Châteauneuf-Miravail

Châteauneuf-Miravail
The chapel of Saint-Mary, in Châteauneuf-Miravail
Coat of arms
Châteauneuf-Miravail
Location within Provence-A.-C.d'A. region Châteauneuf-Miravail
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Department	Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Arrondissement	Forcalquier
Canton	Noyers-sur-Jabron
Intercommunality	Vallée du Jabron
Government
• Mayor (2008–2014)	Jean-Claude Chabaud
Area1	19.7 km2 (7.6 sq mi)
Population (2008)2	75
• Density	3.8/km2 (9.9/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	04051 / 04200
Elevation	619–1,628 m (2,031–5,341 ft) (avg. 710 m or 2,330 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Châteauneuf-Miravail is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France.

Geography

The Jabron and Druigne rivers run through it.

History

An altar to the Roman god Mars dates back to the Gallo-Roman era.

Charters for the locality first appeared in the twelfth century, when the town acted as a stronghold for the town of Saint-Vincent-sur-Jabron.

During the revolution, a Patriotic Society was formed in the town, created in 1792. Following the decree of the National Convention of October 16, 1793 for towns holding names reminiscent of royalty or feudalism to create new names, the community became known as Auche-la-Garde.

Population

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1765	512	—
1793	558	+9.0%
1800	568	+1.8%
1806	612	+7.7%
1821	625	+2.1%
1831	626	+0.2%
1836	494	−21.1%
1841	560	+13.4%
1846	600	+7.1%
1851	511	−14.8%
1856	440	−13.9%
1861	385	−12.5%
1866	386	+0.3%
1872	348	−9.8%
1876	362	+4.0%
1881	332	−8.3%
1886	330	−0.6%
1891	320	−3.0%
1896	278	−13.1%
1901	277	−0.4%
1906	242	−12.6%
1911	232	−4.1%
1921	191	−17.7%
1926	163	−14.7%
1931	139	−14.7%
1936	133	−4.3%
1946	118	−11.3%
1954	82	−30.5%
1962	58	−29.3%
1968	54	−6.9%
1975	62	+14.8%
1982	71	+14.5%
1990	57	−19.7%
1999	68	+19.3%
2008	75	+10.3%

Inhabitants are known as Castelnovins.

Sights

The Jabron valley is dominated by the ruins of the seventeenth century Chateau Graves. On the Aouche la Garde ridge stand a tower and curtain wall, now in ruins, which survey the Jabron and Chateauneuf valleys,

In Lange, the principal section of the commune, one home is inscribed with the date 1620 on its lintel.

The church of Saint Mari (also Saint Mary) in Lange is considered exceptional by French historian Raymond Collier, who gives the building considerable attention in his book La Haute-Provence monumentale et artistique. The nave and apse of the church are barrel vaulted. The apse is rectangular in shape with a flat chevet. The posterior walls of each aisle are of original seventeenth-century construction, a rarity for the region. The current facade is in fact modified from the original: while the wall and bell tower are on the same axis, it is a different axis from that of the nave. The choir and the nave are of typical construction for the late thirteenth and early fourteenth century period in which they were built.

The church holds a statue of Saint Mary. The image of the crucifixion contained within the church shows Christ on the cross, with the Virgin and two unidentified people to his left. The image is unusual in that it is surrounded by two penitent figures. A painting of Saint Roch as a pilgrim with his dog with the patron saint of the church can also be seen. This painting is rare in that Saint Roch is typically depicted in sculpture rather than pictorial image.

Another painting, dating to 1687 although painted in a post-primitive style, represents Saint Joseph holding a scepter and book. On each of his sides stand Saint Patrick and Saint Eloi. The painting is considered a historic monument.

See also

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

References

• INSEE