Fifty years of transhumance


In the early 70s, I decided to photograph the transhumance of sheep on foot in eastern Provence, because at the time there was talk of banning it.
Fifty years later, transhumance on foot is still tolerated but not officially permitted. Although far fewer in number than in the past, herds "make the road" in June and October in the departments of Alpes de Haute Provence, Alpes Maritimes and Var.
Transhumance is a necessity, as there is no more grass to eat in the lowlands at the start of summer, whereas on the mountain pastures it is abundant.
I've made the upward transhumance, amontanhage in Provençal, some twenty times, and the downward transhumance, demontanhage, five times, the first in 1974, the last in 2019.
My most interesting transhumance in terms of photographs was in June 1975, when I walked for seven days from Roquebrune sur Argens (83) to the Adrech mountain in the commune of Beuil, in the Mercantour (06).
I set off for a 3-day walk in the company of Aman and Paul Goujon, Clément and Elie Michel. After a day devoted to sorting the animals and getting to the Bartouille farm in the Briançonnet commune, I set off again before dawn the next day for another 3 days' walk.
Bartouille was the farm of Julien and Raymonde Raynaud, whom I had met on this occasion and who had become my friends. We spoke Provençal together. I have around ten hours of recordings of Julien, who had a great sense of humor and a great knowledge of his profession.
My most cherished transhumance was in June 1984. My son François, aged 10, walked between Bartouille and the cabane de l'Adrech, our destination. For the first three days, he had travelled part of the way in Raymonde's van. Between 1975 and 1984, Julien had to extend the walk by one day, because the passage near Péone had become too dangerous.
Julien retired in 1989, and Bernard and Martine Bellini took over. I was lucky enough to accompany them on a transhumance, as in this photo in June 2019. Today, their son Nans is ready to take over!
Dear memories, transhumance would make me inexhaustible.
André Abbe
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