Does anyone know what resources are available in France to help trace the history of a house? No one in our village seems to have a clue. Are there Departmental archives similar to County Record offices in the UK or are there notarial records? Any guidance gratefully received.
Many thanks David. A good start to my research. I think i have identified the house on the Napoleonic map but I’m told that it dates back to the 16thC so there is plenty of scope for further work.
http://archivesenligne.archives04.fr/arkotheque/cadastre/index.php
This is the link for the departmental archives on- line for Alpes de Haute Provence. You mentioned on another post that you had gone to Manosque for some consumer service. Click on the Cadastre Napoléon and you should be able to find the earliest general cadastral survey for France.