Le Fossat
| Le Fossat | ||
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| region | Occitania | |
| Department | Ariège | |
| Arrondissement | Saint-Girons | |
| Canton | Arize-Lèze | |
| Community association | Arize Lèze | |
| Coordinates | 43 ° 10 ′ N , 1 ° 24 ′ E | |
| height | 231-353 m | |
| surface | 14.41 km 2 | |
| Residents | 1,037 (January 1, 2017) | |
| Population density | 72 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| Post Code | 09130 | |
| INSEE code | 09124 | |
_%C3%A9glise_Saint-Barth%C3%A9l%C3%A9my.jpg) Le Fossat - Saint-Barthélémy fortified church |
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Le Fossat ( Occitan also Le Fossat ) is a French commune with 1037 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) in the Ariège department in the Occitania region ; it belongs to the arrondissement of Saint-Girons and the canton of Arize-Lèze .
location
Le Fossat is located on the Lèze River at an altitude of about 240 m . The closest city is Pamiers , about 26 kilometers (driving distance) southeast ; the city of Toulouse is about 60 kilometers to the north.
Population development
| year | 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2006 | 2016 |
| Residents | 644 | 656 | 687 | 658 | 754 | 783 | 964 | 1052 |
In the 19th century the place had mostly around 1000 inhabitants. The increasing mechanization of agriculture in the first half of the 20th century led to a continuous decline in the number of inhabitants to the lows in the 1940s and 1980s.
economy
Le Fossat lived to a large extent from agriculture in the hamlets and villages in the vicinity; the place itself functions to this day as a small regional trade, craft and service center. Tourism in the form of renting holiday apartments ( gîtes ) also plays a certain role in the local income.
history
Le Fossat belonged to the County of Foix and the Abbey of Saint-Antoine-et-Saint-Pierre in Lézat-sur-Lèze and was founded jointly ( paréage ) by the Count of Foix and the head of the abbey in the 13th century . In order to attract new settlers they were granted various tax privileges (exemption from body and road tolls ) and economic privileges ( market and trade fair rights ). In the years 1568 and 1625 the place was besieged by the Huguenots and partially destroyed.
Attractions
- Of the fortified church of Saint-Barthélémy , which was built in the 14th century and largely rebuilt in the 18th century , only the lower part of the facade , made of stone , with the Gothic portal has been preserved, while the upper part is made of bricks typical of the region . The nave and apse were renewed after the destruction during the Huguenot Wars . Church construction has been recognized as a monument historique since 1926 .
- The Romanesque Chapelle Saint-André dates from the 12th century and is also recognized as a Monument Historique .
- An elaborately designed fountain ( Fontaine des Tortues ) from 1927 was also listed as a historical monument in 2007.
- The remains of two windmills can be found in the vicinity of the village .
Personalities
- Aicart du Fossat (13th century), troubador
- Théophile Silvestre (1823–1876), art critic
Web links
- Le Fossat, history and monuments - photos + information (French)
- Le Fossat, Église Saint-Barthélémy - aerial view, photo + brief information (French)
- Le Fossat, site with turtle fountain - photo
Individual evidence
- ^ Le Fossat, Église Saint-Barthélémy in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)
- ↑ Le Fossat, Chapelle Saint-André in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)