2285 FRANCE (Occitania) - Landscape from Cevennes
The Cévennes are a range of mountains in south-central France, part of the Massif Central. They run from southwest (Cause Noire) to northeast (Monts du Vivarais), with the highest point being the Mont Lozère (1702m). Another notable peak is the Mont Aigoual (1567m). The Loire and Allier flowing towards the Atlantic ocean, as well as the Ardèche, the different Gardons to the Rhône, Vidourle, Hérault and Dourbie rivers that flow to the Mediterranean Sea, have their headwaters in the Cévennes.
The region still has a large community of French Protestants. They identify as Huguenots, descendants of peoples who have inhabited the mountains since before the 16th century. During the reign of Louis XIV, much of the Huguenot population fled France, particularly following the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, but the community in the Cévennes remained in place. Moreover, In 1702 the Camisards rose up against the monarchy to protect their religious freedom, and they won.
About the stamps
The first stamp was issued on March 10, 1995 to mark the Centenary of the Ecole Supérieure d'Electricité. École supérieure d'électricité, commonly known as Supélec, is a French graduate school of engineering awarding the equivalent of a master's degree and Ph.D opportunities. It is one of the most prestigious and selective Grandes Ecoles in France, and a reference in the field of electric energy and information sciences. Founded in 1894 and initially located in the 15th district of Paris, it was moved to Gif-sur-Yvette in 1975. Since then, two more campuses have been established, in Rennes in 1972 and Metz in 1985.
The second stamp is one of the two designed by Claude Durrens and issued on December 3, 1965, to celebrate the launch into orbit of the first French satellite.