The local history of Chaudon-Norante spans a range of themes: the Chapel of Saint-Sébastien, now called Saint-Christophe, stands on a Napoleonic road; Château Plus Haut was built in the Middle Ages to oversee an area; and the cultural trail shares anecdotes and explanations of the buildings. The area also features varied elevations and historical culinary traditions. Together, these offer several specific ways to understand the character of the destination before your stay.

Elevations and landscape

The village of Chaudon lies at an altitude of at least 1,000 m. The municipal centre was moved to Norante, which sits at around 700 m on slightly elevated ground above the Asse. These two figures therefore refer to different places: the high-altitude village and Norante, the location of the municipal centre. At the northern edge of the municipality, the Barre de Chaudon and Montagne de Coupe shape the landscape. The Barre de Chaudon is given as ranging from around 1,496 to 1,571 m in elevation; Montagne de Coupe reaches 1,600 m. The village locations and the northern ridges can thus be considered as distinct geographical reference points.

Churches and historic buildings

The Chapel of Saint-Sébastien, now called Saint-Christophe, stands on the Napoleonic road that ran from Chaudon to Barrême. A pastoral visit dated 2 October 1712 mentions the chapel. It therefore has both a historical connection to the road and a dated ecclesiastical reference. The former parish church of Chaudon also has its own history: in 1602, it was named Notre-Dame-du-Plan. After the older church became remote and partially fell into disrepair, a replacement building was erected in the village. The two churches thus tell different stories: the chapel is associated with the road and its mention in 1712, while the parish church reflects the move from an older site to a replacement building in the village.

Château Plus Haut offers another perspective. It was built in the Middle Ages on a hill south of the village to oversee the area from the Asse valley to the Col du Corobin. Its purpose and the area it was built to oversee set its history apart from that of the religious buildings. Together, they illustrate the variety of historical themes in Chaudon-Norante, from religious buildings and their transformation to a structure with a military and geographical function.

The cultural trail

The cultural trail starts on the D20 in Chaudon-Norante. Check the starting point again before setting off. Its content includes anecdotes and accounts from residents, 360° tours, videos, explanations of the buildings and numerous illustrations. The different formats offer distinct perspectives: stories and accounts provide insight into local viewpoints, while the building explanations explore architectural themes. 360° tours, videos and illustrations complement this content. The digital content may be updated.

Chaudon’s history also includes a former mill press used to extract walnut oil. This agricultural connection adds another facet of the village’s past to its church and architectural history.

Historical culinary traditions

Historical culinary traditions of Chaudon-Norante and the Asse valley include pistoles made from the Perdigone variety of plum. To prepare them, the fruit is pitted, peeled, crushed and dried. The sequence of steps makes this distinctive way of processing plums easy to understand. Along with the former production of walnut oil, it adds traditional agriculture and food processing to the picture of local history. This gives you a clear focus for planning your trip: architectural and church history, elevations and historical culinary connections offer different ways to explore the destination.

Discover more destinations: Banon, Noyers-sur-Jabron, Sausses, Les Omergues, Riez, Aubenas-Les-Alpes, Enchastrayes, Saint-Vincent-sur-Jabron.

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