Serres (Hautes-Alpes)

Serres is a French municipality with 1258 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the department of Hautes -Alpes in the Provence- Alpes- Côte d' Azur. It belongs to the district Gap and is the capital of the canton of Serres. Serres is one of the few French municipalities whose name is a palindrome.

Geography

Serres is located on the banks of the river Buëch at the intersection of two interregional road connections:

• RD 1075 from Grenoble to Sisteron
• RD 994 of Pont -Saint -Esprit to the Col de Montgenevre

Furthermore, here is a train station on the railway line Grenoble- Sisteron.

The historic old town was built on the southeast slope of a rock, but the modern settlement spreads out over the whole valley.

History

The Castrum, the nucleus of the town, was first mentioned in a document 739 in the will of Abbo. 988 went the fort and lands to the Abbey of Cluny.

In the Middle Ages, the city developed through its strategic position on the main village in the valley of Buëch. A castle was built on the Pignolette Rock, in the 12th century, the town church. The castle was razed in 1633 on the orders of Richelieu again. In the 19th century industrial companies were founded here, but until 1900, disappeared for the most part. 1875 got Serres connection to the railway.

Attractions

Worth seeing is the historic center, which is grouped with narrow streets around a rock, from which a wide view of the valley is possible.