Gazost

Gazost
region	Occitania
Department	Hautes-Pyrénées
Arrondissement	Argelès-Gazost
Canton	Lourdes-2
Community association	Agglomération Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées
Coordinates	43 ° 2 ′ N , 0 ° 1 ′ E Coordinates: 43 ° 2 ′ N , 0 ° 1 ′ E
height	545-2,350 m
surface	40.60 km 2
Residents	126 (January 1, 2017)
Population density	3 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code	65100
INSEE code	65191
	; View of the center of Gazost

Gazost is a French commune with 126 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region (before 2016: Midi-Pyrénées ). The municipality belongs to the Argelès-Gazost arrondissement and the Lourdes-2 canton (until 2015: Lourdes-Est canton ).

The inhabitants are called Gazostais and Gazostaises .

geography

Gazost is located about eight kilometers southeast of Lourdes in its catchment area ( Aire urbaine ) in the historic county of Bigorre .

Gazost is surrounded by the ten neighboring communities:

Ourdon Berbérust-Lias	Juncalas Cheust	Ourdis-Cotdoussan Germs-sur-l'Oussouet
Saint-Pastous		Bagneres-de-Bigorre
Four-Bordes	Beaucens

Population development

After records began, the population rose to a high of around 575 in the second half of the 19th century. In the following period, the size of the community fell to a low of 125 inhabitants during brief recovery periods until the 1970s, before it has since been Turn of the millennium stabilized at a level of around 135 inhabitants.

year	1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2006	2011	2017
Residents	190	159	125	125	135	117	135	138	126

From 1962 official figures excluding residents with a second residence
Sources: EHESS / Cassini until 1999, INSEE from 2006

Attractions

Parish Church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste

While the bell gable dates from the 17th and 18th centuries, the entrance shows two elements from the Middle Ages . The church was completely renovated after an earthquake in 1854 cracked the walls, and has a single nave nave with two side chapels and a barrel vault made of wood. Inside the church in 1908 an altar with a pagan votive tablet dedicated to the goddess of water Belgoni was found during work . It bears the inscription “BELGON DEO, IULUS CERTUS. V (otum) .S (olvit) .L (iben) .M (erito) “( German To the goddess Belgoni, Julius Certus, with a gratitude, in the fulfillment of a wish ). In the Gallo-Roman times , the water of Gazost was highly valued. However, since the renovation, the board has disappeared. The two wooden statues of the choir represent the patron saint of the church, John the Baptist , and Saint Faustus. The central painting behind the altar shows the crucifixion of Christ .