Many toponymists believe that the town took its name from that of the Roman goddess Mana Genita, who presided over funerals. Mane is a site dotted with remains, aqueducts and necropolises.
A little history...
Around 55 A.D., Rome decided to create a provincial market (Forum Neronis) to be located close to the Via Domitia, which runs through the commune.
During the High Middle Ages, Mane benefited from all the architectural features that make it so valuable today.
It was in Mane, in 1851, in the heart of the village, that the departmental insurrection against Louis Napoléon Bonaparte's coup d'état was launched.
A rich heritage
Mane is first and foremost a shady hillock identified by two silhouettes,
one of which, the Citadelle, built in the 12th century, is the only feudal fortification left intact in Haute-Provence, the other being its characteristic bell tower, recently restored.All around Mane are vestiges of history such as the Pont Roman, which led pilgrims with their feet above the water of the Laye to the Prieuré de Salagon, a historic monument built on Roman ruins. It now houses a museum and an ethnological garden, with some 10,000 objects from everyday rural life: from teaspoons to sheets, clothes and kitchen utensils, as well as tools used in farming and various crafts, and many other objects related to pastoralism...
Not far away, and also listed, is the Château de Sauvan, built in the 18th century as a replica of the Petit Trianon, with its depoque furnishings and gardens.
It was bought in the 1980s and restored by two passionate men, who brought it back to its original splendor and remodeled the park according to the original plans. These efforts were rewarded by the award of the “Remarkable Garden” label in 2005. The château itself has been a listed historic monument since 1957.
The château has been the setting for several films, including “La maison assassinée” starring Patrick Bruel.
And also...
The “cabanons pointus”...
Mane is also rich in “cabanons pointus”, veritable masterpieces of rural architecture. These stone cabanons bear witness to the remarkable skill of the builders: the stones are assembled without bending or binding. Some attribute their origins to the Gauls. More prosaically, they date back to the 18th and 19th centuries.
Les Ruelles en calades
Mane is well worth a visit for its multitude of cobbled streets and alleyways, ancient facades and doors, fountains, pontoons and other architectural curiosities, such as the old medieval market.
The village's most illustrious son, Henri Laugier, deputy secretary-general of the UN, co-writer of the Charter of Human Rights and first president of the CNRS, must proudly watch over its destiny.
And let's not forget...
In the village, you'll want to see Saint-André church (in December and January, its nativity scene is listed), the Chapelle des pénitents, the remains of the medieval market, the fountains and wash-houses, and the stone pontoon.
Outside, the Chapelle Notre-Dame de Châteauneuf, the Couvent des Minimes and the remains of the Via Domitia are worth a visit.
And don't forget, at the junction of Dauphine, Mane and Saint-Michel L'Observatoire, the Borne antiquaire de Tavernoure, an exceptional historical vestige of a truck stop on the Roman road, the Via Domitia.
Mane Town Hall
Place de la mairie
04300 Mane
Tel.: 04 92 75 04 13
www.hauteprovencepaysdebanon-tourisme.fr
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