Morvan

Characteristics of the solid mass of Morvan

The solid mass of Morvan is a granitic small island west of Burgundy located in the continuity of the Massif Central. It is characterized by tops rounded because of erosion. Morvan was indeed, with the primary era, a very high solid mass that the action of the rains, gel and running water, eroded. Thus levelled, the solid mass was completely immersed with the secondary era. With the tertiary era the solid mass was rocked towards north, thereafter of the movement of uplift of the folding of the Alps. This violent movement caused fractures of the ground and revived the action of waters running which then took again the digging of their valleys in throats.

North, Morvan resembles a vast embossed plate which rises slowly lorque one advances towards the south. These undulations, which are staged and come to join soft inclined the Paris basin, form Bas-Morvan. Altitude does not exceed 600m there. In the lower part, in the south of Montsauche-les-Settons, draw up more the high summits of Haut-Morvan.

Morvan does not have very high mounts since maximum altitude is reached by the High Folin and its 901 meters (of other mountains exceed the 800 meters all the same: Mount Beuvray and the Mount Préneley).

Because of its position and its altitude, the solid mass of Morvan knows frequent and abundant rains. It receives on average 1000 mm of water per annum on its edges and more than 1800 mm on the highest tops; it rains or it snows nearly 180 days per annum on the tops. One thus notices many small rivers which feed from the lakes artificial (the Lac of Settons, 320 ha and the Lac of Pannecière-Chaumard, 520 ha, are most famous). These lakes, very spectacular, constitute a strong tourist asset for the area.

Economy

Morvan still is very marked by agriculture since 29% of the credits work in the primary sector. The activity primarily traditional and is based on the bovine breeding in very parcelled out pieces (less than one hectare on average, and 50 ha on average for the totality of an exploitation).

Morvandelle sylviculture, as for it, provides every winter France in Christmas trees (in particular in the area of High Folin). The forest recovers besides nearly 50% of Morvan. The forests of leafy trees and coniferous tree are in competition but in fact the coniferous trees, benefitting from the development of the Douglas one gain little by little ground (78000 ha of leafy trees compared with 43000 ha of coniferous tree).

The regional natural park of Morvan

Morvan has a rich ecosystem, mixing forests, hedges of Bocage and rivers. However, the Biosphère is not safe from threats like the water pollution, the pulling up of the hedges (which constitute a refuge for many species) or the reduction of the forests of leafy trees. To succeed in reconciling safeguarding of the natural environment and economic development and tourist of the area in 1970 was created the regional natural park of Morvan. This park, which recovers a surface of 281.400 ha is invested in a great number of missions:

Natura 2000 (European project of safeguarding of the natural environments)
LEADER (Connection between development actions of the rural economy) (European project aiming at reconciling management of the inheritance and economic development and social)
education with the environment
the rural contract (management of water)

History

Morvan has a rich history mainly inherited the Gallo-Roman time. This history is still visible through the site of the Mount-Beuvray with horse between Nievre and the Saône-et-Loire.

In -52, a named city Bibracte was on the Mount-Beuvray (821 m). This city, capital of the Gallic tribe of the Eduens became famous during the invasion of Gaulle for Jules César. It is here that the Gallic tribes decided to structure their defense while gathering behind only one chief, Vercingétorix. The Mount-Beuvray is from now on a very important site of excavations. The archeologists put at the day of the houses and the enclosing walls of Bibracte and try to define which was the life of the Gallic one. The museum of Celtic civilization, built near the places of excavations amongst other things has the research result to Bibracte.

After the Roman invasion, Bibracte abandoned with the profit of Autun is located at a score of kilometers. If Bibracte is a purely Gallic city, Autun on the contrary was built with the will of the Roman Emperor Auguste. High place of the Gallo-Roman world, one can admire a temple known as still there of Janus (deformation of the locality Génetoye), the ancient enclosure of the city and two of its doors (Door of Arroux and Porte Holy Andre), as well as an immense theater which could, at the time, to accommodate 20000 people.

Starting from the middle of the 19th century, Morvan knew a deep evolution. In 1858 the lake of Settons was indeed created to allow the Flottage of wood, and to feed Paris of wood via the Cure and Yonne, then after the floods of Paris of 1910, it was decided to control the flow of the the Seine thanks to water reserves. From this project were born the lakes from Chaumeçon, Saint-Agnan, of the Crescent, and gigantic the Lac of Pannecière and its hydro-electric stopping.

Morvan, country poor from an agricultural point of view, has during the same period, summer obliged to develop related activities with work of the ground. Thus, on the side of the Flottage of wood little by little imposed two activities become emblematic of this solid mass: the Nurses and the galvachers.

The inhabitants of Morvan (especially old and those resulting from the agricultural medium) speaks a patois which can vary from part of the solid mass to the other: the Morvandiau.

List communes of Morvan

If Castle-Chinon (City) is regarded as the capital of Haut-Morvan, Morvan includes/understands many communes. The house of the regional natural park of Morvan is located at Saint-Brisson.

See too

External bonds

Site of the Regional natural park of Morvan
Ecomusée of Morvan
Site showing all the characteristics of the solid mass
History and Archéologie in Morvan and Burgundy
“Lormes a corner of Morvan”, a site to discover the town of Lormes and its surroundings
Castle-Chinon, small town, great reputation (nonofficial site), on Castle-Chinon and Morvan in general.
vital south morvan: association of protection of the morvan
J. - P. Legros, '' It comes from Morvan neither good winds nor '' good people, Conférence with the Academy of Science and letters of Montpellier, March 15th, 2004

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