Guide not necessary. 3¼ m. from Barcelonnette is the hamlet of Faucon. 3¾ m. more, [Jausiers], pop. 1000, on the confluence of the Ubaye with the Sanières and the Verdon. Church of the 14th cent. The road, to avoid the narrow passage called the Pas de Grégoire, ascends to a considerable elevation, and then descends to the village of Condamine-Châtelard, 7 m. from Barcelonnette, under the fortress of Tournoux, with remarkable excavations and stairs. 2 m. beyond La Condamine the road divides into two. One goes northward up the valley of the Ubaye to [St. Paul] (see p. 341), the other goes to the Pass of [La Maddalena]. 7 m. beyond Chatelard, or 14¼ m. from Barcelonnette, is Larche, pop. 800, Inns: Alpes; Italie; 5570 ft., the last French village. 5 m. beyond, or 19 m. from Barcelonnette, is the culminating point of the Pass of the Maddalena or Argentière, 6548 ft. above the sea, between Mt. Mourre and the Punta della Signora, 7190 ft. The mule-path on the S.E. side now descends 850 ft. by the Lago della Maddalena, the source of the Stura, to the hamlets of Maddalena and Argentiera, 5596 ft., with an inn and Italian custom-house. Bersezio. A little distance farther, or about 7 m. from the Col and 24 from Barcelonnette, is [Bersezio], with an inn situated amidst much fine wild scenery. 14 m. from Bersezio is Vinadio, with an inn. The Baths are up a steep glen, which ramifies southward from the Stura at the hamlet of Plancies, about 4 m. beyond the village of Vinadio. 8 m. from Vinadio is Demonte, near the junction of the Staura with the stream di Valcorera, descending from the pass of the Colle del Mulo, 8422 ft., leading over to the picturesque valley of the Grana, about 25 m. W. from Cuneo. 12 m. from Demonte, 5 from Cuneo, and 57 from Barcelonnette is S. Dalmazzo, whence steam tram to Cuneo. (For Cuneo, see pp. [182] and [279].)
[Gap to Grenoble by Laye, Corps, and La Mure], 62 m. Diligence to Vizille, the remaining 8 m. by rail.
From Gap the diligence road extends 62 m. northwards to Grenoble, by [Laye], 6½ m. N., where the Col de Bavard, 4088 ft., is traversed. On the summit is a house of refuge. 4½ m. beyond Laye is Les Barraques, Inn: H. Gentillon, near which is, at the mouth of the valley of the Drac, St. Bonnet, 3350 ft., pop. 2200, the birthplace of Lesdiguières, in a most fertile district. 23 m. from Gap is Corps (see [p. 333]).
La Mure. Chorges.
23¾ m. from Grenoble and 38¼ from Gap is [La Mure], pop. 3800, and 2860 ft. above the sea-level. Inns: Pelloux; Commerce. A coach runs between La Mure and Grenoble by La Motte. Situated on the Jonche. There is a large trade carried on here in cattle and grain. 3½ m. distant are the anthracite mines of Availlans. 20½ m. from Grenoble is Pierre-Châtel, pop. 1200, to the E. of Mont Tabor, 7829 ft. 10 m. W. by a branch road is Motte-les-Bains. 16 m. from Grenoble is [Laffrey] (see p. 333).
26¾ m. from Veynes junction is [Chorges], pop. 1900. Inn: H. de la Poste. This, the ancient capital of the Caturiges, occupies a marshy unhealthy situation. The parish church was originally a temple to Diana. In the “Place” is a marble pedestal with the name of Nero. In and around the town are fragments of Roman
buildings. The chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Rencontre, in the valley of Chorges, is visited by pilgrims.
Savines. Embrun.
34¼ m. from Veynes is [Savines], pop. 1300. Inn: H. de la Poste, on the Réallon. This is the place to alight to visit the forest and valley of the Boscodon, with splendid gorges. The road extends all the way to the valley of the Ubaye, which it enters near Martinet and Meolan. 6¼ m. beyond Savines is
[Embrun], 3014 ft. above the sea, pop. 4000. Inns: Thouard; Poste; 8¾ m. S.E. from Réallon and 12½ from Pruntères. This, the Ebrodunum of the Romans and one of their important military stations, is situated on an eminence in the midst of mountains on the Durance, and the S. side of Mont St. Guillaume, 5550 ft. above the town. In a conspicuous situation stands the church of Notre Dame, said to have been founded in the time of Charlemagne. The walls, pierced with small round-headed deep-set windows with sculptured arches resting on colonnettes, are supported by flat buttresses rising to the eaves. The façade or west end consists of a flat gable with a 4-storied spired tower rising from the N. side. Above the portal is a rose window with valuable old painted glass. The N. portal is within a portico on four columns. The two outer rest on lions; the two inner, each a cluster of four slender columns, rest on the shoulders of men in a sitting posture. The apse with its two apsidal chapels and part of the adjoining wall are probably the only parts of the church which date from the time of Charlemagne. The interior is about 60 yds. long and 25 wide. On each side of the nave are four wide spanned early pointed arches resting on massive rectangular piers. Above each arch is a small roundheaded deeply-recessed window within a corniced arch resting on colonnettes. Below in the aisles are their exact counterparts, only about double the size. The roof of the nave is quadripartite, and that of the aisle semicircular. The high altar and angels are of white marble. The organ and most of the ornaments date from the time of Louis XI., who frequently visited this church to pray to Notre Dame d’Embrun, that white marble image of the Virgin and Child over the altar fronting the northern entrance. On the inside of the northern doorway (left hand) are two horseshoes, not exactly of the same size. It is said that Lesdiguières, the Protestant leader, attempting to ride into the church to the altar of the image of Notre Dame, the horse reared, and the shoes of its hind hoofs sticking to the pavement, the animal could proceed no farther.