Arphy

Arphy
region	Occitania
Department	Gard
Arrondissement	Le Vigan
Canton	Le Vigan
Community association	Pays Viganais
Coordinates	44 ° 1 ′  N , 3 ° 36 ′  E Coordinates: 44 ° 1 ′  N , 3 ° 36 ′  E
height	340-1,405 m
surface	20.92 km 2
Residents	171 (January 1, 2017)
Population density	8 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code	30120
INSEE code	30015
View of the village of Arphy

Arphy is a French commune with 171 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) in the Gard department in the Occitanie region .

geography

The municipality of Arphy is located in the south of the Cevennes near Mont Aigoual , the summit of which is a few kilometers further north. It is part of a sparsely populated mountain region and is located 52 kilometers north-north-west of Montpellier as the crow flies , but south of its municipal boundaries there is a small agglomeration around the small town of Le Vigan . The municipal area is largely forested and with its northern part belongs to the core zone of the Cevennes National Park . With the Coudoulous and the Dourbie, two regionally important rivers have their source in the north of the municipality, each at around 1300 meters above sea level. The Coudoulous has a steep and fast run on its first kilometers. It flows south through a valley lined with wooded slopes, in which the small core town of Arphy and some small settlements are located. With regard to the settlement, a few individual farms should also be mentioned.

The neighboring municipalities of Arphy are Dourbies and Valleraugue in the north, Mandagout in the east, Aulas in the south and Bréau-Mars in the west.

Infrastructure

The D190 road runs through the town, which connects to the neighboring town of Aulas in the south. The D48 leads to the north even closer to the Mont Aigoual, while to the south it runs largely parallel to the D190 and passes Aulas between Le Vigan, Avèze and Molières-Cavaillac . From there there are overland connections to the cities of Montpellier and Nîmes via the D999 via Ganges .

History, culture and agriculture

The location on the Coudoulous was particularly decisive for the development of the small settlements. The granite rock that emerges in the river bed, among other things, was an essential raw material for house building. It was also the basis for several orchards, which its water can be used for irrigation. In addition, agriculture is traditionally mainly characterized by sheep breeding. Originally, forms of transhumance were widespread, in which the semi-sedentary shepherds migrate with the flock in the change of the seasons. Sheep breeding has basically been preserved into the 21st century. The natural conditions are also used for a variety of hiking trails.

In contrast to the rest of France, the entire region is relatively strongly influenced by Protestantism, so that a Protestant church can also be found in the core town of Arphy. Another important building is the Château du Fesq , which dates from the 17th century. An important former industrial building is a former cotton processing factory, which originally belonged to a nobleman from Le Vigan and was converted into a silk mill in 1835 . It was expanded in the 1850s, 1887 and 1901, but closed two years after a change of ownership in 1914.

Population development

year	1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2008	2017
Residents	129	130	86	122	131	173	166	171

In 1793 the community still had 450 inhabitants and by 1841 this number had grown to 606 people. From then on, however, a relatively steady decline in population began, so that in 1901 only 409 residents were counted. In the first half of the 20th century, and especially in the 1920s, the number of inhabitants in the rural commune fell even more sharply. In 1954, as a result of this development, Arphy was inhabited by 140 people. The number stabilized at around this level, although there was even a growth phase again in the 1990s.

Web links

Commons : Arphy  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Distance between Arphy et les plus grandes villes , annuaire-mairie.fr
2. ↑ ^{a b} Arphy ( Memento of the original from March 5, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , cc-paysviganais.fr 
3. ↑ ^{a b} Arphy , tourismecevennesnavacelles.com
4. ↑ filature de soie Raimond, puis Pelon, puis usine de Bonneterie du Monna , culture.gouv.fr
5. ^ Arphy - Notice Communale , cassini.ehess.fr