Chapelle Saint-Ours circuit (no. 2)

The chapel of Saint-Jacques-de-Prelles was built in the Middle Ages, in 1502, on the ancient pilgrims' way from Italy to Santiago de Compostella. It is surmounted by an arcade bell tower, decorated at the top with blind arcades with pointed arches. A number of wall paintings depicting historical episodes adorn the interior of the chapel, likely dating from the fifteenth century. They were restored in 1955. This chapel was listed as a Historical Monument in 1906 and it contains objects also listed as Historical Monuments, such as the bell which dates from 1639 or the eighteenth century silver, gold and brass ciborium.

The GR 653D is the Via Domitia. It is the second stage of the pilgrims' way to Santiago de Compostella, the Way of Saint James. This Grande Randonnée follows the route of the Via Domitia, an ancient Roman road built from 118 BC onwards. It linked Italy to the Iberian Peninsula, crossing Narbonese Gaul. 20 days should be allowed to travel its 459 kilometres of paths.

En bordure de la piste, on peut observer un gros bosquet de pin sylvestre. Ce résineux se reconnaît grâce à la belle teinte saumonée de ses branches et de la partie supérieure de son tronc. Ses aiguilles courtes vert bleuté sont groupées par deux. Ne craignant ni le froid ni la sécheresse estivale, il est parfaitement adapté au climat semi continental des vallées intra-alpines.

This is the smallest member of the family of forest maples, growing to a height of 8 to 15 metres. It can live for up to 150 years. Its leaves have five round lobes; they are winged with wings sticking out in opposite directions. It is not fussy as to the dampness of the soil and it can withstand cold temperatures and drought. It is also an excellent bee forage plant, which can be enhanced by the proximity of a hive.

The chapel of Saint-Claude was built at an altitude of 1,350 metres in the locality known as Sachas to the north-east of Prelles, on the edge of the municipality of Puy-Saint-André. It has been dated to the eighteenth and nineteenth century at the latest, and appears on the Napoleonic cadastre. It is of elongated plan construction with a flat chevet and a single nave, made up of two vaulted spans of arrises (sharp edges formed by the meeting of two surfaces). The earlier gable is surmounted by a wooden steeple with a hipped roof. It is included on the General Inventory of the Cultural Heritage.

The great tit is one of the biggest in the family. It is easily recognisable by its yellow underparts with a black median covert, its shiny black head and white cheeks. It has quite an extensive song repertoire, all very beautiful and charming, in particular its finch-like « pinc-pinc », its chattering « ti tuui » and its cheerful « si yutti yutti » . It is present over a large proportion of the territory, in all kinds of tree-covered areas, from boreal forests to gardens.

Erected in the hamlet of Prelles at an altitude of 1,400 metres, this oratory overlooks and watches over the Durance valley. It resembles a small rectangular niche closed off by a glazed wooden door, in which a statue of the Virgin Mary and a metal cross have been placed. But who was this saint? Known as Saint Ursus in English, he was a monk who was born in Ireland and travelled to this region where his evangelisation and help for the poor left a lasting mark on the population.

Stop to admire Prelles, a hamlet situated within the municipality of Saint-Martin-de-Queyrières on the right-hand bank of the Durance. It is a former area of meadows, as its name suggests (“meadows” being pré in French). It is connected to the village via an ancient bridge called the Pont Roux which was destroyed by the Resistance during the Second World War, now replaced. One of the biggest hamlets in the municipality, it is divided into several districts and has numerous buildings marking the history of the region.

This is one of the most common trees, provided the ground is relatively cool. It is characterised by its pinnate leaves, that is to say, made up of several segments, and in winter is can be recognised by its large black leaf buds. The ash was extremely important in times past: its foliage was used to feed cattle and its hard, flexible wood was used to make a variety of objects such as tool handles.