It was around the year 10 BC that a garrison of Roman legionaries founded "Vapincum", a defensive station located on the Roman road "Via Cottia per Alpem". A strategic position between Provence and Dauphiné, which became an important center of trade from the Middle Ages.
The roads developed towards Valence through the Cabre pass and towards Italy through the Montgenèvre pass under the impetus of the prefect Ladoucette appointed in 1802.
Napoleon Bonaparte will be accommodated there during his return from Elba in 1815. From this journey was born the tourist route "Route Napoléon".
Heritage...
A visit to Gap will allow you to enjoy the pedestrian center and its small passages around the Jean Marcellin square.
The Town Hall is worth a visit. The first version was built in 1400 on the present site of the Town Hall. The construction of the belfry which overhangs the building dates from 1407. Destroyed by fire caused by the Duke of Savoy's troops in 1692, the building was rebuilt according to the plans of the architect Lechat and completed in 1743, as indicated by the inscription in Roman numerals under the balcony. The façade and the interior staircase of the Hôtel de Ville were listed in the supplementary inventory of historic monuments on November 29, 1948.
The Cathedral of Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Arnoux has had an interesting history.
The first cathedral church was built on this site, Place Saint-Arnoux, in the 5th century on the ruins of a Roman temple dedicated to Apollo.
Over the centuries, several buildings followed one another until the construction between 1867 and 1905 of the current monument by the architect Charles Laisné. Dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption, it was classified as a historical monument on August 9, 1906.
The mosaics of the aisle and the choir were made by Gian Domenico Facchina in 1892, who also made the facades of the Opera Garnier in Paris.
The Penitents' Chapel is a place of worship that has become a concert hall, very popular for its incredible acoustics.
The first version was built in 1400 on the present site of the Hôtel de Ville. The construction of the belfry which overhangs the building dates from 1407. Destroyed by fire caused by the Duke of Savoy's troops in 1692, the building was rebuilt according to the plans of the architect Lechat and completed in 1743, as indicated by the inscription in Roman numerals under the balcony.
Also to be seen, the Clock Tower of Gap which dominates the city center of Gap and which is its main symbol.
Museums...
Gap has three interesting museums.
The Eco museum of the Hautes-Alpes crafts which presents the agricultural, economic and human history of the Hautes-Alpes from 1790 to 1950. Several themes to discover: Workshops of the farmer, the clog maker, the blacksmith, the wheelwright, mechanical energies.
The exhibition room "La Grange Eymery" in the heart of the historic center of Gap, is an exhibition space open to contemporary creation. This old building, with a very beautiful traditional framework, is located next to a washhouse belonging to the Gap's heritage.
All the aesthetic forms that allow to create in the fields of plastic and visual arts are welcomed in this place.
The Departmental Museum which allows you to discover art and history on 2 600 m2 of exhibition space. The program includes archaeological remains, paintings from the 14th to the 20th century, earthenware, an ornithological area, an ethnography room and temporary exhibitions. It houses the mausoleum of François de Bonne (duke of Lesdiguières, connétable haut-alpin) sculpted in black marble from Champsaur by Jacob Richier.
Tourist Office
1 Place Jean Marcellin,
05000 Gap
Tel : 04 92 52 56 56
https://www.gap-tallard-vallees.fr/
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