The Grand Pastre

8 points of interest

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  Flora

  Mountain cornflower

  This species is also known as Centaurea montana. The flowers of the mountain cornflower are melliferous, attracting butterflies and bees. This plant needs cool, moist soil to grow, whence its presence in the Clot la Saume forest. The cut foliage is green and woolly.

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  Vernacular heritage

  Traditional houses

  Traditional houses in the Alps are often built into the slope. This can be explained by the desire to preserve the most easily cultivated land. The location of dwellings must also consider the proximity of water, while ensuring sufficient distance from mountain hazards (flooding, avalanches, landslides, etc.). These houses are generally arranged on three levels. The ground floor houses the stable for the herd and the farmyard. The heat given off by the animals benefits the whole house as it rises. This floor is sometimes also used to store farm tools. The first floor, accessed by a wooden staircase or balcony, is used for living space. Finally, the second floor is occupied by the barn, which is used to store grain and fodder for a whole year.

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  Know-how

  Retaining walls

  The retaining walls are made of dry stone. They are called restanques in Provence. In steep areas, they can be used to create farmed terraces by retaining the soil. At the time, their construction enabled generations of farmers to make a living from their land, which became fertile and arable. Today, many researchers and craftsmen are trying to bring back this age-old technique.

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  Fauna

  The Common Blue

  In this small butterfly, the male's upper wings are dark grey, somewhat bluer at the base of the wings, while the female is brown. It is most often seen at higher altitudes, in July and August, in grasslands and meadows. The Arctic blue is a species of northern regions (Scandinavia, Greenland, Siberia, North America) which, in more temperate parts, lives only in the mountains.

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  Pastoralism

  Grazing

  Pastoralism is an extensive management technique. Known as the "Vachaïre", it emerged alongside cattle rearing and milk production. It entailed setting up a community-based herd management system, with the animals grazing every day. And it was the shepherd, "Lou Pastre" in Provençal, who was entrusted with managing the flocks.

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  Pastoralism

  The pastre

  This is the Provençal word for shepherd. The trail got its name because of its many traces of pastoral activity along the way. Among other things, you can see the remains of ancient shelters known as muandes. These were used as stopovers between the farm and the mountain pastures during the transhumance up to the summer pastures at the start of the summer and during the transhumance to lower pastures in the autumn.

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  Architecture

  Church of Marie-Madeleine in Les Orres

  Characteristic of Hautes-Alpes architecture, it was built around 1501 and is remarkable for its size and painted decorations.

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  Vernacular heritage

  Wash-houses

  They can be found in almost every hamlet in Les Orres, but their purpose is no longer purely ornamental. Although the mid-twentieth century saw a decline in their use, they were once an essential place for socialising, as women used to gather there to do their washing. The Bua, the great bi-annual wash, thus took several days and followed a very precise ritual that culminated in the arduous operations of rinsing and drying.

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