Moustiers-Sainte-Marie
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Commune of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie |
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| Location | |
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| Administration | |
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| Country | France |
| Region | Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur |
| Department | Alpes-de-Haute-Provence |
| Arrondissement | Digne-les-Bains |
| Canton | Moustiers-Sainte-Marie |
| Mayor | Fred Single (2001-2008) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 474 m–1,729 m (avg. 631 m) |
| Land area¹ | 87.97 km² |
| Population² (1999) |
625 |
| - Density | 7/km² (1999) |
| Miscellaneous | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 04135/ 04360 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
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Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, or simply Moustiers, is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence département in eastern France, a part of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It lies at the western entrance to the Gorges du Verdon. The village has been a center of the pottery trade, especially faïence, for centuries.
The village clings a hundred or so meters up the side of a limestone cliff. A spring flows out of the cliff, creating a waterfall directly out of the center of town. At twilight, the sun strikes the south-facing cliff, creating a magical diffuse pink light for a few minutes on clear days.
Above the town, a star hangs on a 225m long chain suspended between two cliffs. According to legend, during the Crusades a knight of Blacas held prisoner by the Saracens vowed to hang a star over the village on his return. The star has been replaced several times over the centuries because it ages and occasionally falls.[1][2]
 A view of from outside the village |
 The peaks above the village, with the famous star suspended between |
[edit] References
- ^ The village of Moustiers Sainte Marie. La Bastide de Moustiers. Retrieved on 2006-06-18.
- ^ Collins, Sarah (March 3, 2002). A Wild Road Follows A Wild River. New York Times, Travel Section. Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
[edit] External links
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