Balaguères

Balaguères is a commune in the Ariège department in the Occitanie region of south-western France.

Balaguères
Commune
Location of Balaguères
Balaguères
Balaguères
Coordinates: 42°57′02″N 1°02′40″E
CountryFrance
RegionOccitanie
DepartmentAriège
ArrondissementSaint-Girons
CantonCouserans Ouest
IntercommunalityCouserans-Pyrénées
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Jean-Claude Roques
Area
1
17.84 km2 (6.89 sq mi)
Population
 (2017-01-01)[1]
197
 • Density11/km2 (29/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
09035 /09800
Elevation467–1,253 m (1,532–4,111 ft)
(avg. 475 m or 1,558 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Balaguérois or Balaguéroises.[2]

Geography

Balaguères is located some 4 km north-east of Audressein and 12 km south-west of Saint-Girons in the Parc naturel régional des Pyrénées ariégeoises. The north-west border of the commune is also the departmental border between Ariège and Haute-Garonne. Access to the commune is by the D618 road from Engomer in the east which passes through the south of the commune and continues south-west to Audressein. Access to the main village of Alas is by the D204A from Engomer and several local roads. The D204 goes north-west from the village through the hamlet of Agert to the hamlet of Balagué in the commune. The commune is farmland in the valley and forested on the mountain slopes.[3]

The Lez river flows through the south of the commune and the village from south-west to east and continues east then north-east to join the Salat at Saint-Girons. The Ruisseau de Lachein flows from the north-west through the commune, gathering several tributaries, to join the Lez at the village.[3]

Neighbouring communes and villages

[3]

History

Balagué, Agert, and Alas were all part of the lordship of Aspet in the 12th century together with Engomer, Montgauch, Bareilles, and Mauvezin de Prat. This lordship became a powerful Barony in the Middle Ages. On 12 December 1642 Guy d'Encausse, Lord of Labastide (near Rieucazé) purchased Alas-Balagué and gave it to Jean-Jacques de Solan. By decree in April 1667 King Louis XIV ordered the purchase of 18 parishes that had been committed in 1642 and 1643. They all returned to the Crown lands of France. Later, however, some were sold again (Castelbiague, Pointis-Inard, Alas-Agert-Balagué). Others remained in paréage[Note 1] with the king: Affis (His), Arbas, Ganties, Mauvezin, Montastruc, and Rouède. The rest remained permanently in the hands of the king as sole lord: Aspet, Chein, Escaich, Estadens, Montgauch-Bareilles, and Saleich.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors[4]

Mayors from the French Revolution to 1936
FromToName
17921793François Antras
17931795Joseph Anglade
17951798Raymond Cheil
17981800François Cazale
18001815Joseph de Castet
18151818Raymond Cheil
18181821Raymond Roque
18211822Joseph de Castet
18221830Guillaume Joseph de Castet
18301835Joseph Charles Arnaudi
18351837Joseph Loze
18371840Raymond Arasse
18401848Antoine Cabau
18481853Jean Saint-Martin
18531861Raymond Roque
18611908Maurice Morere
19081912Raymond Anere
19121914Henry Morere
19141919François Gradit
19191920Henry Morere
19201925François Gradit
19251929Pierre Lafont
19291936Joseph Anglade
Mayors from 1936
FromToNamePartyPosition
19361944Jean Arasse
19441966Pierre Founeau
19661977Joseph Tignous
19772020Henri Anrieu

(Not all data is known)

Demography

In 2017 the commune had 197 inhabitants.

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1793 1,379—    
1800 731−8.67%
1806 919+3.89%
1821 955+0.26%
1831 1,289+3.04%
1836 1,295+0.09%
1841 1,271−0.37%
1846 1,296+0.39%
1851 1,308+0.18%
1856 1,224−1.32%
1861 1,134−1.52%
1866 1,199+1.12%
1872 1,097−1.47%
1876 1,077−0.46%
1881 1,119+0.77%
1886 1,056−1.15%
1891 984−1.40%
1896 985+0.02%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1901 895−1.90%
1906 805−2.10%
1911 779−0.65%
1921 643−1.90%
1926 632−0.34%
1931 565−2.22%
1936 474−3.45%
1946 425−1.09%
1954 361−2.02%
1962 314−1.73%
1968 314+0.00%
1975 267−2.29%
1982 223−2.54%
1990 209−0.81%
1999 192−0.94%
2007 195+0.19%
2012 200+0.51%
2017 197−0.30%
Source: EHESS[5] and INSEE[6]

Culture and heritage

Cultural distinctions

Balaguères is one of the communes that have received the Esperanto Green Star, a distinction awarded to mayors of communes who identify with the speakers of the constructed language of Esperanto.

Balaguères was one of the filming locations for the film: The Return of Martin Guerre in 1982 with Nathalie Baye, Gérard Depardieu, and Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu.

Religious heritage
  • The Church of Agert contains two items that are registered as historical objects:
  • The Church of Alas contains four items that are registered as historical objects:

Environmental heritage
  • The Réseau Paloume, a natural cavity at more than 750 m altitude.

See also

Notes
  1. A feudal contract between two or more lords giving them equal rights

References
  1. "Populations légales 2017". INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  2. Inhabitants of Ariège (in French)
  3. Google Maps
  4. List of Mayors of France (in French)
  5. Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Balaguères, EHESS. (in French)
  6. Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  7. Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM09000076 Ciborium (in French)
  8. Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM09000075 Chalice (in French)
  9. Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM09000074 Ciborium (in French)
  10. Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM09000071 Framed Painting: The Virgin and child donating a rosary to Saints Dominic and Catherine of Sienna (in French)
  11. Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM09000073 Chalice with Paten (in French)
  12. Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM09000072 Confessional (in French)
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