Aurignac

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Aurignac

Coat of arms
Aurignac
Coordinates: 43°13′10″N 0°52′49″E / 43.2194°N 0.8803°E / 43.2194; 0.8803Coordinates: 43°13′10″N 0°52′49″E / 43.2194°N 0.8803°E / 43.2194; 0.8803
Country France
Region Midi-Pyrénées
Department Haute-Garonne
Arrondissement Saint-Gaudens
Canton Aurignac
Intercommunality Canton of Aurignac
Government
 • Mayor (2010–2014) Jean-Michel Losego
Area
 • Land1 17.95 km2 (6.93 sq mi)
Population (2008)
 • Population2 1,171
 • Population2 Density 65/km2 (170/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 31028 / 31420
Elevation 295–511 m (968–1,677 ft)
(avg. 400 m or 1,300 ft)

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.

Aurignac is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France on the edge of the Pyrénées. It is the seat of the canton of Aurignac (population 4,160), which is composed of 19 communes. It is part of the ancient region known as the Comminges.

Geography

The town of Aurignac is located 60 km southwest of Toulouse and is, on average, 400m above sea level. It is in the region of rolling hills known as the Petites Pyrénées and is dominated by a ridge-shaped hill upon which the old town is built with the remains of a 13th-century castle at the top.

History

Aurignac is best known for the 1860 discovery, by Édouard Lartet, of prehistoric remains in nearby caves, at the Abri préhistorique d'Aurignac, which led to the definition of the Aurignacian culture. It is an archetypical site for this important phase in human prehistory. Evidence of early modern humans (often called Cro-Magnon man) has been found in Africa as far back as 160,000 years ago. When they came to Europe, about 40,000 years ago, their culture appears to have flourished with major advances in the use of tools and the development of figurative art. The Aurignacian culture has been called the first modern humans in Europe.

The exact origins of the town are not defined, although the 1957 discovery of the remains of a Roman habitation, with a well-preserved bath-house, 2.5 km (1.6 mi) from the present-day town suggests that the area was inhabited during the Gallo-Roman period. In 777 a Benedictine priory was founded in Aurignac as a dependency of the Abbey of Saint Tiberi in the diocese of Agde. It has been suggested that the monks built a church around 800, which they dedicated to the obscure Saint Marie d'Aurinhaco, thus giving rise to the town name. The first known official record is from 1109, regarding Roger d'Aurignac, the Seigneur of the town. In 1234, Bernard V, Count of Comminges, received the territory from his mother. By 1240, he had built a castle (the Château d'Aurignac) on the hill, around which the village grew.

Between the 14th and 17th centuries, Aurignac was one of the more important towns of the Comminges, with over 40 communes in its dependence, and an important centre of commerce, based on the production of pottery and leather and holding frequent markets and fairs. During the French wars of religion (1562–1598) the Comminges remained Catholic and Aurignac became an important military centre. Its population was recorded as 2,500 in 1699.

Henry IV ordered the destruction of the castle in the early 17th century and, although it was still partly inhabited in 1627, it fell into disuse not long afterwards.

Population

Historical population
Year Pop.  ±%  
1962 916—    
1968 971+6.0%
1975 966−0.5%
1982 976+1.0%
1990 983+0.7%
1999 980−0.3%
2009 1,187+21.1%

The old town

The old part of the town is centred around the remains of the castle dating from the 13th century, including the church, a well-restored keep (donjon), towers, gateways and the parts of the ramparts, some of which have been incorporated into houses. Extending down the hill is the 14th/15th century area, also originally walled.

Church

The foundation of the church of St Pierre aux Liens is unknown. Although the north facade includes 13th-century fortifications, the building has been restored several times during its history. The main restoration in 1791 added the ornate entrance from the 16th-century chapel of St Michel, which was demolished during the revolution. The church contains a chapel of the Penitents Bleus, a civil religious organisation that played a major role in the community from the 17th to 19th centuries.

Museum

In 1968, a museum of prehistory was established in the town to house a collection of Aurignacian artefacts from the local site and others in France and abroad. The poor standard of accommodation for the museum resulted in its closure in 2006 and the institution of a project to build a larger museum and library complex on the southern edge of the town.

Commerce and Leisure

The town has, for its size, a good number of shops and local businesses, including a quarry, agricultural and small-scale commercial enterprises. Aurignac has a gendarmerie, Poste and two schools: primary and secondary, which serve the canton and some other surrounding communes. There are two hotels, cafes, a brasserie, a gym, and two gastronomic restaurants. The leisure centre has an outdoor swimming pool with a cafe, tennis courts and a football field.

There are a number of festivals during the year, most notably the three-day summer festival in August which includes a fairground,communial outdoor dining and a number of live bands and performers in the main square.

Aurignac is on the GR86, one of the less well-known Grande Randonnée, running from Toulouse to Bagnères-de-Luchon.

See also

References

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