Arfons

Arfons ( Occitan: Arfonts ) is a southern French village with 180 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the Tarn department in the Midi-Pyrénées region. The municipality also includes the two hamlets Les Bastouls and Les Escudiés.

Location

Arfons situated on the River Sor on the northern edge away the cultural landscape of Lauragais in the southwestern foothills of the Montagne Noire and the Regional Natural Park of Haut Languedoc about 85 km ( driving distance ) south-east of Toulouse. About 33 kilometers to the southwest lies Castelnaudary; the cantonal capital Revel is located about 20 kilometers west.

Demographics

In the first half of the 19th century the place had resistant 1300-1500 inhabitants; then the number of inhabitants declined continuously. Only in recent decades, a slight increase is again observed.

Economy

Unlike in most places of Lauragais the cultivation of woad ( pastel) played in the Middle Ages and in early modern times because of the altitude of the place and its wooded surroundings hardly matters. Today Arfons thrives on tourism (hiking, apartments ) in a high degree. The municipality's territory both a wind farm and a Photovoltaic System installed.

History

For the history of the site has little information before: In 1150, the knights built by the Order of St.. John of Jerusalem, a castle, a hospital and a small chapel, which became the nucleus of the town. At times, was the forest and water rich area refuge of bandits. In the 17th century, to Pierre- Paul Riquet, the planner and builder of the Canal du Midi, have had the idea for the water supply of the channel by means of reservoirs and canals ( Rigoles ) here.

Attractions

• In the hamlet Les Escudiés is a small parish church ( Église Notre -Dame du Rosaire ), which still is to date from the time of the Knights and their outer walls are partly built in dry stone masonry technology. About a porch on the north side rises a simple bell gable ( clocher - mur ). Only the window frames are made of precisely carved in pale sandstone. Inside, the church is covered by a wooden roof.
• Several houses of the community are built in the same technique of unhewn stone slabs of different sizes and thickness ( roofing stones ). Some were plastered in later times.
• There is a niche with a statue (La Toustone ), which is held by some for a pagan (mother ) goddess, on other two worn portrait of Mary above the entrance of a house.
• At another house is actually mounted a the late Middle Ages dated Madonna statue.