Arques, Aude

Arques

View of Arques from the castle

Coat of arms

Arques

Location within Languedoc-Roussillon region

Arques

Coordinates: 42°57′12″N 2°22′33″E / 42.9533°N 2.3758°ECoordinates: 42°57′12″N 2°22′33″E / 42.9533°N 2.3758°E

Country

Couiza

Pays de Couiza

Government

• Mayor (2014–2020)

Maxime Barbaza

Area¹

18.53 km² (7.15 sq mi)

Population (2009)²

268

• Density

14/km² (37/sq mi)

INSEE/Postal code

11015 / 11190

Elevation

329–854 m (1,079–2,802 ft)
(avg. 356 m or 1,168 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.

Arques is a French commune in the Aude department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France.

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Arquois or Arquoises^[1]

Geography

Arques is located in the Pyrénées mountains some 25 km south-east of Limoux and 25 km north-east of Quillan. Access to the commune is by the D613 road from Serres in the west passing through the village and continuing to Albières in the east. The D54 goes north from the village to Valmigère. At the commune border the D70 branches from the D54 and follows a tortuous route to Bouisse. The commune is an alpine commune with rugged terrain but with some farms in the valley.^[2]

The Rialsesse river flows though the centre of the commune and the village from east to west gathering many tributaries. In the south the Ruisseau de Lait, with many tributaries rising in the commune, flows north-west into the Lac d'Arques (Arques Lake) which feeds the Rialsesse.^[2]

Neighbouring communes and villages^[2]

Arques

Rennes-les-Bains

Sougraigne

Auriac

History

The area was owned by the Abbey of Lagrasse in the early 11th century, before coming under the control of the Lords of Termes. In 1231 the region was given by Simon de Montfort to Pierre de Voisins after the Albigensian Crusade. His successor, Gilles de Voisins, began the construction of the castle in 1280 and the organization of the Bastide. It was the northern barons who came to occupy the land of the Cathar heretics under the order of Pope Innocent III. The dynasty of Voisins was extinguished in 1518 with the marriage of Françoise with Jean de Joyeuse, a member of the House of Joyeuse who therefore became the owner of the lordship and barony of Arques. Arques castle was abandoned in favour of the Château des Ducs de Joyeuse (Castle of the Dukes of Joyeuse) in Couiza. Lords and barons of Arques-barons were hereditary barons of Languedoc (Pays d'états) and had a permanent seat in the Estates of Languedoc.

Heraldry

	This design is the interpretation of Henri Sivade Commune of Arques Blazon: Vert, Party per fess Argent chapé chaussé of one in the other.^[3] ^[4]

	The Armorial of General d'Hozier shows this picture which can be emblazoned as follows:^[5] Blazon: Party per fess, Vert and Argent, vêtu of one in the other.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors^[6]

From	To	Name	Party	Position
	2001	Roché Hubert		General Counsel of the Canton of Couiza
2001	2014	Henri Barbaza	PS
2014	2020	Maxime Barbaza

(Not all data is known)

Demography

In 2009 the commune had 268 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
460	488	535	506	549	591	600	601	556

1856	1861	1866	1872	1876	1881	1886	1891	1896
504	560	539	542	495	520	531	508	507

1901	1906	1911	1921	1926	1931	1936	1946	1954
504	516	429	272	326	330	297	284	250

1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2006	2009	-
235	210	190	201	210	199	-	268	-

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

Sites and monuments

Château d'Arques at night

The commune has two sites that are registered as historical monuments:

The Arques Iron Cross (14th century)^[7]
The Château d'Arques (14th century)^[8]

Other sites of interest

The Déodat Roché House converted into an exhibition on Catharism
The Arboretum du Planel
A Sculpture of the Head of a Cleric (15th century) is registered as an historical object.^[9]
The Church contains several items that are registered as historical objects:
- A Group Sculpture: Saint Anne, Virgin and child (14th century)^[10]
- A Tabernacle and Altar seating in the south side chapel (17th century)^[11]
- A Cross (14th century)^[12]
- An Altar Cross and 6 Candlesticks (18th century)^[13]
- A Retable and Tabernacle in the south side chapel (17th century)^[14]

Chateau d'Arques Picture Gallery

The chateau
Interior
A door
The ceiling
The keep
The entrance
Windows
Arch
The keep in the 19th century

Notable people linked to the commune

Pierre de Voisins (1177-1233), Lord of Voisins-le-Bretonneux, then Limoux, Arques, Reddes, Caderonne, Couiza, and Bugarach. In 1191 he went on the Third Crusade. In 1209 he took part in the Albigensian Crusade. Lieutenant of Simon de Montfort who entrusted him with several lordships in Carcassonne and Razes after the fall of the Château de Termes. He was Baron of Arques.
Anne de Joyeuse (1560/1-1587), Baron of Arques, Viscount then Duke of Joyeuse.
Déodat Roché, born on 13 December 1877 at Arques, died on 12 January 1978, historian of Catharism, magistrate, philosopher, anthroposopher, freemason.
Victor Boffelli, born on 20 March 1947 at Arques, French rugby player

Notes and references

Notes

↑ 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

↑ Inhabitants of Aude (French)
↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Google Maps
↑ Charles d'Hozier, Armorial General of Persons, Places, Companies, Corps, and Communities of the department of Aude, Imprimerie François Pomiès, Augustin Cornet-Peyrusse, 1876, Carcassonne, 124 pages, Read online (French)
↑ Arms of the communes of the department of Aude, Departmental Archives of Aude, Henri Sivade, 1996, Carcassonne, 128 pages, ISBN 2-86011-012-7 (French)
↑ Armorial General of France, prepared under the edict of 1696. Vol. 15: Languedoc (Part 2), Charles d'Hozier, Read online (French)
↑ List of Mayors of France (French)
↑ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée PA00102540 Arques Iron Cross (French)
↑ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée PA00102539 Château d'Arques (French)
↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM11001712 Sculpture of the Head of a Cleric (French)
↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM11001711 Group Sculpture: Saint Anne, Virgin and child (French)
↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM11002887 Tabernacle and Altar seating (French)
↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM11002843 Cross (French)
↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM11002509 Altar Cross and 6 Candlesticks (French)
↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM11002508 Retable and Tabernacle (French)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arques, Aude.

Communes of the Aude department

Arques, Aude