Saint-Cirq-Lapopie
| Saint-Cirq-Lapopie | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Saint-Cirq-Lapopie | |
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Location within Midi-Pyrénées region  Saint-Cirq-Lapopie | |
| Coordinates: 44°27′55″N 1°40′14″E / 44.4653°N 1.6706°ECoordinates: 44°27′55″N 1°40′14″E / 44.4653°N 1.6706°E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Midi-Pyrénées |
| Department | Lot |
| Arrondissement | Cahors |
| Canton | Saint-Géry |
| Intercommunality | Lot-Célé |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2008–2014) | Gilles Hardeveld |
| Area | |
| • Land1 | 17.89 km2 (6.91 sq mi) |
| Population (1999) | |
| • Population2 | 207 |
| • Population2 Density | 12/km2 (30/sq mi) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 46256 / 46330 |
| Elevation |
120–389 m (394–1,276 ft) (avg. 320 m or 1,050 ft) |
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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. | |
Saint-Cirq-Lapopie is a commune in the Lot department in south-western France. It is a member of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France ("The most beautiful villages of France") association .
Its position, originally selected for defense, perched on a steep cliff 100 m above the river has helped make the town one of the most popular tourist destinations in the department, and the entire town is almost a museum. After it was "discovered" by the Post-Impressionist Henri Martin, it became popular with other artists and the home of the writer André Breton.
Location
Saint-Cirq-Lapopie is located 30 km east of Cahors, within the regional natural park Parc naturel régional des Causses du Quercy. The village overlooks the Lot River.
History
The stronghold of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie was the main seat of one of the four viscounties that made up Quercy, divided among four feudal dynasties, the Lapopie, Gourdon, Cardaillac and Castelnau families.
Way of St. James
Saint-Cirq-Lapopie is situated along the French pilgrimage route, Way of St. James. Coming from Cabrerets pilgrims would pass through, and then continue to Cahors, visiting St. Stephen's cathedral.[1]
Notable people
- Charles Rappoport (1865 - 1941) - Lithuanian-born militant communist politician, journalist and writer
- Poet André Breton spent time here in the 1950s in his "auberge des Mariniers."
Popularity
Saint-Cirq-Lapopie was the subject of an article published on 28 July 2012 in the British national newspaper The Guardian that featured the village's popularity with tourists and the fear that it might compromise its peaceful charm and relative isolation. The article claims an impressive 400,000 visitors each year (mostly from within France) but that it had become "...besieged by tourists..." since winning a popularity vote on a public television program in June 2012.
See also
References
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saint-Cirq-Lapopie. |
