Blieux

Blieux (French pronunciation: [blijø]; Occitan: Blieus) is a rural commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France.

Blieux Blieus (Occitan)
Commune
A ravine in the territory of the Blieux commune
Coat of arms
Location of Blieux
Blieux Show map of France Blieux Show map of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Coordinates: 43°52′24″N 6°22′18″E
Country	France
Region	Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Department	Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
Arrondissement	Castellane
Canton	Riez
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Gérard Collomp[1]
Area 1	56.8 km2 (21.9 sq mi)
Population  (2022)[2]	52
• Density	0.92/km2 (2.4/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	04030 /04330
Elevation	831–1,921 m (2,726–6,302 ft) (avg. 950 m or 3,120 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

History

The commune of Blieux first appeared on maps in 1100.^[3]

Much later, during the French Revolution, records show that the residents of Blieux had created a political club (patriotic society), which was very common at the time. (See Jacobin Club).^[4]

Name of the commune

According to Ernest Nègre, the first recorded name for the commune, Bleus, was derived from the Occitan word bleusse, meaning 'dry'. This was likely a reference to the local soil.^[5] By contrast, Charles Rostaing argues that the name derives from the pre-Indo-European root word, *BL, meaning 'mountain in the form of a spur'.^[6]

La Melle, the name of a nearby hamlet, comes from the Celtic word, mello, meaning an elevated location.^[7]

Economy

Historically, Blieux was a pastoral community, with a yearly alpine grazing cycle known as transhumance. As with much of Provence, tourism the primary source of economic activity today^{[citation needed]}.

Geography

The village is located at an altitude of 950m,^[3] in the valley formed by a tributary of the river Asse, known as the 'Asse de Blieux'.

Hamlets

• le Bas-Chadoul
• la Melle
• la Tuilière
• Thon
• La Castelle

Summits and passes

• Mont Chiran (1905 m)
• le Grand Mourre (1898 m)
• Crête de Montmuye (Montmuye ridge) (Highest point: 1621 m)
• Le Mourre de Chanier ( 1930 m)

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1968	59	—
1975	54	−1.26%
1982	59	+1.27%
1990	57	−0.43%
1999	59	+0.38%
2009	56	−0.52%
2014	59	+1.05%
2020	55	−1.16%
Source: INSEE[8]

With the exception of those that have been totally abandoned, Blieux is one of the communities in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department that has experienced the greatest population decline from the mid-19th to the mid-20th centuries.

Inhabitants are known as Blieuxois (masculine) and Blieuxoises (feminine) in French.

See also

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