SISTERON TODAY
TRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS
From the plains of La Crau to the summits of the Alps, the Sisteron lambs are still bred in natural pastures, like they always were. The quality of their breeding makes the Sisteron’s lamb meat so special: young, with a bright flesh, it is exceptionally tender and light and was awarded a Red Label in 1995. Sisteron can also count on the biggest municipal abattoir specialising in lamb, allowing the meat to be entirely produced locally. It produces 8,500 tons a year, accounting for 20 pc of the market in the South-East of France. The abattoir respects all the quality requirements linked to the labels awarded to the Sisteron lamb. All of the lambs bred in Sisteron can be traced from their birth to the customer’s plate.
SISTERON : THE STORY
NAPOLEON’S 100 DAYS
The very reason for Sisteron’s creation, its citadel is composed of buildings from various periods and it pays a special homage to Napoleon Bonaparte. A room in the fortress museum is dedicated to the Corsican emperor and evokes, through some 60 objects, his eventful return from exile in 1815. The taking of Sisteron by the 700 men led by general Cambronne was absolutely essential to Napoleon’s success as the town was held by Royalists who could stop his progression should they destroy the local bridge. When Sisteron fell on March 8, the road to Paris was wide open. In town, Napoleon was received at the hotel run by the grandfather of poet Paul Arene. Within six days, Napoleon and his men reached Grenoble from Golfe Juan by small paths, covering more than 350 kms. The road built in 1930 on the course taken by the emperor was logically called Route Napoleon. On March 19, 18 days after his landing in Golfe Juan, Napoleon was back in Paris. Three months later, the Waterloo battle tolled the bell of Napoleon’s 100 days back in power, the 8th having been spent in Sisteron.
SISTERON AND CYCLING
FIRST TIMES IN SISTERON
If Paris-Nice riders know Sisteron well as the Race to the Sun frequently stopped here, it is a first for the Tour de France. There is an oddity with Paris-Nice finishes in Sisteron as they always marked the first victory of a rider for his new team. In 1999, France’s Jackys Durand had won his first race in the Lotto jersey. Two years later, Alex Zuelle won his only victory for the Team Coast outfit. The same applies to Carlos Barredo, the last rider to have won a Paris-Nice stage in town, as it was his inaugural win for Quick Step.
In this stage, the caravan will have a chance to admire the heart-stopping view from the citadel and to try the local lamb, one of the most renowned in France. The riders might meditate about a book by local poet Paul Arene called From the Alps to the Pyrenees.
SISTERON: PLACES TO SEE
THE CITADEL
It is made of different elements from various periods. The higher wall and the allure are from the 12th century, the intermediate level from the 14th, while the first level forts were vastly restored in the 19th century. The works performed between 1842 and 1860 followed the instructions left 200 years earlier by engineer Vauban, who left his mark on the building like Jehan Sarrazin, the military engineer of King Henri IV. There are things not to miss when visiting the citadel: the small dungeon with its steep steps in which Richelieu held Jean Casimir Vasa, who later became King of Poland or the vast staircase dug in the rock leading to the town’s Northern gate.
