the namesake

Also some other noteworthy atypical cases:

• merger then separation:Archail andDraix then split betweenSaint-Martin-les-Eaux andManosque
• merger with one commune then another:Aurent (merged withBraux thenCastellet-lès-Sausses)
• a first merger of two communes followed by a merger with another commune:Peyresq withLa Colle-Saint-Michel (under the name ofSaint-Michel-Peyresq), the new entity was then merged withThorame-Haute
• merged communes but not adjacent:Le Poil merged withSenez.

There are still some cases of communal associations since 1973 (some have also gone more or less quickly in favour of a "simple aggregation"). For example,La Mure-Argens with Argens enjoying this status (with the Mayor delegated specifically for Argens, a city hall annex and an electoral district).

In the2021 departmental election, the Departmental Council of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence was elected as follows:^[13]

The department has an electoral tradition markedly old left. There are strong republican traditions such as the number of Political clubs during theFrench Revolution and the resistance to the coup ofNapoleon III in 1851. The tradition of the left is also manifested in rural areas since all cantons devoted to agriculture very early showed an inclination to vote for Republican candidates. The installation of the large chemical plant atSaint-Auban also had a favorable effect on the vote for the left (see below) and has been a breeding ground for the political organization of the left in the department by the trade union movement. The power station atSainte-Tulle also supplied many activists to leftist organizations.

Exceptions in the department: the alpine areas ofBarcelonnette and the upper valley of theVerdon, both territories of emigration but also with a garrison ofChasseurs Alpins in the first. These areas, deeply Catholic, have long opted for elected conservatives – one of the most famous being the former Minister of theThird Republic,Paul Reynaud. A definition of the political choices of the county population is often translated as: the higher the altitude rises, the more the popular vote looks to the right.

Since the end of theFirst World War the department has been most often depicted, both by the Senate and the National Assembly, as an electoral issue of either thePCF or, especially, the socialist movement – theSFIO or thePS, or by the radical left.

A landmark of theResistance during theSecond World War, at Liberation the department deeply changed is roots to the left, a change that has not really been challenged since. A change, which may be temporary however, was recorded in 2007 when, for the first time in local political history, a right-wing deputy elected in the previous election (in 2002) was re-elected to the National Assembly. The other seat is occupied by the President of the Departmental Council,Jean-Louis Bianco, a former minister withFrançois Mitterrand. In the Senate, the department is represented byClaude Domeizel, a former Socialist Mayor ofVolx.

François Mitterrand won the majority of votes of the inhabitants of the department in 1974, 1981, and 1988 although in the last two cases it was 53% of the vote. In 1995,Jacques Chirac was leading the second round of the presidential election with just over 52% but less than the national score. In 2002 it wasJean Marie Le Pen who topped the first round. Finally, in 2007,Nicolas Sarkozy, who reached the top in the first round, with nearly 30% of the votes, gained 53.2% in the second round.

In European referendums, the department has voted "No" during the consultation on theMaastricht Treaty at 51.6% (majority of 2238 votes) and "No" during the consultation on theEuropean Constitutional Treaty at 60.3% (majority 16,575 votes).

Both of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence's seats in theNational Assembly changed hands in the2022 legislative election with the1st constituency lost bythe New Democrats'Delphine Bagarry toChristian Girard ofNational Rally and the2nd lost byLREM'sChristophe Castaner toLéo Walter ofLa France insoumise.

The department has, by its own characteristics (mountainous and low population), a character marked by a relatively weak industrial base and a move towards the creation of jobs in the areas of trades and services.

Thus, according to the survey on labour needs by ASSEDIC, most of the jobs available are now from the professions of sociocultural and sports activities (1031 offers listed out of 4752 total in the department), hotel (968 offers), cleaning (438 offers), catering (345 offers).

Of all these offers at least three-quarters were for seasonal jobs.

However, significant changes in the sociological situation of the department are to be expected from the implementation of theITER project at the mouth of the Durance valley.

In the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department agriculture has had a very important place in the economy but the food-producing polyculture has given way to a much more specialized agriculture oriented around fruit,cereals and high value added products (honey,perfumes, andessential oils,cosmetics,olives, andwine).

The cultivated species are temperate species, especially those at higher altitude, and Mediterranean species at low altitude. The production is of a wide variety. In recent years, an increase in the cultivation oflavender has emerged, particularly in the area ofSaint-André-les-Alpes.

The utilised agricultural area is 165,809 hectares mostly devoted to farming activities such as grass meadows for over 96,000 hectares.

According to the agricultural census of 2000, the department has 2,947 farms, more than the 1,500 farms under the previous census carried out twelve years previously. The average farm size has increased from 32 to 56 hectares.

This is an area ofarboriculture particularly along the Durance, which is the main farming area in terms of number of farms (829 in total).

It is followed by the crop sector (mostly grain) with 740 farms with the rest in the livestock sector.

One of the characteristics of the department is that there are 614 farms devoted to breeding animals other than cattle. These are for the breeding ofsheep andgoats, including the production of milk used for cheese making underAppellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) forBanon cheese.

The winemakers ofPierrevert also have anappellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) ranking for their production.

The Alpes de Hautes-Provence department is a region where 49.1% of the area is forested or 343,691 hectares, with an average rate of 39.4% for the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.^[15] TheNational Office of Forests (ONF) manages 86,000 hectares. The main species exploited areScots pine,black pine,larch,pubescent oak (or white oak), andbeech.Fir andspruce are less common.^[16] The2003 heat wave caused the decline of many species of trees, consequently accelerating the return ofMediterranean oaks,alders andlinden.^[17]

Industry is relatively small in terms of business establishments but has several relatively large companies.

At the end of 2004 the department had 937 establishments with 17 exceeding fifty employees.

This is particularly the case of the historic plant atSaint-Auban (theArkema factory formerly Elf-Atochem), theSanofi of Sisteron factory (north of Saint-Auban), and Manosque (L'Occitane factory). Some more specialized factories (olive oil, perfumes, wines) produce products with high added value.

At the end of 2006, according toASSEDIC data, the industrial sector employed 4,261 employees in the department, or a little over 14% of private sector employees.

In the Chemistry sub-sector there are 1,761 employees andagribusiness has 1,205 employees: these are the two main divisions.

The chemical sector includes segments of: pharmacy (Sanofi factory, cited above, with more than 650 employees), basic chemistry (Arkema factory, with more than 500 employees), and cosmetics with more than 450 people.

The industrial sector has lost nearly 400 jobs since 2001 particularly from downsizing at Arkema and despite the good financial health ofTotal S.A. which owns it. This may change with the implementation of theInternational Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER).

The Building sector and public works account for 1,387 active establishments with more than half (758) institutions without any employees (artisans established their behalf). In late 2006, the sector employed more than 3,900 employees including nearly 1,500 in the public works sector particularly driven by the completion of major infrastructure (motorway A51 and others).

After the depopulation caused by the rural exodus, the department pioneeredagritourism in the 1950s although it is no longer the leader in France in this field. Approximately 120 farms offer tourist activities (accommodation, catering or leisure),^[18] with 70 certified.^[18]

The tertiary sector includes very different enterprises.

Commercial activities have undergone considerable change, and had in 2004 2,473 establishments but with 1,396 (over 56%) with no employees.

In late 2006, however, this sector employed 6,478 people in more than 1,000 establishments. Employee headcounts have risen sharply since 2001 as there have been a total of 627 additional jobs (more than 10% of the workforce) since that date.

The number of employees is about 22% of the workforce employed in the private sector.

This has resulted from the development, particularly in the cities of Manosque and Digne, of major retail shopping areas. Nearly 1,600 employees in the services sector are employed there.

Service activities cover a total of 7,322 institutions in late 2004 with 4,323 (over 59%) with no employees.

It is this sector, however which has the largest number of establishments with more than 50 employees – 96 establishments.

At the end of 2006, this sector employed, among others, 1,141 employees in the transport sector, 3,425 employees in business services, and more than 4,000 in the field of services to individuals.

These sectors are evolving and increasing their activities.

The positive migration flow for the department often originates from the arrival of retired households, due in particular to the significant increase in numbers of elderly and home care services.

The transport sector created sixty additional jobs but it was especially the service sector enterprises and service to individuals (e.g. health and social activity) experienced a dramatic and significant growth.

The health sector has substantially increased its importance in the economy with over a thousand more jobs, especially in the segments of short-term care-giving and maintenance, with nearly 850 related jobs.

This is largely explained by the fact that the major industrial companies in the department, such as companies in the construction sector, use temporary workers, instead of hiring full-time.

In the canton of Volonne, where Saint-Auban is, the reduction in industrial jobs (160 jobs lost on the Arkema work site) is partially offset by the increase in temporary employment (100 additional jobs ).

Similarly, in Manosque, the first city of the department in terms of employment, and sustainable development (2,000 more jobs in five years), the increase in temporary jobs has been spectacular – reaching 400 jobs. These jobs are in, among other things, the cosmetics industry, the construction industry and public works, and retail. Large retail chains in the city prefer this mode of hiring to permanent staff.

In the field of health and social activities, there has been significant job creation also with 760 more jobs, bringing to 13% the share of employees in the sector in terms of total private employment. This increase is particularly in hospitality and accommodation with nearly a thousand employees, an increase of about 150 jobs since 2001, while the area of home care now employs 741 employees instead of 457 five years earlier.

Finally, note that voluntary work, with nearly 1,000 jobs offered, is also present in the department.

The area's scenery provides the background to many activities and sights.^{[citation needed]} Eleven villages have been classified as having special architectural character, including:

• The town ofManosque, known for the birthplace and home of famed Provençal writerJean Giono
• The town ofSisteron, with its ancient citadel and narrow streets
• TheVerdon Gorge, dubbed Europe's Grand Canyon
• Digne-les-Bains, a hot-spa town
• Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, known for its pottery
• Forcalquier Cathedral

In summer many aerial sports use the surrounding mountains such asgliding,hang gliding andparagliding. In winter there is extensive skiing at eleven ski resorts.

•  
  Digne-les-Bains, The prefecture of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department
•  
  Forcalquier
•  
  Sisteron
•  
  Rocher de La Baume
•  
  Moustiers-Sainte-Marie
•  
  Verdon Gorge
•  
  TheAiguille de Chambeyron and the Marinet Lake in theUbaye Valley

Famous dishes from the commune:

• Les tomates à la Provençale from Manosque
• Black Pudding traditionally cooked withleeks^[19]
• Scrambled eggs with truffles fromRiez
• Pattes a la main de Fours
• Sisteron Lamb
• Pierrevert wine (AOC since 1997)
• Lavender Honey
• Banon cheese
• Génépi from theUbaye Valley
• Pieds paquets from Sisteron
• Henri Bardouin de ForcalquierLiqueurs.

Daily newspapers:La Provence,le Dauphine Libere, andLa Marseillaise. All three have a local edition.

Weekly Newspaper:Haute Provence info

Free Newspapers:J'y Vais Provence, a bimonthly journal. Cultural information and portraits of artists of the department.

• Alpes 1 (based atGap, Hautes-Alpes), transmits to the regions of Digne-les-Bains, Sisteron, Barcelonnette and Allos
• Durance FM (based at Reillane), transmits in the regions of Manosque, Digne-les-Bains, and Sisteron
• Fréquence Mistral (based in Manosque), transmits in the regions of Manosque, Digne-les-Bains, Sisteron, and Castellane
• Grimaldi FM (based inPuget-Théniers (Alpes-Maritimes)) transmits to the cantons of Annot and Entrevaux
• Là la radio (based at Gap (Hautes-Alpes)) transmits to the regions of Allos, Barcelonnette, and Colmars-les-Alpes
• Radio Oxygène (based inFréjus (Var)), transmits in the regions of Barcelonnette and Val d'Allos;
• Radio Star (based in Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône)), transmits in the regions of Manosque, Digne-les-Bains, and Sisteron
• Radio Verdon (based inSaint-Julien-le-Montagnier (Var)), transmits to the regions of Manosque and Castellane
• Radio Zinzine (based atLimans), funded by theLongo Maï cooperative, transmits to the areas of Manosque, Digne-les-Bains, Sisteron, and Forcalquier.

• Télévision Locale Provence (TLP) is available throughTNT channel 30 in the area of Manosque and Val de Durance, by satellite in the FRANSAT package, by Internet on ADSL Orange, SFR/Neuf,Numéricâble in Avignon and its region (soon to be Free)

• jy: This free cultural news site was launched in January 2011. There are more than 200 cultural events in the department every week.

A free bimonthly magazine is associated with the website providing close-ups of artists and events in the region. Distributed to 4,000 copies in town halls, tourist offices and shops, it is to this day the strongest support media for the department.

• Verdon Info: Information on the areaPays Asses-Verdon-Vaïre-Var (Arrondissement of Castellane).

Many roads in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence are narrow and winding due to terrain. These natural conditions make access to certain parts of the department rather difficult, especially in winter, and particularly the communes in the Arrondissements of Barcelonnette and Castellane. They are therefore quite isolated from the rest of the department and the region.

National Highway N85 betweenDigne-les-Bains andCastellane passes through several narrow gorges including that ofTaulanne which is especially narrow.

There are several railway lines in Alpes de Haute-Provence. These are:

• theChemins de Fer de Provence line (known as theTrain des pignes) from Nice – Digne
• two lines of theSNCF:
  • the Lyon-Perrache – Marseille-Saint-Charles (via Grenoble) line
  • the Saint-Auban – Digne line (service provided by coaches) is now abandoned. It formed the junction between the Train des Pignes and the Lyon-Marseille lines. A project to reopen the line is being studied and included in the planning between the State and Region.

Old abandoned lines:

• the Volx – Forcalquier line
• the Volx – Cavaillon line
• the Chorges – Barcelonnette line (never opened)

• Pierre Gassendi (1592 atChamptercier – 1655), mathematician, philosopher, theologian and astronomer.
• Jean Solome (1674–1752), historian fromMoustiers-Sainte-Marie
• Prior Laurensi (1719–1808), historian.
• Jean Marc Gaspard Itard (1774 atOraison – 1838), a famous doctor for his work on the case of theFeral child,Victor of Aveyron, and pioneer of theear, nose and throat speciality
• Jean Aimé Édouard de Laplane (1774–1870), historian fromSisteron
• Simon-Jude Honnorat (1783 atAllos – 1852), physician, naturalist, regional linguist
• Elzéard Gras-Bourget (1788–1860) Judge and historian
• Father Jean-Joseph-Maxime Feraud (1810 atRiez – 1897), historian
• Alphonse Eugene Beau calledBeau de Rochas (1815 at Digne-les-Bains – 1893) thermodynamics engineer, inventor of the four-stroke engine, and turbine engine
• Dr. Antoine Ollivier (1823 – ?), a medical doctor and archaeologist fromUbaye
• Jean-Esprit Pellissier (1831 at Allos – 1905), historian
• François Arnaud (1843–1908), mountaineer, politician, lawyer, geographer and linguist from Ubaye.
• Raymond Collier (1921–2000), director of the Departmental Archives of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
• Lucienne Roubin (1924 in Upper Verdon – 1999), sociologist and historian.
• Pierre-Gilles de Gennes (1932–2007), Nobel prize in physics in 1991. Spent his childhood inBarcelonnette

Painters

• Eugene Martel (1869 atRevest-du-Bion – 1947)
• Raoul Dufy (1877–1953 atForcalquier)
• Serge Fiorio (1911–2011), born in Switzerland, died atViens, Vaucluse, he settled in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence in 1947
• Paul Martin (1830–1903) and his son Étienne Martin (1856–1945). Naturalist painters and botanists

Singers / Musicians

• Albertet de Sisteron (1194–1221), troubadour
• Jean-Philippe Argento (1972 at Digne-les-Bains – )
• Damien Saez (1977– )

Others

• Joseph Olérys,Faiencer of the 18th century
• Jean Daviot (1962 at Digne-les-Bains – ), visual artist
• Bernar Venet (1941 atChâteau-Arnoux-Saint-Auban), visual artist

Fictional Characters

• Elzéard Bouffier, the shepherd inThe Man Who Planted Trees byJean Giono

Military

• Joseph de Richery (1757 at Allons – 1798 at Eoulx) Rear Admiral who distinguished himself during the wars of theRevolution
• Pierre Charles Silvestre de Villeneuve (1763 atValensole – 1806), admiral of the French fleet at theBattle of Trafalgar
• Louis Alexis Desmichels (1779 at Digne – 1845), an officer of theFirst Empire, General
• Paul Touvier (1915 atSaint-Vincent-sur-Jabron – 1996), leader of theMilice inLyon, the first Frenchman condemned forcrimes against humanity
• Bruno Dary (1952 at Barcelonnette – ),Military governor of Paris

Political and financial

• Jacques-Antoine Manuel (1775 at Barcelonnette – 1827), fourth deputy (MP) under theBourbon Restoration
• Hippolyte Fourtoul (1811 Digne – 1856), Minister of Education under theSecond Empire
• TheBrothers Arnaud originators of the Ubayens emigration movement to Mexico and Louisiana in the 19th and early 20th century
• André Honnorat (1868–1950), originally fromAllos andBarcelonnette, Minister of Public Education and Fine Arts in 1920
• Paul Reynaud (1878 at Barcelonnette – 1966), formerPresident of the Council of Ministers (1940)
• Henri Laugier (1888 atMane – 1973), Deputy Secretary General of theUN
• Jean-Louis Bianco (1943 – ), deputy for Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and president of the department's general council

Motor Sports

• Jean Rolland (1935 at Digne – 1967), racing driver
• Jean-Michel Bayle (1969 at Manosque – ) motocross champion
• Mickael Maschio (1973 at Digne – ), French motocross driver

Footballers

• René Gallice (1919 at Forcalquier – 1999), former professionalsoccer player
• Alain Boghossian (1970 at Digne – ), former professional soccer player, world champion in 1998, assistant coach of the French football team since 2008.

Skiers

• Honoré Bonnet (1919–2005) coach of the French ski team at the1968 Winter Olympics
• Carole Merle (1964 atSauze), the most successful French skier in the history of theWorld Cup

Cyclists

• Édouard Fachleitner, (1921–2008), racing cyclist called the Shepherd from Manosque
• Julien El Fares (1985 at Manosque – ) cyclist.

Rugby Players

• Grégory Bernard, (1984 at Digne – ), second line atAuch

• Alphonse Rabbe (1786 atRiez – 1830), romantic poet in prose,Album of a pessimist
• Paul Arène (1843 atSisteron – 1896) writer and poet
• Lazarine Negro (1848–1899), a poet fromManosque, a member ofFélibrige
• Elemir Bourges (1852 atManosque – 1925), novelist, member of theAcadémie Goncourt
• Alexandra David-Neel (1868–1969), explorer and Franco-Belgian writer, a resident of Digne in 1926 until his death in 1969
• Germaine Waton Ferry (1885 atRiez – 1956), poet, member ofFélibrige
• Alexandre Arnoux (1884–1973), novelist, playwright
• Maria Borrely (1890 atPuimoisson – 1963), novelist
• Regis Messac (1893–1945), writer
• Jean Giono (1895 atManosque – 1970), writer
• Jean Proal (1904 atSeyne-les-Alpes – 1969), writer
• Pierre Magnan (1922 atManosque – 2012), writer
• Cécile Sauvage (1883–1927), poet, lived in Digne
• Felicien Champsaur (1858 atTurriers – 1934), writer
• Pierre Martel (1923–2001), founder ofAlpes de Lumiere (Alpine Lights)
• Pierre Bottero (1964 atBarcelonnette – 2009), writer

Religious

• Tulle de Manosque (?-430), daughter ofEucherius of Lyon
• Fauste de Riez (408–495), bishop and theologian of free will
• Mayeul de Cluny (906 atValensole – 994). Fourth abbot of Cluny.
• John of Matha (1160 atFaucon-de-Barcelonnette – 1215), priest, founder of theTrinitarian Order to recover prisoners of theSaracens
• Jacques Chastan (1803 atMarcoux – 1839), priest ofForeign Missions Society

People in the news

• Jack Cecil Drummond (1891–1952), assassinated atLurs with his wife and daughter which triggered the Dominici affair

Others

The familiesSimiane,Agoult, andPonteves, nobles of Provence

• Société scientifique et littéraire des Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, founded in 1878 by Father Jean-Joseph-Maxime Feraud
• Alpes de Lumière, a nonprofit organization founded in 1953 by Pierre Martel and state-approved
• Proserpine,^[20] a non-profit association founded in 1993 in order to know and protect the butterflies of Haute-Provence. Manages the butterfly garden (insects release) at Digne-les-Bains.
• Sabença de la Valeia is a learned society from the Ubaye Valley. It researches, studies and disseminates everything about the valley.

(TV films in Italics)

• 1925:Les Misérables byHenri Fescourt withGabriel Gabrio(in French)
• 1934:Les Misérables byRaymond Bernard withHarry Baur(in French)
• 1953:La Route Napoléon byJean Delannoy withPierre Fresnay(in French)
• 1958:L'Eau vive byFrançois Villiers withPascale Audret(in French)
• 1960:Crésus byJean Giono withFernandel(in French)
• 1970:La Maison des bories byJacques Doniol-Valcroze withMarie Dubois,Maurice Garrel,Mathieu Carrière, and Marie-Véronique Maurin(in French)
• 1973:L'Affaire Dominici by Claude Bernard-Aubert withJean Gabin,Victor Lanoux, andGérard Darrieu(in French)
• 1981:Les Babas Cool by François Leterrier withChristian Clavier,Marie-Anne Chazel, andAnémone (actress)(in French)
• 1986:Jean de Florette byClaude Berri withDaniel Auteuil,Gérard Depardieu, andYves Montand(in French)
• 1988:La Maison assassinée byGeorges Lautner withPatrick Bruel(in French)
• 1989:Après la guerre by Jean-Loup Hubert withRichard Bohringer(in French)
• 1995:Le Hussard sur le toit byJean-Paul Rappeneau withJuliette Binoche,Olivier Martinez, andFrançois Cluzet(in French)
• 2003:L'Affaire Dominici by Pierre Boutron withMichel Serrault andMichel Blanc(in French)
• 2006:Les Courriers de la mort by Philomène Esposito withVictor Lanoux(in French)
• 2007:C'est mieux la vie quand on est grand by Luc Béraud withDaniel Russo(in French)
• 2010:Le Sang des Atrides byBruno Gantillon withVictor Lanoux(in French)

• Cantons of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department
• Communes of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department
• Arrondissements of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department

• Coolidge, William Augustus Brevoort (1911)."Basses-Alpes" .Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 3 (11th ed.). p. 492.
• (in French)Prefecture website
• (in French)Departmental Council website
• Abbeys in the Alps (fr. with translator)
• (in French)SPLAF Detailed information in French
• Sisteron guideArchived 27 September 2011 at theWayback Machine
• (in French)Department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (04) The accounts of the Communes and groupings: – Individual and Consolidated data "Principle Budget and annexes"
• (in French)Website for Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Basses-Alpes, well documented and illustrated (anecdotes, personalities)
• (in French)Robbery in the Basses-Alpes..., by Abbot Maurel (1899). Text online.
• (in French)The Plague of 1720 in the Basses-Alpes, by Abbot Maurel (1908). Text online.
• (in French)Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
• (in French)Visit to the Valley of La Blanche, Seyne-les-Alpes and nearby villages
• (in French)The Alps of Hautes Provences, Mural Paintings from the 11th to the 16th centuries