Mirepoix (Ariège)

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Mirepoix
Coat of arms of Mirepoix
Mirepoix (France)
Mirepoix
region Occitania
Department Ariège
Arrondissement Pamiers
Canton Mirepoix
Community association Pays de Mirepoix
Coordinates 43 ° 5 '  N , 1 ° 52'  E Coordinates: 43 ° 5 '  N , 1 ° 52'  E
height 276-462 m
surface 47.28 km 2
Residents 3,158 (January 1, 2017)
Population density 67 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code 09500
INSEE code 09194
Website Mirepoix

Mirepoix - Cathédrale Saint-Maurice ,
in the background Château de Terride

Mirepoix is a southern French municipality with 3,158 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) in the Ariège department in the Occitanie region .

location

Mirepoix is ​​located on the south bank of the Hers-Vif river in the foothills of the Pyrenees at an altitude of about 300  m between the cities of Pamiers (about 20 km to the west) and Carcassonne (about 40 km to the northeast) and Limoux (about 33 km to the southeast). About 30 km north is the city of Castelnaudary ; The town of Foix is about 25 km to the southwest . The climate is temperate; Rain (approx. 755 mm / year) falls over the year.

Population development

year 1800 1851 1901 1954 1999 2015
Residents 3,193 4,476 3,368 3,078 3,061 3,162

The phylloxera crisis in viticulture, increasing mechanization of agriculture and the abandonment of small farms led to a continuous decline in the number of inhabitants as early as the second half of the 19th century.

economy

Mirepoix lived to a large extent from agriculture in the hamlets and villages in the vicinity; the small town itself functions to this day as a regional center of trade, handicrafts and services. Today tourism plays a not insignificant role for the town's income.

history

The first mention of a castle in Mirepoix comes from the year 960. In 1104, Roger I de Bellisen, landlord of Mirepoix, died in Jerusalem during the 1101 crusade . He had accompanied his liege lord Roger II , Count von Foix . Roger I's successor was the husband of his granddaughter Serena, Arhon I, lord of Verdun Castle .

In the 13th century many Cathars lived in Mirepoix , as the feudal lord ( seigneur ) had also become Cathars. According to the Inquisition's documents , a great council of the Cathars is said to have taken place in Mirepoix in 1206. Pierre-Roger de Mirepoix the Elder, governor of the neighboring Cathar fortress of Montségur , earned merit in its defense, which was rebuilt in 1204 at the instigation of Raymond de Pereille, a member of the Mirepoix family. On September 22, 1209, Simon IV. De Montfort took Mirepoix after a successful siege. Then he gave the place to one of his loyal followers, Guy de Lévis . In 1223, Raymond Roger von Foix successfully besieged Mirepoix and Pierre-Roger de Mirepoix became a feudal lord again and the Cathar faith returned to the city for a few years. In the Treaty of Paris (1229) Mirepoix was returned to Guy de Lévis. Its heir, Jean de Lévis, had the place rebuilt south of the Hers after a flood caused by the rupture of the Puivert dam in 1289 and made it a bastide .

In 1317 the former Cathar city of Mirepoix was founded by Pope John XXII. made the seat of a Catholic diocese , which existed until the Concordat of 1801 . In 1343 construction began on the cathedral , which was not consecrated until 1506. In 1348 the plague raged. In 1680 part of the city walls was razed and the defensive trenches filled in.

Attractions

Town hall ( mairie ) of Mirepoix
Saint Maurice Cathedral
Nave
  • The picturesque old town is surrounded by a city wall and lies at the foot of the Château de Terride . Narrow alleys lead to its center, where mostly two-story, medieval half-timbered houses stand on wooden arcades ( couverts ) around an extensive square ( Place Général Leclerc ) with a fountain, where the market is held on Mondays and Thursdays . Several houses are listed as monuments historiques .
  • The most beautiful house in the area is the Maison des Consuls, dating from the 15th century and recognized as a monument historique since 1915 . The ends of the half-timbered beams above the arcade zone are richly carved with crowned heads, beautiful women, fantastic beasts, etc.
  • Today's town hall ( mairie ) is also located in a half-timbered house that has been a listed building since 1929 .
  • The Porte d'Aval , built in 1372 and recognized as a monument historique since 1930, is part of the medieval city wall of Mirepoix, which has been partially preserved .
  • The former late Gothic cathedral of St-Maurice was built from 1343; however, the bell tower was not completed until 1506. It did not get its current appearance until the middle of the 19th century in the course of a fundamental restoration or revision by Viollet-le-Duc , during which the impressive ribbed vault of the single-nave nave was renewed; the 21.40 m wide nave is the widest of any ever built in France. Most of the original keystones of the vault, some of which - because of their exceptional quality - are attributed to the master of Rieux , are now in the Musée des Augustins in Toulouse. The chapel of the Bishop Philippe de Lévis has a recessed in the floor labyrinth . The church building was recognized as a monument historique as early as 1907 .
  • The former bishop's palace (Palais épiscopale) is an unadorned, but completely stone-built building from the early 16th century; the larger of the many rectangular windows have stone crosses. Today the building houses the Musée Patrimoine et Traditions .
Surroundings
  • The Château de Terride , which was first mentioned in 960 but has been rebuilt again and again, stands a little outside the village on the flank of a hill. It is privately owned and has been recognized as a Monument historique since 1875 .

Events

Every year in July, Mirepoix celebrates its Medieval Festival (Les Médiévales) with dance and theater performances in old costumes and in August the puppet festival (Festival de la Marionette) . The Apple Festival (Fête de Pomme) takes place in October .

Personalities

Twin cities

Mirepoix has a partnership with the Spanish municipality of Palafrugell .

See also

Web links

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

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Mirepoix - climate tables
  2. ↑ Mirepoix - Maison des Consuls in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)
  3. ↑ Mirepoix - Hôtel de Ville in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)
  4. ↑ Mirepoix - Porte d'Aval in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)
  5. ↑ Mirepoix - Ancienne Cathédrale Saint-Maurice in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)
  6. ↑ Mirepoix - Château de Terride in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)