Arques, Aude (original) (raw)

Commune in Occitanie, France

Commune in Occitania, France

Arques
Commune
View of the castle from ArquesView of the castle from Arques
Coat of arms of ArquesCoat of arms
Location of Arques Map
Arques is located in FranceArquesArquesShow map of FranceArques is located in OccitanieArquesArquesShow map of Occitanie
Coordinates: 42°57′12″N 2°22′33″E / 42.9533°N 2.3758°E / 42.9533; 2.3758
Country France
Region Occitania
Department Aude
Arrondissement Limoux
Canton La Haute-Vallée de l'Aude
Intercommunality CC Limouxin
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026) Géraldine Gracia[1]
Area1 18.53 km2 (7.15 sq mi)
Population (2021) 259
• Density 14.0/km2 (36.2/sq mi)
Time zone UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST) UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code 11015 /11190
Elevation 329–854 m (1,079–2,802 ft) (avg. 356 m or 1,168 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Arques (French pronunciation: [aʁk] ⓘ; Languedocien: Arcas) is a commune in the Aude department in the Occitanie region of southern France.

Arques is located in the Pyrénées mountains some 25 km south-east of Limoux and 25 km north-east of Quillan. Access to the commune is by the D613 road from Serres in the west passing through the village and continuing to Albières in the east. The D54 goes north from the village to Valmigère. At the commune border the D70 branches from the D54 and follows a tortuous route to Bouisse. The commune is an alpine commune with rugged terrain but with some farms in the valley.[2]

The Rialsesse river flows through the centre of the commune and the village from east to west gathering many tributaries. In the south the Ruisseau de Lait, with many tributaries rising in the commune, flows north-west into the Lac d'Arques (Arques Lake) which feeds the Rialsesse.[2]

Neighbouring communes and villages

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[2]

The area was owned by the Abbey of Lagrasse in the early 11th century, before coming under the control of the Lords of Termes. In 1231 the region was given by Simon de Montfort to Pierre de Voisins after the Albigensian Crusade. His successor, Gilles de Voisins, began the construction of the castle in 1280 and the organization of the Bastide. It was the northern barons who came to occupy the land of the Cathar heretics under the order of Pope Innocent III. The dynasty of Voisins was extinguished in 1518 with the marriage of Françoise with Jean de Joyeuse, a member of the House of Joyeuse who therefore became the owner of the lordship and barony of Arques. Arques castle was abandoned in favour of the Château des Ducs de Joyeuse (Castle of the Dukes of Joyeuse) in Couiza. Lords and barons of Arques-barons were hereditary barons of Languedoc (Pays d'états) and had a permanent seat in the Estates of Languedoc.

Arms of the Commune of ArquesArms of the Commune of Arques This design is the interpretation of Henri SivadeCommune of Arques Blazon: Vert, Party per fess Argent chapé chaussé of one in the other.[3][4]
Arms of HozierArms of Hozier The Armorial of General d'Hozier shows this picture which can be emblazoned as follows:[5] Blazon: Party per fess, Vert and Argent, vêtu of one in the other.

List of Successive Mayors[6]

From To Name Party
1977 2014 Henri Barbaza PS
2014 2014 Maxime Barbaza
2014 2020 Audrey Cabedo
2020 2026 Géraldine Gracia

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Arquois or Arquoises in French.[7]

Historical population

YearPop.±% p.a.1793 460— 1800 488+0.85%1806 535+1.54%1821 506−0.37%1831 549+0.82%1836 591+1.49%1841 600+0.30%1846 601+0.03%1851 556−1.54%1856 504−1.94%1861 560+2.13%1866 539−0.76%1872 542+0.09%1876 495−2.24%1881 520+0.99%1886 531+0.42%1891 508−0.88%1896 507−0.04% YearPop.±% p.a.1901 504−0.12%1906 516+0.47%1911 429−3.63%1921 272−4.45%1926 326+3.69%1931 330+0.24%1936 297−2.09%1946 284−0.45%1954 250−1.58%1962 235−0.77%1968 210−1.86%1975 190−1.42%1982 201+0.81%1990 210+0.55%1999 199−0.60%2007 260+3.40%2012 252−0.62%2017 254+0.16%
Source: EHESS[8] and INSEE[9]

Sites and monuments

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Château d'Arques at night

The commune has two sites that are registered as historical monuments:

Other sites of interest

Chateau d'Arques Picture Gallery

Notable people linked to the commune

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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. ^ a b c Google Maps
  3. ^ Charles d'Hozier, Armorial General of Persons, Places, Companies, Corps, and Communities of the department of Aude, Imprimerie François Pomiès, Augustin Cornet-Peyrusse, 1876, Carcassonne, 124 pages, Read online (in French)
  4. ^ Arms of the communes of the department of Aude, Departmental Archives of Aude, Henri Sivade, 1996, Carcassonne, 128 pages, ISBN 2-86011-012-7 (in French)
  5. ^ Armorial General of France, prepared under the edict of 1696. Vol. 15: Languedoc (Part 2), Charles d'Hozier, Read online (in French)
  6. ^ List of Mayors of France (in French)
  7. ^ Le nom des habitants du 11 - Aude, habitants.fr
  8. ^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Arques, EHESS (in French).
  9. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  10. ^ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée PA00102540 Arques Iron Cross (in French)
  11. ^ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée PA00102539 Château d'Arques (in French)
  12. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM11001712 Sculpture of the Head of a Cleric (in French)
  13. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM11001711 Group Sculpture: Saint Anne, Virgin and child (in French)
  14. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM11002887 Tabernacle and Altar seating (in French)
  15. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM11002843 Cross (in French)
  16. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM11002509 Altar Cross and 6 Candlesticks (in French)
  17. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM11002508 Retable and Tabernacle (in French)