Saint-Hilaire (Aude)
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| region | Occitania | |
| Department | Aude | |
| Arrondissement | Limoux | |
| Canton | La Région Limouxine | |
| Community association | Limouxin | |
| Coordinates | 43 ° 6 ′ N , 2 ° 19 ′ E | |
| height | 146-582 m | |
| surface | 23.02 km 2 | |
| Residents | 773 (January 1, 2017) | |
| Population density | 34 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| Post Code | 11250 | |
| INSEE code | 11344 | |
 View of Saint-Hilaire |
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Saint-Hilaire is a French commune with 773 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) in the Aude department in the Occitanie region . It is located south of Carcassonne and lies on the banks of the Lauquet River .
history
Excavations prove a settlement as early as Roman times, but the real development spurt came with the establishment of the abbey . The origins of this foundation are in the dark; it was first mentioned in a document in 825. It shows that the abbey originally bore the name of St. Saturnin. The sarcophagus of this bishop - the work of the Master of Cabestany , an unknown sculptor of the 12th century - still stands in the former abbey church today.
At the beginning of the 9th century a charter confirmed the foundations of Charlemagne to the monks and guaranteed them the right to live according to Benedictine rules and to elect an abbot.
The village developed around this abbey in the period that followed, and today around 700 inhabitants live in it. In 970 the abbey acquired the relics of St. Hilary, the first bishop of Carcassonne from the 6th century, which resulted in a great prosperity.
Until the beginning of the 13th century the abbey was under the protection of the Counts of Carcassonne, but in the course of the crusade against the Cathars , the monks of Saint-Hilaire were also accused of heresy . The abbey lost many of its possessions and its autonomy .
In the following centuries the abbey repeatedly suffered from economic difficulties, caused a. a. through the Hundred Years' War - the fortifications date from this time - and the plague . In 1574 the place and the abbey were badly damaged in the wars of religion .
In 1748 the abbey was dissolved. The church served the village population as a parish church , the monastery buildings that were no longer needed were sold.
population
| year | 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 | 2009 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 730 | 751 | 687 | 595 | 653 | 699 | 740 | 773 |
Web links
- Abbey website (French)