Ginestas

Ginestas Ginestars
region	Occitania
Department	Aude
Arrondissement	Narbonne
Canton	Le Sud-Minervois
Community association	Le Grand Narbonne
Coordinates	43 ° 16 ′  N , 2 ° 52 ′  E Coordinates: 43 ° 16 ′  N , 2 ° 52 ′  E
height	30-115 m
surface	9.50 km 2
Residents	1,445 (January 1, 2017)
Population density	152 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code	11120
INSEE code	11164
Website	www.ginestas.fr Ginestas
Ginestas - bridge over the Canal du Midi in the hamlet of Le Somail

Ginestas ( Occitan : Ginestars ) is a place and a municipality with 1,445 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) in the south of France in the Aude department in the Occitanie region .

location

The place Ginestas is about two kilometers north of the river Aude and about 17 kilometers northwest of Narbonne at an altitude of about 60 meters above sea level. d. M. in the historical cultural landscape of the Minervois .

Population development

year	1800	1851	1901	1954	1999	2013
Residents	501	646	1,187	820	1,059	1,356

In the 19th century the number of inhabitants increased from around 500 to over 1200 at times. The phylloxera crisis in viticulture and the mechanization of agriculture led to a continuous population decline in the first half of the 20th century, which peaked in the 1970s and 80s. The proximity to the city of Narbonne has again led to a significant increase in the number of residents in recent decades.

economy

A large part of the agricultural land has been reserved for viticulture for centuries ; White, red and rosé wines are produced, which are marketed through the appellations Pays de l'Aude , Languedoc , Minervois , Le Pays Cathare and Pays d'Oc . Some vacant houses have been converted into holiday apartments ( gîtes ) .

history

The first written mention of the place name Genestar comes from the year 955; In the year 1217 there is talk of a castle (castrum) , which has long since disappeared. Since the late 17th century, the place experienced a demographic and economic boom as a result of the construction of the Canal du Midi .

Attractions

• The parish church of Saint-Luc is first mentioned in 1324; the current building including the bell tower dates from the 17th century. The interior of the church houses a beautiful altarpiece with paintings from the same period.

Surroundings

• The Romanesque church Notre-Dame-des-Vals belonged to a medieval monastery and is located about 1 km north of the village on private property ( 43 ° 16 ′ 38 ″  N , 2 ° 52 ′ 25 ″  E ). The apse of the single-nave building shows a pilaster structure with a rounded arched frieze . The building was recognized as a Monument historique in 1951 .
• The Canal du Midi crosses a small section to the south of the municipality; A little outside is the hamlet of Le Somail , which was created in connection with the construction of the canal and today forms a relatively uniform ensemble of architecture from the late 17th and early 18th centuries with a bridge, chapel and hostel. The entire building complex has been recognized as a monument historique since 1996 .

Web links

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

• Ginestas, history - information (French)
• Ginestas, Notre-Dame-des-Vals Church - aerial photo + brief information (French)
• Ginestas - photos
• Ginestas, altarpiece - photos + information (French)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Ginestas - Viticulture
2. ↑ Notre-Dame-des-Vals, Ginestas in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)
3. ↑ Hameau du Somail, Ginestas in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)