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49-693: The massif is partially covered by two natural parks, the Mercantour national park on the French side and the Maritime Alps natural park on the Italian side. These parks are important because they protect many rare animal and plant species, like Speleomantes strinatii and Saxifraga florulenta , which is only found in this massif and used to be a symbol of the Mercantour Park. The massif

98-684: A French national park located in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Alpes-Maritimes departments . Since it was created in 1979, the park has proven popular, with 800,000 visitors annually enjoying the 600 km (372 mi) of marked footpaths and visiting its villages. The protected area covers some 679 km , consisting of a central uninhabited zone comprising seven valleys: Roya , Bévéra , Vésubie , Tinée , Haut Var and Cians (in Alpes-Maritimes ) plus Verdon and Ubaye (in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence ), as well as

147-415: A little more than 70 km . Four main orographic nodes exceeding 3,000 m altitude can be distinguished, from east to west: Six main valleys cross the massif or delimit its natural borders: These valleys are generally very steep, forming impassable gorges in their lower part, but widening at intermediate altitudes (600 to 1,000 m ), where the majority of human occupations are found. The relief of

196-472: A mountainous region. The climatic conditions within the massif are diverse due to its geographical location, being subject to both Alpine influences in the north and Mediterranean influences in the south. Consequently, the massif experiences milder temperatures, on average for a given altitude, compared to massifs located further north. The existence of three topoclimates, namely adret  [ fr ] , ubac  [ fr ] , and fond de vallée ,

245-500: A peripheral zone comprising 28 villages. Many of them are perched villages, such as Belvédère at the entrance to the spectacular Gordolasque valley, concealing great architectural riches (numerous churches decorated with murals and altar pieces by primitive Niçois painters). More than 150 rural sites are located within the Park. Around Mont Bégo there are petroglyphs pecked out on schist and granite faces. They have been dated from

294-478: A rural exodus since the beginning of the 20th century , which still continues at the beginning of the 21st century , in particular on the Italian part of the massif. However, on the French side, certain villages have seen their population increase again since the beginning of the 21st century (for example in Clans, Saint-Martin-Vésubie, Valdeblore, Belvédère, Lantosque, Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée or Entraunes). On

343-568: Is a fragment of the continental crust of the Hercynian chain . It has undergone deformation and Alpine metamorphism , with the events of the Alpine orogeny superimposed on Paleozoic events. This has resulted in a massif composed of very old crystalline rocks, dating back at least 350 million years. Four main complexes can be distinguished within the massif: To the east of the massif, more recent sedimentary rocks such as limestone , schist, and

392-532: Is also full of rivers and lakes, most of which were formed during the last Ice Age and are found in the basins of the massif’s crystalline rocks. This area has been home to humans since the Early Bronze Age , with signs of this early occupation particularly visible at Vallée des Merveilles . Human presence in the area grew during Antiquity and the Middle Ages , notably with the establishment of

441-476: Is associated with an important cultural heritage, which inspires artists as evident in its representations and appearances in painting, cinema, music and literature. In France, outside of academic circles, the massif is commonly referred to as the Mercantour massif. This name generally refers to the French part of the massif, which tends to be confused with the territory of the eponymous national park, although

490-453: Is confirmed by records from meteorological stations installed in the upper Vésubie. Rainfall patterns across the massif vary, decreasing from east to west. The Roya valley receives the highest rainfall, while the Var valley receives the least. Overall, the massif experiences abundant precipitation, exceeding 1,000 mm per year, which is often intense, especially in autumn. The massif is sensitive to

539-548: Is home to just over 200 lakes, making it one of the territories with the highest lake densities in the French Alpine massifs . The origin of these lakes is primarily glacial. They are situated in basins that were formed by the erosion of glaciers during the Würm glaciation . Major lakes in the French side (with altitudes): Major lakes in the Italian side (with altitudes): The massif benefits from more abundant rainfall than

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588-675: Is the Musée des Merveilles at Tende . Several lakes can be visited, for example the lake of Allos , the lake of the Lauzanier , the lakes of Vens , the lakes of Morgon , and the lakes of the valley of marvels. In addition to the holm oak , the Mediterranean olive tree , rhododendrons , firs , spruces , Swiss pines and above all larches , the Mercantour is also endowed with more than 2,000 species of flowering plants, 200 of which are very rare: edelweiss and martagon lily are

637-400: Is the city of Cuneo . Of the 250 comuni in the province, the largest by population are: Companies active in the province include: Many important industrial groups have branches in the province: Michelin (Cuneo and Fossano), Saint-Gobain ( Savigliano ), Valeo ( Mondovì ), Asahi Glass Co. (Cuneo), ITT ( Barge ), Diageo ( Santa Vittoria d'Alba ) and Nestlé ( Moretta ). Cuneo

686-559: Is very localized in the region and can be found at altitudes up to 2,400 metres. In terms of reptiles, the sand lizard is present up to an altitude of 2,000 metres. The local populations of this species are isolated and fragmented. Insects are also represented by rare or endemic species, such as the alpine emerald dragonfly (determinant), the French grasshopper (determinant), the Ligurian alpine-bush cricket (determinant), ephippiger ,

735-557: The Foehn effect and is influenced by the depression of the Gulf of Genoa , which results in cold winds, such as the Lombarde wind , blowing from the east. In winter, the snow cover follows the same geographical distribution as precipitation and can often reach several meters. The massif is also experiencing the effects of global warming, with an increase in temperature of 0.3°C per decade over

784-824: The Neolithic age , and the colonization of the Alpine valleys dates back to the 5th millennium BC . Then came the organization of transhumance and the exploitation of pastures, activities attested from the Copper Age . Rock engravings are present in Vallée des Merveilles, located between 2,000 and 2,600 m above sea level. They are dated to the Copper Age and the Bronze Age . These engravings reflect religious and agricultural interests, as well as efforts to track

833-568: The Riss and Würm glaciations have been better understood since the early 20th century. The Würm glaciation, in particular, significantly reshaped the landscapes and altered the moraine traces of the Riss glaciation. Field data analysis, especially from the Italian Stura di Demonte valley, has helped establish the glacial maximum during the Riss period. The maximum advance of the glacier terminus

882-484: The charter of the Mercantour National Park . The population density on the French part of the massif is low: around 10 inhabitants per km² (as of 2015). The development of this territory is in fact constrained by a very rugged terrain, and it only includes few industrial or agricultural areas. Transport infrastructure is also poorly developed. The towns and villages of the massif have been subject to

931-456: The greater horseshoe bat (determinant), the greater noctule bat , the lesser horseshoe bat , the lesser noctule bat , the northern bat (determinant), Savi's pipistrelle and the common barbastelle (determinant). Many species of birds are present, of which 3 are determinant: the peregrine falcon , the boreal owl , and the Eurasian pygmy owl . Several other remarkable species populate

980-446: The salt route . In the 20th and 21st centuries, the massif has become a popular destination for tourism and recreation. The area offers a range of outdoor activities and sports, including ski touring , alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , hiking, mountaineering , and canyoning . Today, the economy of the massif is primarily focused on the tourism sector, which has largely overtaken agricultural and industrial activities. The massif

1029-450: The 21st century, these glaciers had either vanished or were reduced to inert ice beneath the moraine . At the beginning of the 20th century , the main glaciers of the massif were the following: In geological terms, the massif has an elliptical shape with a northwest-southeast axis. It is part of the external crystalline massifs of the Alps chain, being the southernmost of them. This massif

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1078-410: The Alpine stage, allow the development of Salicetum herbaceae . The massif is populated by many animal species, of which 99 are of natural heritage and 48 are 'determinant' species . The mammals of the massif are often rare or endemic, such as: the Alpine ibex (determinant), the mountain hare , the gray wolf (determinant), and Alpine pine vole . Different species of bat are also present like

1127-420: The French part of the massif, the “membership area” (peripheral zone) of the Mercantour national park covers 23 municipalities, representing 20,600 inhabitants (as of 2022). On the Italian part of the massif, the 5 municipalities of the Maritime Alps natural park (Aisone, Entracque, Roaschia, Valdieri and Vernante) represent just over 3,000 inhabitants (as of 2011). The occupation of the massif by man began in

1176-647: The Late Bronze Age onwards, and indicates a stabilization of settlement areas. Traces of a continuous human presence are visible for example in Valdieri , where a necropolis frequented during the recent and final Bronze Age has been identified. At the beginning of the Iron Age , the population of the massif intensified, as did exchanges between communities. Mercantour National Park Mercantour National Park ( French : Parc national du Mercantour )

1225-577: The Mercantour alpine-bush cricket, and Acalypta visolensis (determinant). 6 species of beetles are also determinant ( Amara lantoscana , Licinus oblongus , Cychrus angulicollis , Bembidion decorum decorum , Trechus delarouzeei and Tragosoma depsarium ). The main urbanized areas of the massif, on its French part, are made up of rural communes, of the "rural town" type (French: bourgs ruraux ), or belonging to "rural zones with dispersed or very dispersed housing" type (French: zones rurales à habitat dispersé ou très dispersé ), as defined by

1274-483: The Merveilles and Fontanalbe valleys. The French part of the massif is mainly located in a zone of average seismicity. The Vésubie valley in particular was affected by major earthquakes during the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. The Italian part of the massif is located in a zone of low to medium seismicity. The climate of the massif is characterized by hot and dry summers and mild winters, typical of

1323-846: The Var, Tinée, and Vésubie valleys respectively. The eastern part of the massif can also be accessed from Nice via the D2204 road, and from Ventimiglia via the SS20 road. Both these roads converge at the Roya valley. To the north of the massif, the Departmental Road 900 in France, which becomes the S21 and then the SS21 in Italy, connects the towns of Barcelonnette and Borgo San Dalmazzo . This route skirts

1372-563: The beginning of the 1990s). A Wolves Centre welcomes visitors in Saint-martin-Vésubie . Province of Cuneo The province of Cuneo ( Italian : provincia di Cuneo ; Piedmontese : provincia ëd Coni ) is a province in the Piedmont region of Italy . To the west, it borders the French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur ( departments of Alpes-Maritimes , Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Hautes-Alpes ), to

1421-525: The best known, but there is also saxifrage with multiple flowers, houseleek , moss campion and gentian offering a multi-coloured palette in the spring. The Mercantour is the site of a large-scale All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory and Monitoring programme to identify all its living species, organised by the European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy (EDIT). Walkers may easily glimpse a chamois , several thousand of which live in

1470-725: The elegant cherophyll ( Chaerophyllum elegans ), the Balbis ragwort ( Tephroseris balbisiana ), the mountain cirsus ( Cirsium alsophilum ) and the Austrian Doronicum ( Doronicum austriacum ). Acidic lakes and ponds with black sedge ( Carex nigra ) allow observation of Caricion fuscae which shelter rare species such as the round-leaved sundew ( Drosera rotundifolia ), the short sedge ( Carex canescens ) and various species of sphagnum moss ( Sphagnum auriculatum , Sphagnum teres , Sphagnum russowii , and Sphagnum warnstorfii ). The siliceous rock walls, located on

1519-507: The entire massif (i.e. both its Italian and French parts) is named Alpi Marittime . The massif extends over the border part of the mountain range between the Rocher des Trois-Évêques (near the Col de la Bonette ) and the Col de Tende . The massif is made up of a main range, oriented northwest/southeast, which serves as a natural Franco-Italian border . The crest line of this range represents

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1568-522: The late Neolithic and Bronze Ages. In the heart of this setting of vertiginous summits (including Cime du Gélas , the third highest mountain in the Maritime Alps at 3,143 m), lies a gem listed as a Historical Monument, the famous Vallée des Merveilles , the aptly named " valley of marvels ". At the foot of Mont Bégo , climbers can admire some 37,000 petroglyphs dating back to the Bronze Age , representing weapons, cattle and human figures that are sometimes very mysterious. A less challenging destination

1617-417: The latter is smaller in size. The name massif du Mercantour is commonly used in the 21st century. However, its origin is attributed to a mistake made by French military topographers in the 19th century. These topographers, while conducting triangulation measurements from Côte d’Azur , identified a peak that appeared to be the highest. Upon visiting the location, they were informed by local shepherds that

1666-514: The massif covers the entire northern half of the department of Alpes-Maritimes , in France, and the eastern end of the province of Cuneo , in Italy. The western and central areas of the massif are accessible from various routes. From the south, one can reach it from Nice via the Boulevard du Mercantour (formerly Route de Grenoble ). This route serves the D6202, M2205, and M2565 roads, leading to

1715-471: The massif, such as: golden eagle , rock ptarmigan , black grouse , rock partridge , Eurasian eagle-owl , white-throated dipper , wallcreeper , common rock thrush , red-billed chough , hawfinch , citril finch , white-winged snowfinch and Ortolan bunting . The massif is home to a variety of amphibians and reptiles. Among the amphibians, the Speleomantes strinatii is noteworthy. This species

1764-452: The mountain was known as the summit of Mercantour. Contrary to their initial perception, this peak does not exceed an altitude of 3,000 meters. The reason for their misjudgment was that from the coast, Mount Argentera , which is actually taller, was obscured by the Mercantour peak in their line of sight. The etymology of "Mercantour" is based on a legend. Following the Roman conquest of Gaul ,

1813-475: The municipal density grid of INSEE . Within the massif, the following towns and villages are present: The central area of the massif is covered by the intercommunal structure constituted by the Nice Côte d'Azur metropolis . Urbanization in the area has been governed by the metropolitan local urban development plan (PLUM, French: Plan local d'urbanisme métropolitain ) since 25 October 2019, which incorporates

1862-599: The newly acquired territory required a distinctive name. Informed by the prevailing Latin language of the Roman Empire , the Romans coined the term “ Marcamtor ” for this region. This composite name drew from three key elements: Over time, linguistic shifts transformed “ Marcamtor ” into the present-day name, “Mercantour.” In France, the Italian part of this territory is called the Argentera massif. However, in Italy,

1911-604: The north the Metropolitan City of Turin , to the east the province of Asti and to the south the Ligurian provinces of Savona and Imperia . It is also known as la Provincia Granda (Piedmontese for 'The Big Province'), because it is the largest province in Piedmont and the fourth-largest in Italy (following Sassari , South Tyrol and Foggia ). Briga Marittima and Tenda were part of this province before their cession to France in 1947. Its capital

1960-576: The park, and may often hear the whistling of marmots . The ermine is rarer (and more furtive), as are the ibex and the mouflon , although with a little luck you may be able to observe them during the coolest parts of the day in the summer. There is a tremendous variety of wildlife in the Mercantour: red deer and roe deer in the undergrowth, hares and wild boars , partridges , golden eagles and buzzards , numerous species of butterflies and even about 50 Italian wolves (which migrated there at

2009-716: The passage of time. During the Bronze Age, metallurgical activity developed and semi-nomadism continued: shepherds' shelters were identified in this area as seasonal places of passage. However, the development of human activities at altitude experienced a sharp slowdown between 1550 and 1050 BC , due to the cooling of the climate in the Alpine arch . On the other hand, traces of relationships between protohistoric communities are visible, including at long distances, through certain imported weapons ( Carpathian spear found in Cuneo for example). Archaeological documentation increases from

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2058-547: The period from 1959 to 2009. The Mercantour-Argentera massif benefits from exceptional biological wealth, with a very high rate of endemism. The massif is home to more than 2,000 plant species, which represents more than half of the species present in the Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur region, and more than 40% of the French native flora. The supra-Mediterranean level is dominated by forests of common ash ( Fraxinus excelsior ) and chestnut ( Castanea sativa ). On

2107-461: The purplish sandstone of the Vallée des Merveilles can be found. Similarly, to the north and west of the massif, along the edges of the Ubaye , Tinée, and Var valleys, alluvium is still present. The study of Alpine glaciations has shed light on the impact of glacial periods on the massif. While knowledge about very ancient glaciations remains fragmentary as of the early 21st century, the effects of

2156-470: The relief and serves all the valleys located to the north of the massif. The Mercantour Massif is also accessible by rail. The train des Pignes , which connects Nice to Digne-les-Bains , runs along the southwest end of the massif. On the eastern side, the railway lines from Nice to Breil-sur-Roya and from Cuneo to Ventimiglia, often referred to as the Tende lines or the “Train of Wonders”, provide access to

2205-426: The right side, the slopes are largely populated by formations of juniper ( Juniperus thurifera ). On the subalpine level, larch ( Larix decidua ) and stone pine ( Pinus cembra ) dominate, mixed with Rhododendron heaths ( Rhododendron ferrugineum ). Well-developed megaphorbs of Adenostylion alliariae border the numerous watercourses of the subalpine level. These wetlands include endemic species, such as

2254-507: The subalpine to alpine levels, are dominated by endemic species: the heart-leaved silene ( Silene cordifolia ) and the many-flowered Saxifrage ( Saxifraga florulenta ). The limestone walls are also populated by endemic species: the bellflower ( Silene campanulata ) and the heart-leaved rapunzel ( Phyteuma cordatum ). At the alpine stage, the lakes, numerous in the massif, are populated with narrow-leaved ribbon tree ( Sparganium angustifolium ). Silicicolous snow valleys, also widespread in

2303-402: The surrounding low valleys and plains and plays the role of a water reserve for the latter. Notable watercourses within the massif are as follows: In Italy The massif was characterized by the presence of several glaciers by the end of the 20th century. During the early 1930s, these glaciers, located on the Italian slopes, covered an area of approximately 200 hectares. However, by the start of

2352-626: The town of Tende . The French part of the massif corresponds largely to the watersheds of the tributaries on the left bank of the Var (notably the Tinée and the Vésubie) and the right bank of the Roya, (notably the Bévéra ). On the Italian part, the massif corresponds to the right bank watershed of the Stura di Demonte, up to Cuneo (including in particular its tributaries Gesso and Vermenagna). The massif

2401-584: Was located between the communes of Saint-Martin-Vésubie and Lantosque in Vésubie on the French side. During the Würmian period, the Gordolasque glacier, which was particularly large, reached a thickness of 300 meters. The traces left by these glaciers are visible within the massif in the form of erratic blocks as well as rocks scraped or polished by the action of ice are widespread there, particularly in

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