[4][5] The commune attracts geologists from around the world due to its rich diversity of ammonite fossils.

[8] The name of the hamlet of Gévaudan is probably derived from Gabalatanus whose origin would be a domain founded by a Gaul of the Gabali tribe.

At the end of the Roman Empire it is certain that the Valley of Asses was annexed by the Civitas of Sanitensium (Senez) and its diocese.

[13] In 1342 the Barrême community was attached to the viguerie of Castellane by Robert, King of Naples, the Count of Provence.

The death of Queen Joanna I created a crisis of succession for the County of Provence with the towns of the Union of Aix (1382-1387) supporting Charles, Duke of Durazzo, against Louis I of Anjou.

Aix submitted in October 1387 which precipitated the rallying of the Carlists under the lord of Barrême, Géraud de Villeneuve.

While he had supported Charles de Duras for several years, he joined with his two brothers: the Lords of Gourdon and Roquebrune from Anjou and obtained a "chapter of peace" from Marie de Châtillon on 2 January 1388 and paid homage to Louis II of Naples aged ten.

[16] It was the capital of a viguerie from the 15th century until the French Revolution,[17] with dependent vigueries of Clumanc, Lambruisse, Tartonne (the lands called Baussenques named after Raymond of Baux who owned the dowry of Étiennette of Provence in the 12th century[13]), Saint-Jacques, and Chaudon, on which depended Norante.

[16] From the 16th century at least the community designated three consuls for their administration: two were elected by Barrêmois and the third by Saint-Lions or Gévaudan alternately every other year.

[13] A List of Grievances of the Barrême community was drafted on 29 March, at the Notre-Dame-du-Pont Chapel as the town hall was too small to accommodate the entire population.

[13] The news of the storming of the Bastille was welcomed as this event announced the end of royal arbitrariness and, perhaps, more profound changes in the organization of France.

Rumours of troops of several thousand armed men formed by the aristocrats and destroying everything in their path propagated at high speed and caused panic.

[16] The fruit of the Revolution were still welcome: it allowed, for example, the commune to buy the assets of the lord, the Marquis Pierre Louis of Aiminy, in 1792 and 1794.

[18] With the declaration of war on Austria in April 1792, the National Guard was organized in July, and two bells and the steeple cross were brought down to be sent for casting.

[13] On 25 November 1794 the Representant en mission, Antoine-François Gauthier des Orcières purified the Popular Society (the club).

[18] During the Hundred Days the Emperor Napoleon I passed the night of 3 to 4 March in Barrême, followed on the 5th by the royal troops in pursuit.

[19] The coup d'état of 2 December 1851 by Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte against the Second Republic provoked an armed uprising in the Basses-Alpes in defence of the Constitution.

After the failure of the uprising, harsh repression continued for those who stood up to defend the Republic: 11 inhabitants of Barrême were brought before the Joint Committee with the majority being sentenced to deportation to Algeria.

[20] As with many communes in the department, Barrême adopted schools well before the Jules Ferry laws: in 1863 it had two, installed one in the main village and one in Gévaudan, both of which provided primary education for boys.

With the first Duruy Law (1867), which lowered the threshold to 500 people Barrême decided to teach girls.

The tunnel through the Colle was completed in 1903 and the entire line between Saint-André and Nice was inaugurated August from 5 to 7 1911 in the presence of Victor Augagneur, Minister of Public Works.

After the Second World War the town had lost more than half of its population compared to the historical peak of 1846 which was the latest high point in the department.

[33] At the end of 2015 the primary sector (agriculture, forestry) had 4 active establishments within the meaning of INSEE and provided one job.