La Barben

La Barben
The Château of La Barben
Coat of arms
La Barben
Location within Provence-A.-C.d'A. region  La Barben
Coordinates: 43°37′51″N 5°10′38″E / 43.6308°N 5.1772°E / 43.6308; 5.1772Coordinates: 43°37′51″N 5°10′38″E / 43.6308°N 5.1772°E / 43.6308; 5.1772
Country	France
Region	Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Department	Bouches-du-Rhône
Arrondissement	Aix-en-Provence
Canton	Pélissanne
Intercommunality	Salon-Étang de Berre-Durance
Government
• Mayor (2008–2020)	Christophe Amalric
Area1	22.85 km2 (8.82 sq mi)
Population (2010)2	684
• Density	30/km2 (78/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
INSEE/Postal code	13009 / 13330
Elevation	87–204 m (285–669 ft) (avg. 114 m or 374 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

La Barben is a French commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southern France.

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Barbenais or Barbenaises.^[1]

The town is perhaps best known for its castle and its zoo.^[2]

Geography

La Barben is located some 18 km north-west of Aix-en-Provence and 5 km east of Salon-de-Provence. Access to the commune is by the D572 road from Salon-de-Provence which passes through the centre of the commune and continues east to Saint-Cannat. The D17 from Pélissanne to Éguilles forms the south-western border of the commune. The D67E from Lambesc to Coudoux forms the south-eastern border of the commune. The D22A comes from Pelissane and passes through the village continuing as the D22 to join the D572 in the centre of the commune next to the zoo.^[3]

The commune is served by routes 9 and 14 of the Libébus network.^[4]

The Touloubre river flows through the centre of the commune from the east and continues west to join the Mediterranean sea south of Saint-Chamas. The Vallat de Boulery forms the northern border of the commune as it flows west to join the Touloubre at the village. The Canal de Marseille comes from the south and passes through the centre of the commune continuing north-east.^[3]

Climate

Comparison of local Meteorological data with other cities in France^[5]

Town	Sunshine (hours/yr)	Rain (mm/yr)	Snow (days/yr)	Storm (days/yr)	Fog (days/yr)
National Average	1,973	770	14	22	40
La Barben[6]	-	580	2	20	8
Paris	1,661	637	12	18	10
Nice	2,724	767	1	29	1
Strasbourg	1,693	665	29	29	56
Brest	1,605	1,211	7	12	75

Weather Data for La Barben

Neighbouring communes and villages^[3]

	Aurons	Vernegues	Lambesc
	Pelissanne		Saint-Cannat
		La Barben
	Lancon-Provence	Coudoux

History

Middle Ages

The death of Queen Joanna I of Naples created a succession crisis for the County of Provence with the cities of the Union of Aix (1382-1387) supporting Charles III of Naples against Louis I, Duke of Anjou. The King of France, Charles VI, intervened and sent the Seneschal of Beaucaire, Enguerrand d'Eudin, who conquered La Barben in the summer of 1383. When Louis I died and his widow, Marie of Blois, Duchess of Anjou, arrived in Provence to defend the rights of her son, Louis II of Naples, she claimed that the seneschal gave her the city which she refused on the instruction of the King of France.^[7]

Heraldry

The official status of the arms remains to be determined Blazon: Party per pale, first Gules, an arched bridge Vert masoned in Sable; second Or, a chevron Azure between three leopard's heads of Sable erased affrontant tongued in Gules. N.B. These arms do not respect the Rule of tincture and are therefore faulty.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors^[8]

(Not all data is known)

Demography

In 2010 the commune had 684 inhabitants. The evolution of the number of inhabitants is known from the population censuses conducted in the commune since 1793. From the 21st century, a census of communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants is held every five years, unlike larger communes that have a sample survey every year.^{[Note 1]}

Culture and heritage

The Chateau de la Barben

At the zoo

Civil heritage

The commune has many buildings and sites that are registered as historical monuments:

• A Laundry at La Blancherie (18th century)^[9]
• A Chateau Garden on the D22 (17th century)^[10]
• A Bridge over the Canal de Marseille on RN572 (19th century)^[11]
• A Montjoie^{[Note 2]} at La Baou^[12]
• The fortified Chateau de la Barben (11th century)^[13]
• A Farmhouse at La Baou (18th century)^[14]
• The Clos Farmhouse at Sufferchoix (15th century)^[15]
• A Farmhouse at Val d'Estable (18th century)^[16]

Other sites of interest

• The La Barben Zoo

Zoo Picture Gallery

• 
  Giraffes
• 
  Panther
• 
  Rhinoceros
• 
  Wallaby
• 
  Elephant
• 
  Capybara
• 
  Camel
• 
  Bison
• 
  Hippopotamus
• 
  Lion

Religious heritage

The commune has several religious buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments:

• The Parish Church of Saint-Sauveur^[17] The Church contains several items that are registered as historical objects:
  • 2 Chairs (19th century)^[18]
  • A Statue: Virgin and child (18th century)^[19]
  • A framed Painting: the Transfiguration (1632)^[20]
  • A Painting: Saint Jerome (17th century)^[21]
• The Benedictine Church of Saint-Sauveur (11th century)^[22]
• The Benedictine Convent of Saint-Victor-de-Danes at Le Mounestier (12th century)^[23]
• A Monumental Cross at Val d'Estable (17th century)^[24]
• A Monumental Cross at La Beaumé de Matelas (19th century)^[25]

Notable people linked to the commune

• Count Auguste de Forbin (1777-1841), painter, pupil of Jacques-Louis David, Director of the Louvre Museum.

See also

• Communes of the Bouches-du-Rhône department

External links

• La Barben on the old National Geographic Institute website (French)
• Regional Directorate of the Environment (DIREN) website (French)
• La Barben on Lion1906
• La Barben on Géoportail, National Geographic Institute (IGN) website (French)
• La Barben on the 1750 Cassini Map
• La Barben on the INSEE website (French)
• INSEE (French)

Notes

1. ↑ At the beginning of the 21st century, the methods of identification have been modified by Law No. 2002-276 of 27 February 2002, the so-called "law of local democracy" and in particular Title V "census operations" allows, after a transitional period running from 2004 to 2008, the annual publication of the legal population of the different French administrative districts. For communes with a population greater than 10,000 inhabitants, a sample survey is conducted annually, the entire territory of these communes is taken into account at the end of the period of five years. The first "legal population" after 1999 under this new law came into force on 1 January 2009 and was based on the census of 2006.
2. ↑ A Stone or pile of stones used to mark a migratory trail, a pilgrimage route, the limit of a territory, or to commemorate a battle

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to La Barben.

Communes of the Bouches-du-Rhône department
Aix-en-Provence Allauch Alleins Arles Aubagne Aureille Auriol Aurons La Barben Barbentane Les Baux-de-Provence Beaurecueil Belcodène Berre-l'Étang Bouc-Bel-Air La Bouilladisse Boulbon Cabannes Cabriès Cadolive Carnoux-en-Provence Carry-le-Rouet Cassis Ceyreste Charleval Châteauneuf-le-Rouge Châteauneuf-les-Martigues Châteaurenard La Ciotat Cornillon-Confoux Coudoux Cuges-les-Pins La Destrousse Éguilles Ensuès-la-Redonne Eygalières Eyguières Eyragues La Fare-les-Oliviers Fontvieille Fos-sur-Mer Fuveau Gardanne Gémenos Gignac-la-Nerthe Grans Graveson Gréasque Istres Jouques Lamanon Lambesc Lançon-Provence Maillane Mallemort Marignane Marseille Martigues Mas-Blanc-des-Alpilles Maussane-les-Alpilles Meyrargues Meyreuil Mimet Miramas Mollégès Mouriès Noves Orgon Paradou Pélissanne Les Pennes-Mirabeau La Penne-sur-Huveaune Peynier Peypin Peyrolles-en-Provence Plan-de-Cuques Plan-d'Orgon Port-de-Bouc Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône Puyloubier Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade Rognac Rognes Rognonas La Roque-d'Anthéron Roquefort-la-Bédoule Roquevaire Rousset Le Rove Saint-Andiol Saint-Antonin-sur-Bayon Saint-Cannat Saint-Chamas Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer Saint-Estève-Janson Saint-Étienne-du-Grès Saint-Marc-Jaumegarde Saint-Martin-de-Crau Saint-Mitre-les-Remparts Saint-Paul-lès-Durance Saint-Pierre-de-Mézoargues Saint-Rémy-de-Provence Saint-Savournin Saint-Victoret Salon-de-Provence Sausset-les-Pins Sénas Septèmes-les-Vallons Simiane-Collongue Tarascon Le Tholonet Trets Vauvenargues Velaux Venelles Ventabren Vernègues Verquières Vitrolles