Beauchastel
| Beauchastel | ||
|---|---|---|
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| region | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | |
| Department | Ardèche | |
| Arrondissement | Privas | |
| Canton | Rhône-Eyrieux | |
| Community association | Privas Center Ardèche | |
| Coordinates | 44 ° 50 ′ N , 4 ° 48 ′ E | |
| height | 96-560 m | |
| surface | 8.46 km 2 | |
| Residents | 1,822 (January 1, 2017) | |
| Population density | 215 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| Post Code | 07800 | |
| INSEE code | 07027 | |
| Website | www.beauchastel.fr | |
_mairie-%C3%A9cole.JPG) Town hall and school building |
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Beauchastel is a French commune with 1,822 inhabitants (at January 1, 2017) in the department of Ardèche in the Region Auvergne Rhône-Alpes ; it belongs to the Arrondissement Privas and the canton Rhône-Eyrieux . It lies on the tributary of the Eyrieux into the Rhone and was therefore often a victim of the Eyrieux floods until a dike was completed in 1860 .
geography
The municipality of Beauchastel is located at the mouth of the River Eyrieux in the Rhone , below the hills of the Cevennes . Neighboring municipalities are La Voulte-sur-Rhône and Charmes-sur-Rhône . After Valence is 15 km, to Privas km 25th The next largest city is Guilherand-Granges , 13 kilometers to the northeast.
history
The name of the place comes from the castle "Bel Castrum" from the 12th century, which was owned by the Lords of Retourtour and Briand. In 1179 they built large ramparts and the castle above the village was also equipped with a large keep. During this time, the village also made a name for itself as an important transshipment point for shipments. The community itself was an old barony of the Sourbise family, who were dependent on Tournon-sur-Rhône until the 16th century . Passages of an old Roman road show that the place was already settled in antiquity. The community was best known as one of 70 salt deposits in France from the 16th to the 18th century.
In 1570 the local church was destroyed by Admiral de Coligny. As a result, Beauchastel became a stronghold of the Huguenots , a corresponding temple was built in 1609 and the fortress was strengthened in 1620. In the Huguenot War, however, the place and especially the castle was almost completely destroyed, so that only a half-standing donjon and surrounding walls remained. The Protestant population had to leave the community.
The dike built in 1820 finally protected the citizens from constant flooding of the Eyrieux, so that in the 19th century many people settled in the plain of the area and Beauchastel grew back to its old size. Even today, the population is still rising steadily, supported by the opening of a hydroelectric production plant.
Population development
| year | 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2009 | 2017 |
| Residents | 1080 | 1064 | 1544 | 1614 | 1462 | 1565 | 1647 | 1822 |
| Sources: Cassini and INSEE | ||||||||
Attractions
Beauchastel has a medieval town center with a city gate from the 12th century, located directly under a hill that was restored in the 20th century with ancient houses and branched streets. The castle is only preserved as a ruin. The ruins of Pierregourde Castle from the 13th century can be visited in the neighboring village of Gilhac-et-Bruzac, as can Gurlhie's house, adorned with figures made of reinforced concrete. The open-air theater above the village and the new church from 1761 are popular excursion destinations. The community also has a ship lock and a religious temple.
There are still two museums to visit in Beauchastel. The Musée de la vie ardéchoise vividly shows how people lived in this department, from ancient times to the 21st century, while the Musée de Patrimoine presents the cultural heritage of the area and has an entire exhibition room dedicated to the art of fishing.
Personalities
The American author Mark Twain spent a night in a small hotel in the town in 1892 and was inspired by the landscape at sunrise.
Web links
- Beauchastel on cartesfrance.fr in French
Individual evidence
- ↑ Histoire on beauchastel.fr in French.