Briançonnais was incorporated into the Kingdom of Burgandy.
The well preserved stone buildings of the hamlet of Bouchier (Walk 27)
In AD534 the Kingdom of Burgandy was conquered by the Franks. With the decline of the Franks, the Briançonnais became part of the huge kingdom of Arles and Vienne which stretched all the way from Basle to the Mediterranean. Around 1023 the Briançonnais came into the hands of the Counts of Albon, who became the Dauphins of Viennois, and in the 12th century it became part of the Dauphiné.
In the 13th and 14th centuries Briançon emerged as a prosperous market town benefitting from its prominent location on an important trading route between regions that are now part of France and Italy. The old town was constructed between 1196 and 1228. In 1343 the last Dauphin, Humbert II, conceded many of his feudal privileges to the Briançonnais, resulting in the formation of the République des Escartons du Briançonnais. The Dauphiné as a whole was sold to the French Crown in 1349.
Fort des Salettes seen from Briançon (Walks 30 and 31)
The threat of a invasion of the Briançonnais by the House of Savoy led to substantial strengthening of Briançon’s fortifications between 1692 and 1740. The architect of the work was the military engineer Marquis de Vauban (1633–1707), who shaped so many towns in France in the second half of the 17th century. He may not have overseen the construction of all of the fortifications (many of which were completed by later generations), but the idea of protecting the city with a ring of forts on the surrounding peaks and ridges was his. Briançon’s Cité Vauban and other forts were part of these works (see Appendix B). Many of the forts are well preserved and a number of them are destinations of walks in this book.
Fort de l’Olive with an autumn cloud inversion in the valley below (Walk 2)
In 1789 all traditional provinces in France were replaced by 83 départements answerable to the central government. This sounded the death knell for the République des Escartons du Briançonnais – the Briançonnais became part of the Département de l’Est Dauphine, which was later to become the Hautes Alpes, as it is known today. The French Revolution (1789–1799) led to occasional riots in the region, but the impact was minor when compared to many other areas of France.
Throughout the 19th century new military threats (including technological advancements with artillery) led to Vauban’s fortifications being further strengthened. Some new forts were constructed during this period.
The Briançonnais saw no fighting during the First World War, but thousands of young men lost their lives fighting in other parts of France. During the Second World War, the region was occupied by the Italians (still allied with Germany) from 1940 to 1942: it is said that they were relatively civilised masters. When Italy switched sides in September 1943 things changed significantly, as a more stringent German presence was then maintained in Briançon. Various resistance organisations were active in the region, attacking German supply routes. Briançon was finally liberated in September 1944.
After the war, with the decline of traditional industries such as coal mining and silk production, the development of a ski resort at Chantemerle in the Guisane Valley, which had commenced in the 1930s, continued in earnest. In the 1950s and 1960s Serre Chevalier became firmly established as a credible ski resort. In the 1980s a ski lift was finally constructed in Briançon itself. Other than agriculture, tourism is the principal industry in Briançonnais.
Wildlife
There are many animals and birds which may be encountered in the Briançonnais. As a general rule of thumb, the earlier hours of the morning are best for sightings. Very often the first party on the trail may see many Chamois or Bouquetin, but following groups will not see any. The following is a list of key species to look out for:
Bouquetin (or Ibex) is a stocky goat-like animal, with long scimitar shaped horns. Hunted almost to extinction, it was saved by the Savoy kings who banned most hunting in 1821 and created a royal reserve in 1856 (which finally became Italy’s Gran Paradiso National Park). Nowadays they are fairly widespread throughout the French Alps.
A Bouquetin relaxing near l’Aiguillette du Lauzet (Walk 38)
Chamois is another type of mountain goat which is smaller and slimmer than the Bouquetin, and has shorter horns which do not have deep ridges.
Deer are commonly seen, especially the Chevreuil (Roe Deer) which can be reddish or grey-brown, and the Daim (Fallow Deer) which tends to be brown with white spots. Deer are most likely to be spotted below the tree line.
A marmot never fails to put a smile on your face
Marmots are cute, fat, loveable rodents which are easy to spot. They live in colonies in grassy parts of the mountains and often you will see them standing on their hind legs in the manner of a meerkat. Normally you will hear their sharp warning whistle before you see them.
Sanglier or wild boar are common in forests but are hard to spot. They can be best described as hairy brown pigs with tusks. If you are lucky enough to see one then keep your distance because they can be dangerous.
Wolves were hunted to extinction in France in the 1930s, but in recent years they have crossed into France from Italy (where conservation efforts have increased their numbers). The walker is highly unlikely to see one, but they are present in the Briançonnais.
Other mammals such as squirrels, foxes, badgers and mice are fairly common below the tree line.
Fish are found in most rivers, streams and lakes. Species of trout are common, and many high alpine lakes also contain Arctic Char.
Lagopède (or Ptarmigan) is a grouse-like bird. Its plumage is white in the winter and largely brown in the summer.
Gypaète Barbu (or Bearded Vulture) is a vulture with a wingspan of up to 3m. Its German name is ‘Lammergeier’, which means ‘lamb-hawk’, stemming from the belief that the bird attacked lambs. It occurs naturally at relatively low densities, so a sighting is something to be savoured. The good news is that a sighting in the Hautes Alpes is much more likely than further north. Golden Eagles can also be spotted in the region.
The view north from the amazing Lac de Cristol (Walk 32)
Pastous
The Briançonnais is still a very rural area, and many of the ‘old ways’ are still alive. Sheep are still walked up into the high mountains to graze at the end of spring each year, and brought back down again to winter in the low valleys. Even today, the shepherd will often live in a tiny cabin or mountain hut throughout the grazing season.
A flock of sheep in front of the Arêtes de la Bruyère (Walks 37 and 38)
Traditionally, the flock would have had a dog (a ‘Pastou’ or ‘Patou’) to accompany
