Mourjou

Mourjou

Mourjou seen from Jalenques, during an autumn evening
Mourjou

Coordinates: 44°41′29″N 2°19′48″E / 44.6914°N 2.33°ECoordinates: 44°41′29″N 2°19′48″E / 44.6914°N 2.33°E
Country France
Region Auvergne
Department Cantal
Arrondissement Aurillac
Canton Maurs
Intercommunality Pays de Maurs
Government
 • Mayor (2008–2014) Raymond Delcamp
Area1 29.99 km2 (11.58 sq mi)
Population (2008)2 327
 • Density 11/km2 (28/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code 15136 / 15340
Elevation 294–663 m (965–2,175 ft)
(avg. 480 m or 1,570 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.

Mourjou is a commune in the Cantal department in south-central France. A chestnut fair is held annually during the third weekend of October.

Peter Graham, the writer and journalist, is the author of Mourjou: The Life and Food of an Auvergne Village.[1] The book, based on historical research and interviews with many local residents, describes the area surrounding the village, known as the Chataigneraie, and its customs and cuisine.

The village is home to the Maison de la Chataigne, a museum dedicated to the chestnut: its history, its cultivation and harvesting, and its consumption. It is open from June to September every day of the week in the afternoon, except Monday.

There is a restaurant, the Auberge de Mourjou, which is open seven days a week.

Population

Historical population
YearPop.±%
17931,046—    
18211,119+7.0%
18411,115−0.4%
18561,163+4.3%
18721,062−8.7%
18861,017−4.2%
1901860−15.4%
1911864+0.5%
1921759−12.2%
1936746−1.7%
1946658−11.8%
1962592−10.0%
1975543−8.3%
1982503−7.4%
1990420−16.5%
1999354−15.7%
2008327−7.6%
2011311−4.9%

See also

External links

References

  1. ↑ Graham, Peter (1999). Mourjou: The Life and Food of an Auvergne Village (in English, French). London: Penguin. ISBN 978-0140468601.
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