Belpech

Belpech ( Occitan: Bèlpuèg ) is a municipality with 1324 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the west of the Aude department in southern France region Languedoc -Roussillon.

Location

Belpech is located at about 240 meters in the Garnaguès, a strip of land on the southern edge of Lauragais, about 68 km ( driving distance ) south-east of Toulouse. About 30 kilometers north-east lies Castelnaudary. Up to Carcassonne is about 60 km to the east.

A little below the village center, but still in the municipal area, opens the Vixiège in the Hers - Vif.

Demographics

In the Middle Ages Belpech was an important city with more than 2,000 inhabitants.

Economy

As in most places of Lauragais (also Pays de la Cocagne = called Cockaigne ') played the cultivation, processing and trade of dyer's woad ( pastel) in the late Middle Ages and the early modern period an important role in the economy of the wealthy city. But already in the 18th century, the cultivation of pastel was abandoned - it was by the - been gradually displaced new indigo dye from the market - from the predominantly grown in the American colonies gained indigo plant. Since then, the farmers of cereals ( wheat, corn, sunflower) and a bit of livestock ( sheep) had to go feed the Lauragais. In the 19th century were made in Belpech largely substances.

History

The name of the populated already in Gallo-Roman hill is likely to derive from the medieval Latin name bellopodio, later Beaupuy, both of which literally means ' dominant hill '. In the Middle Ages, the city had a castle (Le Castelas ), a monastery ( Notre- Dame de Garnac ) and several churches. Whether and to what extent the city in Catharism and the Albigensian Crusades (1209-1229) was involved, is unclear; in any case it was King Louis VIII as part of the initiated by him and partly also cited the Crusade against the Albigensians in 1226 in Belpech station.

In the time of the Wars of Religion (1562-1598) also Belpech was affected; maybe church buildings were destroyed or damaged at this time. In the years 1630 and 1654 the plague was rampant, and anyone who could, left the place and fled the country. In 1791, large parts of the city were destroyed by fire, but there were in 1835 still almost 2,500 inhabitants.

Attractions

Church of Saint- Saturnin

Other

• The ruins of the medieval castle (Le Castelas ) are not particularly impressive.
• Some medieval half-timbered houses ( maisons à colombages ) loosen up the image of downtown.
• The cast-iron market hall ( hall ) in the manner of Victor Baltard dates from the 19th century.
• Several stone bridges from the 15th and 16th centuries lead over the Vixiège.