Courmes (French pronunciation: [kuʁm]; Occitan: Cormes) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. It is part of Préalpes d'Azur Regional Natural Park.[3] In 2020, Courmes had a population of 108.

Courmes
Corma (Occitan)
A general view of the village
A general view of the village
Coat of arms of Courmes
Location of Courmes
Map
Courmes is located in France
Courmes
Courmes
Courmes is located in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Courmes
Courmes
Coordinates: 43°44′37″N 7°00′35″E / 43.7436°N 7.0097°E / 43.7436; 7.0097
CountryFrance
RegionProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
DepartmentAlpes-Maritimes
ArrondissementGrasse
CantonValbonne
IntercommunalityCA Sophia Antipolis
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Richard Thiery[1]
Area
1
15.71 km2 (6.07 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
109
 • Density6.9/km2 (18/sq mi)
DemonymCourmois
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
06049 /06620
Elevation260–1,263 m (853–4,144 ft)
(avg. 630 m or 2,070 ft)
Websitewww.courmes.fr
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

The Loup River, which marks the western border with Gourdon, offers scenic hikes in the area, renowned for its river gorges (Gorges du Loup),[4] including around the Cascades du Saut du Loup between Courmes and Gourdon, as well as the Cascade de Courmes below.

Demographics edit

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1968 26—    
1975 42+7.09%
1982 60+5.23%
1990 64+0.81%
1999 88+3.60%
2009 98+1.08%
2014 124+4.82%
2020 108−2.28%
Source: INSEE[5]

Toponymy edit

 
First appearance of the name:
a character, P. de Corma, signatory of a charter (September 29, 1176.)

Albert Dauzat describes Corma (1176) as old Provençal : A place planted with Cornus mas, or an oronym pre-Latin.[6]

Marie-Thérèse Morlet does not take up in her recent research (1997), the possibility left by Dauzat of a pre-Latin oronym.[7]

Frédéric Mistral in Lou Tresor dóu Felibrige (1878-1886) writes that Courmo, Courmes is a place name in the Alpes-Maritimes and that Courmes and Decormis [fr] are Provençal family names.[8]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ (in French) Les communes du Parc, www.parc-prealpesdazur.fr.
  4. ^ (in French) "À la découverte du Saut du Loup, les sublimes cascades du pays niçois", actu.fr, 23 July 2021.
  5. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  6. ^ Albert Dauzat Etymological dictionary of place names in France, Librairie Guénégaud, 1963, p. 229
  7. ^  : Oronym much more Nissart than Grassois Georges Castellana, Nice-French Dictionary. Edition Serre 1952, page 67: “Short summit, apogee; the height, done". At no time does he make a link with the village of Courmes or with the original name : Corma, Corme
  8. ^ Frédéric Mistral, Lou Trésor dou Félibrige or Provençal-French Dictionary: embracing the various dialects of the modern langue d'oc, Ed. Marcel Petit, 1979, page 643 ( read online).