St
André history...
(from"Si Saint André m'était conté" by Jean Montagnier)
St
André history... |
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| The name of SAINT ANDRE would issue from a chapel sacred to this saint,
built by monks, on the slopes of CHALVET mountain. The primitive village, built on this side, easy to defend and close to springs, disappeared towards the 11 th Century, following some landslips and an earthquake. It was built again, on the place of the actual " PLACETTE " . An irrigation canal, starting from the ISSOLE river, gave drinking water. In 1278, SAINTANDRE numbered 33earths,150 inhabitants The economics were founded on sheep and goats breeding. |
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From 1860, reafforestation works were realized to stop scoring. Owing to
working wood, sawmills were implanted and jobs created. In 1889 began the building of the
railway DIGNE - NICE. which was inaugurated in 1911. In 1925, the Compagny was called
" Chemins de fer de Provence ". The 1st world war, which cost the village about 30 men, put a curb on the city growth. Later on, economy began to go again, slowly ! In 1990, SAINT ANDRE LES ALPES numbered 794 inhabitants. |
| Through the following centuries, the village knew plunderages, plagues,
wars and misary. At the Revolution, SAINT ANDRE, chief town, was called " VERDISSOLE " In 1798, there were 52 shops, 700 inhabitants, 14 common carriers who, with their carts, were the agents of all important or regular travels in the district. The church, pulled down in 1848, was built again in 1857. The churchyard, was transfered to the bottom of the village in 1788, then, to the " SOUQUET " in 1863, and, later on, at the foot of CHALVET. The SAINT JEAN Chapel was built in 1854. In 1857, "MEOUILLES" was united to the village which became " SAINT ANDRE DE MEOUILLES, then, in 1928, "SAINT ANDRE LES ALPES". |
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| At that time, the village was flourishing, thanks to the cloth factories. The population was over 1000 inhabitants.Conveyances were better owing to some new roads. However, the inhabitants had to struggle against the VERDON and the ISSOLE spates and floods and built the " MEOUILLES EMBANKMENT " |
Nowadays, St André les Alpes |
