Riez

Riez ( Ries Occitan ) is a commune with 1811 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the department of Alpes- de -Haute -Provence, Provence- Alpes- Côte d' Azur; it belongs to the district Digne- les- Bains and the canton of Riez.

Geography

The hill Saint -Maxime dominates three valleys from which the rivers Colostre ( flowing at Saint -Martin -de- Brômes in the Verdon ) and Auvestre flow together here. Riez is located at the intersection of two historical roads that connect the Alps (via Digne ) and the valley of the Durance ( about Valensole ) to the upper Var and Aix -en- Provence. The municipality is located in the Regional Natural Park Verdon.

History

The city's name comes from the Reii, a Gallic people who had occupied before the arrival of the Romans the hill of Saint -Maxime. They founded a Colonia, Colonia Julia Augusta Apollinarium Reiorum. Your Gaulish name was Alaebaece. The city was then one of the 13 cities of Narbonensis and an important regional center. His bishopric (see List of Bishops of Riez ) and its traffic engineering position allowed the site to preserve its meaning over the middle age.

Demographics

From 1968 only residents with a primary residence

Attractions

See also: List of Monuments historiques in Riez

• The Baptistery ( 6th century, perhaps the 5th century ), built belonging reusing stones of ancient buildings, the first ( now destroyed ) cathedral of the diocese.
• Remains of a Roman temple near the river Colostre, four granite pillars in the Corinthian style.
• The old town in the typical construction of the Haute Provence from the 15th and 16th centuries. Access to the old town is made by the Porte Aiguière or the Porte Saint- Sol (or Sanson ) ( with remains of the city wall from the 16th century and the Tour de l' Horloge ).
• The Chapel of Saint -Maxime on the hill of Reii from the 17th century, but goes back to the times of the first bishop of Riez.

Partnership

Riez has shut down in 2007 a ​​partnership with the Italian municipality of Magliano Alfieri in Piedmont.

Personalities

• Gaspard Abeille (1648-1718), playwright
• Scipion Abeille (? -1697 ), Military doctor, medical writers and poets
• Laurent Pierre Bérenger, (1749-1822), writer
• Henri Gaspard Charles Bouret (1752-1805), politician and Member of Parliament
• Jean -Joseph -Maxime Feraud (1810-1897), historian
• Jean Joseph Foucou (1739-1815), sculptor
• Alphonse Rabbe (1784-1829), writer, historian, critic and journalist