Argentat

Argentat

The Dordogne River

Coat of arms
Argentat

Coordinates: 45°05′39″N 1°56′19″E / 45.0942°N 1.9386°ECoordinates: 45°05′39″N 1°56′19″E / 45.0942°N 1.9386°E
Country France
Region Limousin
Department Corrèze
Arrondissement Tulle
Canton Argentat
Intercommunality Pays d'Argentat
Government
 • Mayor (2014–2020) Jean-Claude Leygnac
Area1 22.41 km2 (8.65 sq mi)
Population (2009)2 3,052
 • Density 140/km2 (350/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 19010 / 19400
Elevation 166–441 m (545–1,447 ft)
(avg. 188 m or 617 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.

Argentat is a French commune in the Corrèze department in the Limousin region of central France.

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Argentacois or Argentacoises[1]

Geography

Argentat is situated on the Dordogne River, 30 km south-east of Tulle, 30 km east by south-east of Brive-la-Gaillarde, and some 15 km south-west of Saint-Privat. Access to the commune is by road D1120 from Saint-Chamant in the north-west passing through the town and continuing south-east to Montvert. The D980 goes from the town north-east to Saint-Privat. The D12 goes south-west from the town to Brivezac. The D33 branches off the D1120 east of the town and goes south to La Chapelle-Saint-Geraud. The D169 goes west from the town to Neuville. The D18 goes north-east from the village and continues north to Saint-Martin-la-Meanne. The D131 branches off the D18 and goes north to Saint-Bazile-de-la-Roche. The D129 goes north-east to the Barrage du Chastang. The D116 goes south from the town to connect to the hamlets of L'Hopital and Les Etables. Apart from the large town area the commune is mostly forest with some farming north and south of the town.[2]

The Dordogne river flows through the town and the commune from north to south with the Maronne river flowing through the commune from the east and joining the Dordogne at the south-western corner of the commune. At the northern border of the commune the Doustre river flows into the Dordogne. Several other streams flow into the Dordogne in the commune including the Ruisseau du Laie.[2]

Neighbouring communes and villages[2]

 Saint-Chamant Saint-Bazile-de-la-Roche Servières-le-Château
Neuville Hautefage
   Argentat  
Monceaux-sur-Dordogne La Chapelle-Saint-Geraud Sexcles

History

Argentat lies on the border of three regions, Limousin, Midi-Pyrénées and Auvergne, although it officially lies within the Limousin region. It also lies on the Dordogne river below some deep gorges with tumultuous water. This location makes the town of some importance due to the bridges crossing the Dordogne and the important river traffic to Bergerac and Libourne.

Since Gallic times a village perched on a nearby hill, the Puy-du-Tour, has controlled the ford on a protohistoric way connecting Armorica to the Mediterranean. A Roman villa was established on the plain of Longour, a farming-oriented area, close to the Dordogne.

In Merovingian times there was a mint to facilitate trade.

Under the Carolingians, Argentat was the seat of a vicariate - a territorial division under the authority of a count with a priest administering justice.

From the 10th century Argentat is known to have had a priory and a priest in a walled city. The town depended on a religious lord, the Prior of Carennac, and a lay lord, the Viscount of Turenne. Guarding his rights the Viscounty did not grant any charter of liberties and the local community had to be content until, in 1615, parish trustees were appointed to manage it. However from 1263, the Turennes conceded an important market on the Saint Andrew's day to the town which is the oldest fair in Lower Limousin. Argentat sided with the Huguenots in the Wars of religion which created a troubled situation for half a century.

In the 17th century, with the Counter-Reformation and the subsequent establishment of the Recollects and the Poor Clares around 1633 and the Ursulines in 1637, the struggles gradually subsided. With the annexation of Viscounty to the Crown in 1738, Argentat became the seat of a sub-delegation of the management of Limoges.

The town experienced significant economic growth in the 18th and 19th centuries from Inland navigation by scows, which were known locally as courpet, that allowed the delivery of goods (mainly oak staves for cooperage and carassonne-stakes for grapevines) to the Bordeaux region. This activity began to decline at the end of the 19th century following the outbreak of phylloxera, which devastated the vineyards, and the inauguration of the PO Corrèze railway between Tulle and Argentat in 1904 (this line remained in operation until 1970).

Heraldry

 Blazon:

Azure, two keys Argent addorsed posed in pale with interlaced rings.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors[3]

From To Name Party Position
1989 2014 René Teulade PS Vice President of the General Council, Senator, former Minister
2014 2014 François Bretin PCF Interim Mayor on the death of Mr Teulade, general councillor for the Canton of Argentat since 2011
2014 2020 Jean-Claude Leygnac

(Not all data is known)

Twinning

Argentat has twinning associations with:[4]

Demography

In 2009 the commune had 3,052 inhabitants. The evolution of the number of inhabitants is known from the population censuses conducted in the commune since 1793. From the 21st century, a census of communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants is held every five years, unlike larger towns that have a sample survey every year.[Note 1]

Evolution of the Population (See database)
1793 1800 1806 1821 1831 1836 1841 1846 1851
2,850 2,574 2,629 2,822 3,121 3,029 3,156 3,318 3,535
1856 1861 1866 1872 1876 1881 1886 1891 1896
3,520 3,435 3,449 3,350 3,380 3,304 3,262 3,087 3,093
1901 1906 1911 1921 1926 1931 1936 1946 1954
2,801 2,830 2,895 2,578 2,539 2,560 2,620 3,241 3,451
1962 1968 1975 1982 1990 1999 2006 2009 -
3,196 3,256 3,371 3,234 3,189 3,125 3,111 3,052 -

Sources : Ldh/EHESS/Cassini until 1962, INSEE database from 1968 (population without double counting and municipal population from 2006)

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

There are four sites in the commune that are registered as historical monuments:

Other sites of interest

Religious heritage

The Church of Saint Peter[12] contains many items that are registered as historical objects:

Other religious sites of interest

Notable people linked to the commune

Philately

A postage stamp worth 4.40 francs portraying the Lestourgie dock and beautiful renovated houses in Argentat was issued on 18 June 1994.[28]

Cinema

Several movies and TV series have been shot in the commune. In particular:

Argentat Photo gallery

The Church of Saint Pierre

See also

Bibliography

External links

Notes and references

Notes

  1. ↑ At the beginning of the 21st century, the methods of identification have been modified by Law No. 2002-276 of 27 February 2002, the so-called "law of local democracy" and in particular Title V "census operations" allows, after a transitional period running from 2004 to 2008, the annual publication of the legal population of the different French administrative districts. For communes with a population greater than 10,000 inhabitants, a sample survey is conducted annually, the entire territory of these communes is taken into account at the end of the period of five years. The first "legal population" after 1999 under this new law came into force in 1 January 2009 and was based on the census of 2006.

References

  1. ↑ Inhabitants of Corrèze (French)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Google Maps
  3. ↑ List of Mayors of France (French)
  4. ↑ National Commission for Decentralised cooperation (French)
  5. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée PA00099653 Eyrial Manor (French)
  6. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée PA19000015 Barns/Stables (French)
  7. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée PA00099654 Grave de Roland Menhir (French)
  8. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée PA00099652 Chateau du Bac (French)
  9. ↑ The Maison du Patrimoine on the Office of Tourism of Argentat country website (French)
  10. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM19001373 Painting: Portrait of Antoine Veilhan (French)
  11. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM19000010 Bronze Bell (French)
  12. ↑ Saint Peter's Church of Argentat (French)
  13. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM19001143 Container for Baptismal water (French)
  14. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM19000837 White Chasuble (French)
  15. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM19000834 Rose Chasuble (French)
  16. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM19000833 Chalice with Paten (French)
  17. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM19000832 Sideboard door (French)
  18. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM19000831 2 Busts/Reliquaries: Saints Clair and Peter (French)
  19. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM19000830 Pediment of the Retable of the Virgin (French)
  20. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM19000829 Framed Painting: Calvary (French)
  21. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM19000827 Pediment of the Retable of the main Altar (French)
  22. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM19000753 Containers for holy oil (French)
  23. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM19000752 Chalice with Paten (French)
  24. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM19000009 Processional Cross (French)
  25. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM19000008 Bronze Bell (French)
  26. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM19000007 Processional Cross (French)
  27. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM19000735 Chalice (French)
  28. ↑ Description on French Wikipedia (French)
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