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Castelnau-de-Montmiral |
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Castelnau-de-Montmiral
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| Administration | |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Region | Midi-Pyrénées |
| Department | Tarn |
| Arrondissement | Albi |
| Canton | Castelnau-de-Montmiral |
| Intercommunality | Vère Grésigne |
| Mayor | Paul Salvador (2008–2014) |
| Statistics | |
| Elevation | 153–485 m (502–1,591 ft) |
| Land area1 | 88.81 km2 (34.29 sq mi) |
| Population2 | 964 (2006) |
| - Density | 11 /km2 (28 /sq mi) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 81064/ 81140 |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
| 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. | |
Castelnau-de-Montmiral is a commune in the Tarn department in southern France.
Contents |
| Year | 1962 | 1968 | 1975 | 1982 | 1990 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1192 | 1215 | 1037 | 958 | 910 | 895 |
The Vère flows westward through the commune.
While traces of activities dating back to the Bronze Age such as dolmens and oppidums can be seen in the nearby forest La Grésigne, the village was founded as an albigensian bastide in 1222 by Raymond VII, count of Toulouse, under the name “Castellum Novum Montis Mirabilis”.
During the subsequent years, the village remained an impressive stronghold. In 1345, during the Hundred Years' War, when Edward the Black Prince invaded the Albigeois, he reportedly left without besieging the village… Later, it served as a shelter for catholics who were fleeing from Gaillac because of the Wars of Religion. King Louis XIII visited Castelnau in June 1622, and stayed in the “Tonnac” house.
Remarkable sites and monuments in Castelnau-de-Montmiral include :
“One evening, a small, jolting, overcrowded bus took us to Castelnau-de-Montmiral ; it was raining ; as we got out on the square surrounded by corbel vaults, Sartre abruptly told that he was fed up with being mad.” ("Un soir, un petit autobus cahotant et bondé nous amena à Castelnau de Montmiral ; il pleuvait ; en descendant sur la place entourée d’arcades, Sartre me dit abruptement qu’il en avait assez d’être fou.")