 MalijaiMalijay comes from a Provençal word: male jacet, which means "not well located", certainly because of the risings of the Bléone river which even carried away a graveyard in 1860.First, Malijai set up on the left bank of the Bléone river (plateau of St Bonnet) then, in the middle of the 13th century, the village developed along the right bank of the river on the traditional "Digne-Sisteron" road which was used from ancient times.
The history of Malijai is closely related to the castle's. After the Saracen invasion, the Trans family built the castle on the site of a former Roman square in Saint Bonnet. In the 12th century, the Marquis of Trans, feeling uncomfortable in his castle, decided to set up in 1770 on the Bléone bank.
Then he undertook to built another building which was transformed several times throughout the centuries particularly during the Renaissance period.
In 1771, the Noguier Family, the new owners, razed the castle to the ground to build a new one more spacious which has become the village's pride.
The renown of the castle is linked to Napoleon who stayed there on the night of the 4th to the 5th March 1815, on his way back from Elba. This historical event left a deep impression on the village, hence, nowadays it celebrates the "Napoleon Days" every two years in July.
For the last 30 years, new buildings have been developing around the village and now it covers the heart of the valley.
The old Malijai has preserved the character of a village whose current frame mostly dates back from the 19th century.
Saint-Christophe's parish church which was rebuilt in 1839 on the site of the former Notre-Dame d'Espérance de la Bléone's Church, has an interesting choir fresco, some stained-glass windows and paintings. |
Population
1,628 inhabitants |
The inhabitants are called
the Malijaiens people |
Number of children attending school
180 |
The village was born in the 13th century under the name of
Villafranca dicta Maliay |
Surface area
6,557 |
Patron saint
St Christopher |
Height
1,404 |
Mayor
Mrs Eliane BARREILLE |
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