La Mûre loop

The Latin name Plantago is thought to mean "plant that acts", alluding to the medicinal properties attributed to it by the Romans. They claimed that crushing the leaves and applying them to lesions or bites would heal them. Although not particularly tasty, this plant is edible cooked or even raw. It can be found in lawns and meadows. It is characterised by a flowering spike emerging from a clump of thick leaves, with large veins running from the base.

There are many poplars along the route. It is a very impressive tree, on account both of its height (30 m) and its robustness (it can withstand temperatures down to -25°C). They thrive in damp ground. The poplar has a very important place in French forestry and in the timber industry. It is usually pollarded for firewood.

This remarkable protected site is enhanced for the visitor by information panels. Archaeological excavations have revealed four rooms of a Gallo-Roman villa dating from the fifth to the third century BC. It is assumed that this would have been a stopover place for travellers making the journey between Bordeaux and Jerusalem. The area visible today is just one part of the original villa. According to researchers, the four rooms may well constitute a thermal baths.

This plant is a member of the carnation family. This campion can be recognised primarily by the flower calyx. This is inflated into a roundish shape. A very common plant across the department of Hautes-Alpes, it produces white flowers from April to September. The petals of the bladder campion can lose their turgidity and wilt during the day, but they regain their shape at night.

You will come across numerous irrigation canals in the fields and along the roadsides. They are distributed strategically so that the various plots can be irrigated, by opening and closing valves. This age-old technique makes it possible to control the water flows according the farmers' needss.

This building dates back to the fifteenth century. It has the same architectural style as the Abbey of Boscodon. Like many churches in the area, it has been ransacked on a number of occasions and was set alight by the Army of Savoie. The church was completely restored in 1998. In the sundial, there is a saying: "Poor but proud, and in good heart". Next to it is the village's coat of arms, which is represented by a greyhound.