Villelongue

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Villelongue
Vilalònca
Coat of arms of Villelongue
Villelongue (France)
Villelongue
region Occitania
Department Hautes-Pyrénées
Arrondissement Argelès-Gazost
Canton La Vallée des Gaves
Community association Pyrénées Vallées des Gaves
Coordinates 42 ° 57 '  N , 0 ° 3'  E Coordinates: 42 ° 57 '  N , 0 ° 3'  E
height 457-2,484 m
surface 20.46 km 2
Residents 399 (January 1, 2017)
Population density 20 inhabitants / km 2
Post Code 65260
INSEE code 65473

Mairie Villelongue

Villelongue ( Gaskognisch Vilalònca ) is a French commune with 399 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017) in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region ; it belongs to the Argelès-Gazost arrondissement and the canton of La Vallée des Gaves .

location

Villelongue is located in the south of the Hautes-Pyrénées department, around 33 km (as the crow flies) south-southwest of Tarbes . The place is located on the western slope of the Soum Arrouy mountain (2484 m above sea level) east of the Gave de Gavarnie river in the vicinity of the Pyrenees National Park .

The community consists of the hamlet (hameau) Ortiac and individual farmsteads.

history

In the early Middle Ages the rulership changed frequently (Visigoths, Basques, Franks, Saracens). After that, the place was under the rule of the Kingdom of Aquitaine and the Duchy of Gascony for centuries. From 900 to 1609 there was a county of Bigorre within the aforementioned areas. During the Hundred Years War , Villelongue was sometimes under English and sometimes French rule. From 1425 to 1609 the place belonged as part of the county of Bigorre to the county of Foix, which is only loosely connected to France . Because the last ruler of this county, King Henry II of the House of Bourbon, ascended the throne of France (as Henry IV) in 1589, the places in the region were crown domains from 1609 to 1789. The municipality belonged to the District of Argelès from 1793 to 1801. In addition, it was from 1793 to 1801 part of the canton of Préchac and from 1801 to 2015 part of the canton of Argelès-Gazost (1793-1896 under the name of Canton Argelès ). With the exception of the years 1926 to 1942 (Arrondissement Bagnères), Villelongue was administratively part of the Arrondissement Argelès-Gazost from 1801. First mentioned by name as Villa Longa in 1168 in a bull by Pope Alexander III.

Population development

year 1793 1806 1821 1831 1846 1872 1886 1911 1921 1962 1968 1975 1982 1990 1999 2006 2017
Residents 570 534 637 601 658 649 529 672 502 467 404 362 321 313 291 320 399
Sources: Cassini and INSEE

In the 19th century the place often had over 600 inhabitants. The increasing mechanization of agriculture led to a continuous decline in the number of inhabitants to the lows of recent times. Since 1999, however, the number of inhabitants has been growing strongly again.

Attractions

Saint Martin Church
  • Saint-Martin village church
  • Chapel of Sainte-Catherine in Ortiac
  • several mills
  • two wayside crosses and the ruins of Saint-Orens Abbey

Web links

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