Ouveillan

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Ouveillan
Auvelhan
Coat of arms of Ouveillan
Ouveillan (France)
Ouveillan
region Occitania
Department Aude
Arrondissement Narbonne
Canton Le Sud-Minervois
Community association Le Grand Narbonne
Coordinates 43 ° 17 ′  N , 2 ° 58 ′  E Coordinates: 43 ° 17 ′  N , 2 ° 58 ′  E
height 6-59 m
surface 29.98 km 2
Residents 2,463 (January 1, 2017)
Population density 82 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code 11590
INSEE code

Ouveillan - Church of Saint-Jean l'Évangéliste

Ouveillan ( Occitan : Auvelhan ) is a municipality with 2,463 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) in the northeast of the Aude department in the Occitania region of southern France .

location

Ouveillan is located about 28 meters above sea level in the northeast of the Aude department, about 15 kilometers (driving distance) north of Narbonne . Béziers is about 25 kilometers to the east . The closest seaside resorts are Narbonne-Plage (30 kilometers), Saint-Pierre-sur-Mer (28 kilometers) or Valras-Plage (38 kilometers).

Population development

year 1968 1975 1982 1990 1999 2007 2016
Residents 1.921 1,888 1,861 1,882 1.913 2,169 2,376

economy

As in many areas near the Mediterranean coast of France, viticulture is also practiced on a large scale in Ouveillan. Various grape varieties are grown in the Aude wine-growing region, the grapes of which are mainly marketed as table or country wines ( vins de pays ), although there are always individual winemakers who try to optimize the quality of their wines. There is a cooperative cellar in the village ( Cave coopérative Vinicole ), which is also open to visitors; Wine tastings ( dégustations ) are possible.

In addition, tourism makes a significant contribution to the economic life of the community: depending on the season and individual preferences, hiking, beach holidays or wine tours are possible. Excursions to the cultural landscape of the Minervois , about 25 to 50 kilometers to the west , which played a not insignificant role in France at the time of the Albigensians , are also possible.

history

Only a few facts are known or published about the history of Ouveillan: The foundation of Ouveillan ( villa oviliano ) is assumed in the 10th century, but the place is only fortified in the 12th century ( castrum Ovilhiaino ). Ouveillan seems to have remained largely untouched by the Albigensian Crusades (1209–1229), the Hundred Years War (1337–1453) and the Huguenot Wars (1562–1598).

Attractions

Saint-Jean l'Évangéliste church

A previous building is mentioned in a document as early as the 10th century; the current church building, however, dates from the 12th century. Due to the size and the architectural design, it can be assumed that it was not a parish church, but a priory church . The nave of the church has only one nave, but it ends in a transept with three apses , which are divided on the outside by blind arches that rest on pilasters. Both the arches of the nave and the apses are covered by narrow strips of black basalt stone. There are two beautiful basalt crosses in the clearly designed west facade. The building has been registered as a monument historique since 1926 .

Cistercian estate in Fontcalvy

Grangie from Fontcalvy

The estate ( grangie ) of the Abbey of Sainte-Marie de Fontfroide in Fontcalvy, a suburb of Ouveillan four kilometers south-east, is one of the few surviving evidence of the economic life of the Cistercian order. The towering stone building, the ground floor of which was used as a nightly stable for the sheep and the upper floor as a store for grain, oil and wine, resembles a castle. It had to be defended against attacks by robber gangs or by farmers in the area in times of war and other emergencies. The only access is secured by a tower with window openings, the rest of the exterior shows several loopholes and ventilation slots in the lower area; only above are there window openings. In front of the building was a walled-in courtyard area, which was added later. The building was built between 1297 and 1320 by lay brothers ( converses ) of the order, who also cultivated the land and had to travel twice to the mass in Fontfroide (around 20 kilometers) every Sunday. The imposing ruins of the building have been registered as Monument historique since 1983 .

Others

  • From two medieval castles - one near the coastal lake ( étang ), the other on a hill near the village - almost nothing has survived.
  • The Château du Terral , a mansion in historicizing forms from the end of the 19th century, was recognized as a Monument historique in 2005 .

Individual evidence

  1. Église d'Ouveillan in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)
  2. Grange cistercienne de Fontcalvy in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)
  3. Château du Terral in the Base Mérimée of the French Ministry of Culture (French)

Web links

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