Last modified: 2003-12-27 by ivan sache
Keywords: hautes-alpes | laragne-monteglin |
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![[Flag of Laragne]](../images/f/fr-05-lm.gif)
by Ivan Sache
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Laragne-Montéglin is a city of c. 3,500 inhabitants, located in the lower valley of the river Buëch, on the road between Marseilles and Grenoble (via the pass of la Croix-Haute).
The municipality is made of the two neighbouring villages of Laragne and Montéglin. In the past, Montéglin was more important than Laragne, which was a dependency of Arzeliers, now a small village located north of Laragne. Today, the main center of the municipality is Laragne.
Laragne developed in the XVIIth century when Lesdiguières built a castle there. François de Bonne, duke of Lesdiguières (1543-1626), was the leader of the Protestants in Dauphiné, where he fought the French Catholics and the duke of Savoy. He later abjured Protestantism and was appointed marshal of France (1609), duke (1611) and constable (1622) by the king of France.
The origin of the name of Laragne is obscure. This name is said to have been derived from Provencal aranha, spider, because of an ancient inn using a spider as its sign, or an ancient house with the shape of a spider.
Laragne is today an important center of gliding and is also known for its goat cheese.
Ivan Sache, 17 August 2003
The streets of Laragne are decorated with long vertical forked banners, vertically divided yellow and blue (observed in situ on 5 August 2003).
Yellow (or) and blue (azure) are the colours of the field and the chief of the municipal arms of Laragne-Montéglin, respectively. These arms are (GASO):
D'or au lion de sable armé, lampassé et couronné de gueules, au chef d'azur chargé de trois croissants d'argent
In English (Brian Timms):
Or a lion rampant sable armed langued and crowned gules a chief azure three crescents in fess argent
These arms were adopted in 1968 and are the arms of the Perrinet, seigneurs from 1591. The Armorial Général ascribed:
Echiqueté de neuf pièces d'azur et d'argent
Ivan Sache, 17 August 2003