Arlebosc

Arlebosc is located some 12 km west by south-west of Tournon-sur-Rhône and 8 km north-east of Lamastre. Access to the commune is by the D578 road from Saint-Jeure-d'Ay in the north passing through the village and continuing west then south-west to join the D534 north-west of Lamastre. Apart from the village there are the hamlets of Saint-Just in the north-east and Les Fauries in the western extension of the commune. The commune is rugged and heavily forested with some farmland on the eastern side.[3]

The Doux river forms part of the south-western border and flows through the commune from south-west to north-east. The Ruisseau de Balaye forms the western border as it flows south to join the Doux. Other streams rise in the commune and flow south-east to join the Doux. The Merdenc rises in the north of the commune and forms part of the northern border as it flows north-east to join the Daronne south-east of Saint-Félicien.[3]

A legend attributes the name of the commune to one of its Lords: Bozon d'Arles.

In reality, it is a name from the Old French -bosc (a primitive form of bois meaning "wood") attested in the Occitan form of Arlabosc from 912 and Latinized to Allabosco in the 14th century.[4]

Ernest Nègre[4] explained the first element as an Occitan form erela meaning "cranberry". The French term for cranberry (Airelle) is considered to be a borrowing from a variant of the Massif Central or the Alpine éiréla (also airelo). The Provençal aire is also used for "cranberry", from the Latin ater meaning "black",[5] d'où la signification globale de « bois des airelles ».3, so the overall meaning is "forest of cranberries".

List of Successive Mayors[6]

(Not all data is known)

In 2017 the commune had 331 inhabitants.[7]

Church of Saint Sacrement at Arlebosc

• The Chateau of Chazotte (17th century) is registered as an historical monument.[12]
• The Chateau of Malgaray
• The Chateau of Romaneaux
• The Church of Saint Sacrement from the 19th century. The church contains several items that are registered as historical objects:
  • 2 Statues: Torch-bearing Angels (18th century)[13]
  • A Silk Cope (19th century)[14]
  • A Group Sculpture: Crucifixion[15]
  • A Ciborium (1657)[16]
• The Chapel of Saint Just

• Myriam Gagnaire, a presenter on France 3 and TV5 Monde on "Side gardens" is a resident of the commune and artistic director of La Compagnie du Chat qui louche (in French), a cultural association whose headquarters is in Arlebosc and covers the Ardèche department with various cultural and educational activities in association with the local authorities.

• Communes of the Ardèche department

• Arlebosc on the National Geographic Institute website (in French)
• Arlebosc on Lion1906
• Arlebosc on Géoportail, National Geographic Institute (IGN) website (in French)
• Arlebosc on the 1750 Cassini Map

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arlebosc.