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BrianA§on
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Only 26km south of Modane and nearly 100km east of Grenoble on the N91, you'll come to
BRIANA?ON
, the capital of the A?crins. An imposing citadel set on a rocky height above the valleys of the Durance and Guisane only 10km from the Italian border, the town guards the road to the desolate and windswept
Col de MontgenA?vre
, one of the oldest and most important passes into Italy. Originally a Gallic settlement, the town was fortified by the Romans to guard their
Mons Matrona
road from Milan to Vienne. During the Middle Ages, it was the capital of the RA©publique des Escartons, a federation of mountain communities grouped together for mutual defence and the preservation of their liberties and privileges. But, in marked contrast to the relatively untouristy Queyras
, BrianA§on and the other towns and villages on the northern side of the
Parc National des A?crins
are crawling with people in summer.
The
old town
, mainly eighteenth-century, is enclosed within a set of Vauban's stout walls. If you come in a car the best thing is to stop at the
Champ de Mars
at the top of the hill and look around from there. You enter the walls by the
Porte Pignerol
. In front of you the narrow main street, bordered by ancient houses, tips steeply downhill. It is known as the
grande gargouille
because of the stream running down the middle. To your right, you'll see the sturdy, plain
collegiate church
, designed under the supervision of Vauban, again with an eye to defence. Beyond it there is a fantastic
view
from the walls, especially on a clear starry night, when the snows on the surrounding barrier of mountains give off a silvery glow. Vauban's
citadel
above the Porte Pignerol, the highest point of the fortifications, can be visited for free at any time, and there are also daily guided tours in July and August at 3pm. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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France,
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