Chaudon-Norante: Local History, Cultural Trail and Altitudes

Chaudon-Norante brings together historic churches, a cultural and discovery trail, and varied landscapes with different elevations. For orientation, it is important not to treat Chaudon and Norante as referring to the same place.

Chaudon and Norante: two locations

The village of Chaudon lies at 1,000 m and above. The centre of the municipality was moved to Norante, at about 700 m, where it sits slightly above the Asse. The two elevation figures therefore refer to different places: Chaudon is the higher village, while Norante is the place to which the municipal centre was moved. This distinction helps put local history and geographical references into context. When considering historical references, it is therefore worth noting which place is mentioned.

Churches and historical connections

The chapel of Saint-Sébastien, now called Saint-Christophe, stands on the Napoleonic road that led from Chaudon to Barrême. A pastoral visit on 2 October 1712 mentions the chapel. Its name and its connection to the road provide two specific historical clues about the building. In 1602, Chaudon’s former parish church was called Notre-Dame-du-Plan. After the older church became isolated and partially fell into disrepair, a replacement was built in the village. These are two distinct contexts: the chapel is linked to a historic road, while Notre-Dame-du-Plan is associated with the move from a remote church site to a replacement building in the village.

Cultural and discovery trail

The cultural and discovery trail starts on the D20 in Chaudon-Norante. Check the starting point before setting out if you plan to follow the trail. Its features include anecdotes and accounts from residents, 360° tours and videos, explanations of the buildings, and numerous illustrations. The trail thus combines personal voices with visual material and information about the buildings. If you are particularly interested in the buildings, the related explanations are the main focus; the anecdotes and accounts draw attention to residents’ voices. The digital content may change over time.

Landscape and Château Plus Haut

The northern edge of the municipality is shaped by the Barre de Chaudon, with elevations of around 1,496 to 1,571 m, and the Montagne de Coupe, which reaches 1,600 m. For the Barre, an elevation range is given, while the Montagne de Coupe is described as reaching a specific height. The two landforms can therefore be compared using different types of elevation figures. Château Plus Haut was built in the Middle Ages on a hill south of the village. From there, the area from the Asse valley to the Col du Corobin was to be kept under observation. Alongside the northern ridges, the hill south of the village is another specific point of reference in the landscape.

Past agriculture and Pistoles

Chaudon once had a mill press for extracting walnut oil. This is a specific example of how agricultural produce was processed in the area’s history. Pistoles made from the Perdigone plum are part of the historical culinary tradition of Chaudon-Norante and the Asse valley. The traditional preparation involves removing the stones, peeling, crushing and drying the fruit. This sequence shows that the culinary story concerns not only the plum variety but also how it was processed. Unlike the churches, trail and château, this part of local history focuses on past agricultural and culinary practices.

Discover more destinations: Soleilhas, Mison, Revest-Saint-Martin, La Palud, Valernes, Mane, Méolans-Revel, Sisteron

For the regional travel overview: Alpes-De-Haute-Provence.