Levens

For the community in northern England, see Levens, Cumbria.
Levens

The village of Levens, seen from the west with the Cime du Gélas in the background

Coat of arms
Levens

Coordinates: 43°51′42″N 7°13′31″E / 43.8617°N 7.2253°E / 43.8617; 7.2253Coordinates: 43°51′42″N 7°13′31″E / 43.8617°N 7.2253°E / 43.8617; 7.2253
Country France
Region Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Department Alpes-Maritimes
Arrondissement Nice
Canton Levens
Intercommunality Nice-Côte d'Azur
Government
  Mayor (20082014) Antoine Véran
Area1 29.85 km2 (11.53 sq mi)
Population (2008)2 4,632
  Density 160/km2 (400/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
  Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
INSEE/Postal code 06075 / 06670
Elevation 121–1,414 m (397–4,639 ft)
(avg. 600 m or 2,000 ft)

1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Levens is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes département in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.

Its inhabitants are called Levensans (or Levensois).

Origin and evolution of the name

There are three possible explanations of the origin of the name:[1]

Geography

The village, built on high rocky ground, is located at an altitude of 600 metres. It lies in the center of the district, which stretches from the plain of the Var (Plan-du-Var hamlet) to the Férion range. Mount Férion is 1,400 metres high.

History

Administration

List of mayors since 1860
Period Identity Party Quality
1994 Antoine Véran
1991 1994 Léon-Pierre Raybaud
1929 1991 Joseph Raybaud Senator of the Alpes-Maritimes
1903 1929 Jean Giletta
1896 1903 Léon Sauvan
1882 1896 Joseph Faraut
1878 1882 Louis Ciais
1871 1878 Victor Masséglia
1870 1871 Joseph Faraut
1865 1870 Louis Barriéra
1860 1865 Honoré Baudouin
Before the 1860 incorporation of County of Nice into France, Levens and the County of Nice were part of the Piedmont-Sardinia kingdom.

Tourism

Levens is one of thirteen villages grouped together by the Communauté d'agglomération de Nice-Côte d'Azur tourist department as the Route des Villages Perchés (Route of Perched Villages). The others are: Aspremont, Castagniers, Coaraze, Colomars, Duranus, Èze, Falicon, La Gaude, La Roquette, Saint-Blaise, Saint-Jeannet and Tourrette-Levens.[2]

Sights

Personalities

See also

References

  1. Trouillot (Paule et Jean), Guide historique des 163 communes des Alpes-Maritimes et de Monaco, imprimerie la Toscane, Nice, 2006, page 140, (ISBN 2-9514405-5-3).
  2. Booklet The route of perched villages, Communaute Nice Côte d'Azur, 2007
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