Vals-près-le-Puy

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Administration
Commune of Vals-près-le-Puy
Location
Longitude	03° 52' 32" East
Latitude	45° 01' 45" North
Country	France
Region	Auvergne
Department	Haute-Loire
Arrondissement	Le Puy-en-Velay
Canton	Le Puy-en-Velay-Sud-Ouest
Mayor	Alain Royet (2001?-2008)
Statistics
Altitude	632 m–920 m (avg. 660 m)
Land area¹	5.12 km²
Population² (1999)	3,391
- Density (1999)	662/km²
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code	43251/ 43750
¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 mi² or 247 acres) and river estuaries.
² Population sans doubles comptes: single count of residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel).

Vals-près-le-Puy is a French commune situated in the département of Haute-Loire and the Auvergne région.

Its inhabitants are known as Valsois.

It is twinned with Aielo de Malferit (Spain).

1 Geography
2 History
3 Demography
4 Places and monuments
5 Notable people with links to the commune
6 See also
7 External links
- 7.1 Map links
- 7.2 Links which require payment for detailed information

[edit] Geography

The town is located in the valley of the river Dolaizon. It forms the South-West border of Puy-en-Velay and its highest point is Mount Ronzon (850 m).

[edit] History

Le Puy became part of the province of Velay in 1789.

[edit] Demography

Demographic evolution of Vals-près-le-Puy between 1962 and 1999
1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999
1,829	2,449	3,070	3,505	3,426	3,391

Census Enumeration : Population without double-counting

[edit] Places and monuments

Augustinian Monastery early 17th century. Historic Monument.
Church of Saint Vosy, chapel of the monastery 17th century. Historic Monument.

Chibottes (ancient dry masonry constructions)
- [1]
- [2]
Wooden chibotte of Lirate 17th century and 19th century.

Chibottes were circular or semi-circular stone huts built between the 17th century and the 19th century as shelters (especially for wine growers). There once were hundreds of these but most were destroyed during the French Revolution.

[edit] Notable people with links to the commune

Auguste Aymard, 1808 - 1889, mayor Vals-près-Le Puy, polymath (curator of the Crozatier museum, archivist, palaeontologist, archaeologist).
Joseph Rumillet Charretier 1833 - 1916 grew verbena (Fr: verveine) at his property in Vals and founded the distillery Verveine du Velay in 1858.

[edit] See also

Communes of the Haute-Loire département

[edit] External links

All sites in French, unless otherwise indicated:

It has no entry on the following standard sites:
- Office of Tourism website - apparently there is no tourism office in the town.
- Belltower of Parish Church