Contes, Alpes-Maritimes

Contes (French pronunciation: [kɔ̃t]; Occitan: Còntes; Italian: Conti) is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur in south-eastern France.

Contes
A view of Contes, looking up to the tower of the church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine
A view of Contes, looking up to the tower of the church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine
Coat of arms of Contes
Location of Contes
Map
Contes is located in France
Contes
Contes
Contes is located in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Contes
Contes
Coordinates: 43°48′46″N 7°18′52″E / 43.8128°N 7.3144°E / 43.8128; 7.3144
CountryFrance
RegionProvence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
DepartmentAlpes-Maritimes
ArrondissementNice
CantonContes
IntercommunalityPays des Paillons
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Francis Tujague[1]
Area
1
19.47 km2 (7.52 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
7,544
 • Density390/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
DemonymContois
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
06048 /06390
Elevation123–642 m (404–2,106 ft)
(avg. 290 m or 950 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Its inhabitants are Contois. Because the village sounds like the French word comte, the aristocratic title count, it called itself Point Libre during the revolutionary period.

Famous sons of Contes are Henri Charpentier, a chef who studied under Escoffier, Camous and Ritz. He worked for some of the most famous restaurants in Paris and then emigrated to the United States where he would open restaurants in New York and Los Angeles. The other, Humbert Ricolfi was actually a classmate of Charpentier and went on to become Minister of Finance for the Republique. He financed the Maginot Line and is remembered as an upholder of the great ideals of the French Republique.

It was probably mentioned in an ancient inscription DEO EGOMONI CVNTINO VIC CVN P.[3]

Geography

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Contes is a 7.52-square-mile (19.5 km2) commune in the Southeast of France. It is located on Paillon valley, between 130 and 480 metres AMSL (430–1580 ft). The inhabitants live mainly in the village, but also in hamlets like Sclos, La Vernéa, La Pointe.

Population

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Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1793 1,442—    
1800 1,474+0.31%
1806 1,426−0.55%
1822 1,838+1.60%
1838 1,861+0.08%
1848 1,904+0.23%
1858 1,930+0.14%
1861 1,707−4.01%
1866 1,748+0.48%
1872 1,560−1.88%
1876 1,588+0.45%
1881 1,681+1.14%
1886 1,655−0.31%
1891 1,634−0.26%
1896 1,688+0.65%
1901 1,653−0.42%
1906 1,716+0.75%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1911 1,911+2.18%
1921 2,013+0.52%
1926 2,524+4.63%
1931 2,752+1.74%
1936 2,717−0.26%
1946 2,003−3.00%
1954 2,366+2.10%
1962 2,876+2.47%
1968 3,458+3.12%
1975 4,123+2.54%
1982 4,941+2.62%
1990 5,867+2.17%
1999 6,551+1.23%
2007 6,868+0.59%
2012 7,187+0.91%
2017 7,424+0.65%
Source: EHESS[4] and INSEE (1968-2017)[5]

Economy

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Formerly a rural community, with olive, vineyard and cattle-based economy, it has converted in a secondary town with services activities and residential areas for people working in the 15 km (9.3 mi) far city of Nice. The town has an important Lafarge plaster factory.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ Blanc, Edmond (1878). "Remarques sur quelques textes gallo-romains des Alpes Maritimes qui portent des nom géographiques". Revue Archéologique. 35: 156–163.
  4. ^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Contes, EHESS (in French).
  5. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE