Saint-Alban-sur-Limagnole
| Saint-Alban-sur-Limagnole | ||
|---|---|---|
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| region | Occitania | |
| Department | Lozère | |
| Arrondissement | Mende | |
| Canton | Saint-Alban-sur-Limagnole (main town) | |
| Community association | Terres d'Apcher-Margeride-Aubrac | |
| Coordinates | 44 ° 47 ' N , 3 ° 23' E | |
| height | 872-1,305 m | |
| surface | 51.23 km 2 | |
| Residents | 1,349 (January 1, 2017) | |
| Population density | 26 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| Post Code | 48120 | |
| INSEE code | 48132 | |
The French commune of Saint-Alban-sur-Limagnole is located in the Lozère department in the Occitanie region . The place with 1349 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) is located on the GR 65 long-distance hiking trail , which largely follows the historical course of the French Way of St. James Via Podiensis .
Geography and traffic
Saint-Alban-sur-Limagnole is located in the Massif Central and is the capital of the canton of the same name . The place is located on the Limagnole , a tributary of the Truyère on the edge of the Margeride . The place arose around the castle and church of Saint Alban , which was dedicated to the first English martyr. The nearest major French cities are Lyon (157 km) in the northeast, Toulouse (203 km) in the southwest, Bordeaux (314 km) in the west and Montpellier (136 km) in the south.
The nearest regional airport is the airport Aurillac , with daily flights to Paris. It is about 120 kilometers away by road via the A75 and the N122 . The nearest train station is in Monistrol-d'Allier , about 42 kilometers by road to the northeast. In Saint-Alban-sur-Limagnole, the two departmental roads D987 and D4 cross.
history
Originally, Saint Alban was a feudal castle, first mentioned in 1245. In 1364 it is occupied by the English. In the Middle Ages it belonged to the Lords of Gévaudan . In the 16th century, a renaissance castle in the form of an irregular square was built near the castle. The four corners are flanked by massive towers. The building is surrounded by a moat, over which a drawbridge leads into the interior. The castle is now part of a psychiatric clinic.
Way of St. James (Via Podiensis)
In Saint-Alban-sur-Limagnole there is a hotel, restaurants and several pilgrimage hostels (French: Gîte d'étape) in addition to the tourist information office . The next larger town on the Way of St. James is Aumont-Aubrac on the border of the Aubrac . The D987 leads there as a direct road connection .
Attractions
- Saint-Alban Church
The influence of the Auvergne can be clearly felt in the Romanesque church. Harmonious arcades can be seen below the round roof of the apse . An imposing bell tower was built between the apse and the nave in 1891, with three bells in the window-like openings in the tower. The interior of the church is of simple elegance. The nave consists of a rounded barrel vault. The two side chapels are later additions. The view into the apse shows five beautiful windows with round arches, which rest on supports whose capitals are decorated with griffins , sirens and a centaur .
- lock
The castle of St. Alban was owned by the barons of Apchier and then by Baron Molette de Morangiès. It has been used as a psychiatric center since 1824. It also houses the tourist information office.
literature
- Bettina Forst: French Way of St. James. From Le Puy-en-Velay to Roncesvalles. All stages - with variants and height profiles. Bergverlag Rother, Munich (recte: Ottobrunn) 2007, ISBN 978-3-7633-4350-8 (Rother hiking guide) .
- Bert Teklenborg: Cycling along the Camino de Santiago. From the Rhine to the western end of Europe. (Cycling guide, route planner). 3rd revised edition. Publishing House Tyrolia, Innsbruck 2007, ISBN 978-3-7022-2626-8 .
Web links
- Pictures of the castle ( Memento from January 31, 2013 in the web archive archive.today )
- Office de Tourisme de Saint Alban sur Limagnole. (French)
- Along the Via Podiensis
- Saint Alban sur Limagnole en Lozère. (French)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Congregational information on annuaire-mairie.fr (French). Retrieved on January 21, 2010
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