ASPREMONT
This village overlooking the Var valley and perched on the western slope of Mount Chauve is very well oriented towards the sun. Aspremont is at an altitude of 530 meters, indicating we’re at mid-altitude. The terraced lands are ideally situated for olive cultivation.
The first village was located on the Villevieille site, situated higher at 812 meters on the northern slope of Mount Cima, the peak north of the current village. The first mention of the place: Aspermum dates back to 1062. In the 14th century, the entire region was struck and devastated by the plague epidemic. The first relocation was to the Salettes plateau. The fiefdom successively belonged to the Châteauneuf, Chabaud, Borriglione, Lascaris de Castellar, and Grimaldi de Puget-Théniers families.
Aspremont was erected into a county on August 20, 1621. Annexed by France along with the County of Nice in 1792, Aspremont was returned to the King of Piedmont-Sardinia in 1815. After 1860, Aspremont and the entire left bank of the Var were attached to France. The parish church dedicated to Saint James the Greater has its origins in the 13th century, expanded and modified in the 16th century when the village made its second relocation.
This building was a priory of the Abbey of Saint Pons. The Sainte Claire chapel of the 17th century was built following the vow of the populations for having protected them from the plague. On the Salettes plateau, one finds the chapel of Notre Dame des Salettes from the 13th century. We must not forget the 18th-century chapel of the White Penitents. The feudal castle was destroyed in 1792.
Today, a terrace allows one to enjoy the breathtaking view over the Var valley and, in the distance, the Alpine peaks tearing through the sky. Don’t miss the ruins of the first village at Villevieille with its enclosure, castle, and dungeon. The family of writer Xavier de Maistre has their ancestral home in Aspremont.
The motto of this village, ‘Asper sed liber,’ reflects its situation; indeed, Aspremont is on harsh and barren terrain, but like the dog from the fable, Aspremont is free, and freedom is indeed the most precious wealth.
Thierry Jan
