Last modified: 2012-05-12 by ivan sache
Keywords: bouches-du-rhone | puy-sainte-réparade (le) | horse (yellow) |
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Flag of Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade - Image by Ivan Sache, 19 November 2011
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The municipality of Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade (5,276 inhabitants in 2008 - Puéchens; 4,629 ha) is located 20 km north of Aix-en-Provence
Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade developed under the Quilho / Quille hill; the Latin word podium, "an elevation", is the root of several cognate words used in the Occitan-speaking domain to designate a hill (puech, pech, puig; here, puy - not linked to a volcano as in Auvergne).Once the site of a Celto-Ligurian camp (oppidum), the Quille hill
was crowned in the 10th by an early fort, subsequently increased to a
fortified castle ("Castrum de Podio Sanctae Reparatae") ruled by the
Archbishops of Aix, lords of Le Puy since the 11th century. The
fortress watched a main crossing of river Durance; a ferry existed
there in 1297, relocated to Pertuis in the 15th century. The fortress
also watched the border with France until the incorporation of
Provence to the Kingdom of France in 1481.
In the 16th century, the fortress was used during the War of Religions
as a base for attacks; accordingly the Parliament of Aix and the
States of Provence decided to demolish it, which was completed in
1612. Afterwards, the villagers moved downhill and built a new village
surrounded by several hamlets.
In 1954-1955, the French power company EDF built the EDF Canal,
linking the Serre-Ponçon dam to the étang de Berre and allowing irrigation of the Durance valley. This boosted the development of Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade, which subsequently welcomed several pieds noirs
repatriated from Algeria. In the 1980s, several inhabitants of Aix and
Marseilles moved to Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade for a better environment, significantly increasing the population of the small town.
Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade is famous for its vineyards, shared by four
domains (côteaux d'Aix), two of them having converted to organic production.
Source: Municipal website
Ivan Sache, 19 November 2011
The flag of Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade, hoisted on the town hall (photo), is white with the municipal coat of arms and, below, the name of the municipality written in blue capital letters.
The arms of Le Puy-Sainte-Réparade (description) are "Per fess, 1. Argent a pallet azure, 2. Vert a horse or".
According to Louis de Bresc (Armorial des communes de Provence [bjs94]), the arms were registered with the the Armorial Général (II, 342; drawing, I, 558; registration fee, 20 pounds). At the time, the village was known as Le Puy-Saint-Canadet, recalling that the settlements of Le Puy and Saint- Canadet were merged into a single municipality in 1790.
The horse recalls that in the Middle Ages the village was named Le Puy
de la Cavalerie, referring to an estate owned by the Order of the Temple. The blue pallet must represent river Durance.
Dominique Cureau & Ivan Sache, 19 November 2011