Castelnau-de-Montmiral

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Castelnau-de-Montmiral
Castèlnòu de Montmiralh
Castelnau-de-Montmiral coat of arms
Castelnau-de-Montmiral (France)
Castelnau-de-Montmiral
region Occitania
Department Camouflage
Arrondissement Albi
Canton Vignobles et Bastides
Community association Gaillac-Graulhet
Coordinates 43 ° 58 ′  N , 1 ° 49 ′  E Coordinates: 43 ° 58 ′  N , 1 ° 49 ′  E
height 153-485 m
surface 88.81 km 2
Residents 1,033 (January 1, 2017)
Population density 12 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code 81140
INSEE code 81064

Castelnau-de-Montmiral - Place Centrale with arcaded houses and fountains

Castelnau-de-Montmiral ( Occitan Castèlnòu de Montmiralh ) is a French commune with 1,033 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) in the Tarn department in the Occitania region . The place is one of the "Most Beautiful Villages in France" .

location

The former bastide Castelnau-de-Montmiral is located in the Vère valley about 72 kilometers (driving distance) to the north-east of Toulouse and about 30 kilometers to the west of Albi . The next largest city is the wine town of Gaillac about 12 kilometers southeast.

Population development

year 1968 1975 1982 1990 1999 2007 2017
Residents 1215 1037 958 910 895 946 1033

economy

Today the community lives primarily from tourism, the negative excesses of which, however - due to the somewhat remote location - are limited. Agriculture and small businesses also play a role.

history

The area was inhabited as early as the Neolithic Age - there are still several dolmens in the forest of Grésigne . The foundation walls of two Gallo-Roman oppida have also been discovered.

The foundation of the Bastide von Castelnau (= new castle) in 1222 goes back to Raimund VII , Count of Toulouse . The Middle Latin name was: Castellum Novum Montis Mirabilis. During the Hundred Years War (1337–1453) and also during the Huguenot Wars (1562–1598), the site was largely spared from attacks and destruction.

Attractions

  • The central square ( Place des arcades ) of Castelnau-de-Montmiral is one of the smallest, but at the same time most beautiful in the south of France. The surrounding houses - regardless of whether they are half-timbered or brick buildings  - are usually two or three storeys high and rest on pillar arcades or studs that offer protection in both rain and sunshine. As early as the Middle Ages, traders and small handicraft businesses settled here, supplying the residents of the village and its surroundings with everything they needed. The arcade house with two large windows with cross windows from the first half of the 17th century has been recognized as a monument historique since 1927 .
Reliquary Cross
  • Slaughter animals were tied to the pillar ( pilori ) of a house the night before their death so that their health could be assessed by the villagers. Thieves and adulteresses were also pilloried here.
  • The octagonal fountain in the middle of the square ( Fontaine des Cannelles ) bears the year 1597 framed by scallops .
  • The Église Notre-Dame de l'Assomption from the 15th / 16th centuries Century is - as is usual with many bastides - not in the central square, but about 100 meters away in a side street; it is a single-nave Gothic church with side chapels. In the 19th century, its vault was painted in the manner of a light blue sky and decorated with scenes from the life of Mary. The furnishings include the remarkable altar (17th century) from the Cistercian monastery of Candeil , which was destroyed during the Revolution , a figure of Christ as Man of Sorrows and a Pietà . In the treasury of the church, a reliquary cross ( Croix des Comtes d'Armagnac ) from the early 14th century is kept, which is considered a masterpiece of French goldsmithing. The church tower lost its pointed spire in the 19th century.
  • The city gate ( Porte de Garrics ) is a fine example of the fortified architecture of the 13th century and at the same time the only one of the six city gates that has been preserved. It has been recognized as a monument historique since 1927 .
Château de Meyragues
  • In the surroundings of the place are still some - the gradual decay award given - dovecotes ( pigeonniers ). In earlier times the building of pigeon houses was reserved for the nobility or large landowners; the birds served to enrich the menu.
  • The approximately two and a half kilometers northeast of the Château de Meyragues , an imposing building from the 16th century, was expanded in the 17th century and a timber-framed loggia floor was added, which gives the whole thing a somewhat rustic appearance. A pigeon house also belongs to the castle. The privately owned ensemble has been recognized as a Monument historique since 1961 .

Web links

Commons : Castelnau-de-Montmiral  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Castelnau-de-Montmiral on Les plus Beaux Villages de France (French)
  2. ↑ Maison, Castelnau-de-Montmirail in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)
  3. ↑ Porte de ville, Castelnau-de-Montmirail in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)
  4. ↑ Château de Meyragues, Castelnau-de-Montmirail in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)