Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda
| Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda | ||
|---|---|---|
|
The Mondony river and the parish church of Our Lady of Life, in Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda | ||
| ||
  Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda | ||
|
Location within Languedoc-Roussillon region  Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda | ||
| Coordinates: 42°28′34″N 2°40′21″E / 42.4761°N 2.6725°ECoordinates: 42°28′34″N 2°40′21″E / 42.4761°N 2.6725°E | ||
| Country | France | |
| Region | Languedoc-Roussillon-Midi-Pyrénées | |
| Department | Pyrénées-Orientales | |
| Arrondissement | Céret | |
| Canton | Arles-sur-Tech | |
| Intercommunality | Communauté de communes du Haut Vallespir | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor (2014-2020) | Alexandre Reynal | |
| Area1 | 29.43 km2 (11.36 sq mi) | |
| Population (2012)2 | 3,680 | |
| • Density | 130/km2 (320/sq mi) | |
| INSEE/Postal code | 66003 / 66110 | |
| Elevation |
176–1,424 m (577–4,672 ft) (avg. 240 m or 790 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. | ||
.svg.png)
Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda (Catalan: Els banys d'Arles) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
It is situated in the Tech valley, and combines the old and the new with a mix of narrow cobbled streets and modern accommodation. It has become a 'station verte' meaning that it must strive at all times to ensure that tourists benefit from a calm and natural environment.
Geography
Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda is located at the confluence of the Mondony with the Tech, 28.5 miles (46 km) SSW of Perpignan by road. The town is situated at a height of 770 feet (230 m) and has both a winter and summer season.
In the winter season the average temperature is about 10 degrees Celsius, and in the summer it is roughly 29 degrees Celsius. Thunderstorms are not infrequent in the area, and the telltale signs are small showers throughout the day.
Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda is located in the canton of Arles-sur-Tech and in the arrondissement of Céret.
Springs
The town has numerous sulphur springs (20-60C.) used as baths by sufferers from rheumatism and illnesses of the lungs. There are two bathing establishments, one of which preserves remains of Roman baths, and a large military thermal hospital.
Toponymy
The town, formerly called Les-Bains-d'Arles, became Fort-les-Bains in 1670 after the construction of the new castle. It was renamed Amélie-les-Bains in 1840 after Queen Amelia wife of Louis Philippe. She finally visited the town in 1848, for which she then did much advertisement.[1] In Catalan it is still called Els banys d'Arles.
Government and politics
Mayors
| Mayor | Term start | Term end |
|---|---|---|
| Paul Alduy | 1952 | 1959 |
| Jacqueline Alduy | 1959 | 2001 |
| Alexandre Reynal | 2001 |
Population
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1962 | 3,001 | — |
| 1968 | 3,662 | +22.0% |
| 1975 | 3,908 | +6.7% |
| 1982 | 3,713 | −5.0% |
| 1990 | 3,239 | −12.8% |
| 1999 | 3,475 | +7.3% |
| 2006 | 3,723 | +7.1% |
| 2009 | 3,695 | −0.8% |
Notable people
- Maximilien Chaudoir (1816-1881) : Russian entomologist, died in Amélie-les-Bains ;
- Pierre Restany (1930-2003) : art critic and philosopher, born in Amélie-les-Bains.
See also
References
- INSEE commune file
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Amélie-Les-Bains". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda. |
