Clans (pronounce the "s" final) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Its inhabitants are called Clansois. Perched at 690 m altitude in the Tinée valley, Clans is located 54 km north of Nice.
Favored by its microclimate, Clans is sheltered from cold currents in winter and is refreshed in summer by a southerly breeze "lou maremme". Its clean air, the fresh water that flows in abundance, the absence of noise and pollution, make it a privileged place where life is good. Its immense forest with all its fauna and flora, its olive trees, its chapels, its collegiate church, its religious and cultural heritage, its traditions, are so many riches to discover. A treasure in lush greenery. Its inhabitants are the guardians.
The settlement of the region is very old; witness the "Roman bridge" below Clans, located on an ancient Roman road, as well as the remains of the Bronze Age found in the town. The geographical location of Clans, on a promontory offering both arable land, water and ease of defense, probably explains the reasons for its human settlement.
Clans is mentioned for the first time in 1066, in a charter of donation of the Lagito Brothers who give the territory to the bishopric of Nice. The place called "Poët" is mentioned as a small Castrum abandoned during the Great Black Death. In 1137, the only collegiate church of the Diocese of Nice was built on the church of St. Mary of Clans, already built in 1066. It spreads Christianity throughout the valley, its archpriest administers the secretariat of the seigneury of Grimaldi. Beuil. It was not until 1860, when the county of Nice was annexed to France, that Clans became French territory.
Located on the salt road, Clans is an important passage for the distribution of food. The "said" house of Queen Jeanne, built in the fourteenth century, bears witness to the activity of the temporal power and a trading post in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Logging makes the wealth of the town and the numerous Provencal restanques testify to a major agricultural activity, where wheat, barley, poppy, olives and fruit vergers, as well as cattle-type cattle and herds of sheep, fed the communes of the country and its inhabitants. An attic for a mountainous area sometimes hostile during the dead season.
Until the twentieth century, Clans is considered one of the richest towns in the region. But the great wars and the rural exodus enclave the valleys of the high country. It was not until the 1990s that the villages found a substantial population, working in Nice but seeking a quiet and serene living environment.
School is a priority of communal life. In the twentieth century, there are several classes scattered throughout the town. On March 9, 1910, the school building was built west of the Place de l'Estra, overlooking the Raous à la Tour. Primary school is still active today with about 80 children enrolled all year. When going to college, children can go to a half boarding school in Saint-Sauveur-sur-Tinée, then to the mountain high school in Valdeblore.
The Second World War is a deadly time for the village. Many Jewish families and children take refuge there and the villagers try to protect them against the raids by setting up an alert service by Paul and Edwige Isoart, affiliated to the Resistance. This stratagem allowed the Jews to shelter with the active complicity of the inhabitants. Unfortunately, there were some false alarms, which made them less vigilant. On Monday, October 25, 1943, the Germans arrived abruptly at Clans, without anyone being notified. During this raid organized by Alois Brünner, 27 Jewish refugees were arrested, but thirty others were saved. Paul Isoart, mayor of Clans for many years and his wife Edwige, won the medal of the Righteous. In 1993, a plaque commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the roundup was affixed to the wall of the town hall.
The town takes years to recover from the ravages of war. Many people leave to find work on the coast and those who remain do not have access to the cultural excitement of the big cities. Clans becomes a place where people come back for the summer holidays. The decline in farming means that the new forest is gaining ground and during walks in the greenery, we can cross small abandoned barns that make excellent landscapes photographed.
Today, some market gardening in permaculture such as the farm of the Oustal, the Raous farm and market gardening Hill, feed the small gourmet market on Saturday morning in the village square.
The municipality, which is always keen to develop communal life, is still building major infrastructures where cultural associations are making every effort to create enriching activities. Hall of cultural expressions making room for cinema equipped, media library and gym, multi-sport stadium and climbing cliff... With the support of the region and the Alpes-Maritimes, Clans finds its festive face, its shops and the beauty of a flower village awarded several times.
Two restaurants are active at Clans, additional shops at the bridge of Clans allow to refuel and visitors can stay in the communal lodgings. Half an hour from ski resorts in winter and protected from its mild micro-climate in summer, Clans is an ideal destination for mountain tourism.
A Tourist Office is open from May to September and organizes beautiful guided tours of historical monuments such as the collegiate church and the painted chapels.
