Le Mas-d'Azil

Le Mas-d'Azil ; Lo Mas d'Asilh
region	Occitania
Department	Ariège
Arrondissement	Saint-Girons
Canton	Arize-Lèze
Community association	Arize Lèze
Coordinates	43 ° 5 ' N , 1 ° 22' E Coordinates: 43 ° 5 ' N , 1 ° 22' E
height	275-580 m
surface	39.36 km 2
Residents	1,166 (January 1, 2017)
Population density	30 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code	09290
INSEE code	09181

Le Mas-d'Azil ( Occitan Lo Mas d'Asilh ) is a French commune with 1,166 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) in the Ariège department in the Occitania region (previously Midi-Pyrénées ); it belongs to the arrondissement of Saint-Girons and the canton of Arize-Lèze .

location

Le Mas-d'Azil is located on the Arize River at an altitude of about 320 m . The closest city is Pamiers , about 21 kilometers (as the crow flies) southeast ; the city of Toulouse is just under 70 kilometers to the north. The municipality is part of the Massif du Plantaurel and lies within the Pyrénées Ariégeoises Regional Natural Park .

The extensive community consists of the village of Le Mas-d'Azil, the hamlets (hameaux) Maury, Rieubach, Raynaude, Saret, Balança, Causseraing, Baluet, Plagne, Lapeyrère, Gouzy, Lacoite and Lasserre and individual farms.

history

Historically, the municipality belongs to the Volvestre region within Languedoc. A Benedictine monastery that was under the diocese of Rieux is mentioned as early as 817. There has also been a fortress since the Middle Ages. In the Middle Ages, Le Mas-d'Azil was part of the County of Foix . As early as 1540, the place was a stronghold of the Reformation and was nicknamed La Genève du comté de Foix . From September to October 1625 a royal army of 14,000 men besieged the small town without success. Between 1629 and 1636 the castle and the fortifications were destroyed. In 1649 monks came to the place to enforce the re-Catholicization - with moderate success. In 1683 there were 508 Catholics against 1608 Protestants. The community belonged to the Mirepoix-Pamiers district from 1793 to 1801. In addition, it was from 1793 to 2015 canton capital of the canton Le Mas-d'Azil (1793-1801) under the name of Canton Mas d'Azis . Between 1790 and 1794 the previously independent community of Raynaude was incorporated.

Population development

year	1793	1836	1846	1856	1866	1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2006	2012	2016
Residents	2,400	3,000	3,017	2,619	2,738	1,643	1,682	1,568	1,404	1,307	1,117	1,219	1,199	1,180
Sources: Cassini and INSEE

In the 19th century the place had around 3000 inhabitants at times. The increasing mechanization of agriculture in the first half of the 20th century led to a continuous decline in the number of inhabitants to what is now the lows.