Fenolheda

Fenouillèdes (French: Fenouillèdes, Occitan: Fenolhedés / Fenolheda / Fenolhet, Catalan: Fenolleda ) is a traditional, until around the end of the 19th century, okzitanischsprachige Comarca in southern France. Together with the five nordkatalonischen Comarques it forms the present-day département of Pyrénées- Orientales. The capital of the comarca is Saint -Paul -de- Fenouillet.

Location

In the south and southeast of the Fenouillèdes are the two nordkatalonischen Comarcas Conflent or Rosselló. In the north and north-west, the mountains of the Corbières connects. Further to the north west lie the southeastern arm of Lauragais. The most important river in Fenouillèdes is the aglycon.

Economy

The only export item of Fenouillèdes are good red wines, which are marketed under the appellation Cotes du Roussillon. Otherwise, the people live from tourism ( Rentals - gîtes ) and - to a limited extent - from agriculture and forestry.

History

Prehistory

In the cave of Arago near Tautavel remains have been since 1964 for several years during archaeological excavations discovered by Praehominiden whose age is given approximately 300000-450000 years. Thus, the so-called man of Tautavel belongs to the group of Homo erectus and thus - long before the Neanderthals - the oldest examples of the presence of early forms of humans in Europe.

A variety of Neolithic stone tombs ( dolmens ) from the time of the megalithic cultures indicates that the area was settled around 3000 to 4000 BC.

Antiquity

While it was in the time of Greek colonization in the Mediterranean today is Catalonia (Empúries ) and Languedoc ( Agde ) founding cities, this is for the adjacent coastal strip of Roussillon far not been demonstrated. The region is generally regarded as a settlement area of ​​the Celtiberian (see Sournia ). Traces of Roman colonization, however, are known (eg Ruscino in Perpignan ). The Aqueduct of Ansignan is the most important cultural legacy of the Romans in Fenouillèdes, although the former terminus of the water line, that is, the corresponding settlement date is not known.

Middle Ages

In the early Middle Ages, the Fenouillèdes formed part of the county Razès; in the year 870, it went to the Count of Urgell and Cerdanya. Subsequently, the Abbey of Saint -Michel -de- Cuxa expanded their lands and founded a monastery in Saint- Paul.

In the year 990 the Fenouillèdes was a sub- county of the Count of Besalu and in 1111 by the Count of Barcelona. In subsequent years, it was during the Crusades against the Cathars a pawn of the Counts of Barcelona, ​​Foix, Toulouse and Carcassonne. Finally, the Fenouillèdes final coincided with the Treaty of Corbeil ( 1258 ) to the Kingdom of France. It began the transition to the Occitan language.

Modern Times

In 1790, during the French Revolution and long after the Treaty of the Pyrenees of 7 November 1659 brought the whole of Spain Roussillon to France, which Fenouillèdes Pyrenees-Orientales was shared with the entire North Comarques in the department involved.

Attractions

• Dolmen of Trilla and Ansignan
• Roman Aqueduct of Ansignan
• Chapelle Saint -Michel de Sournia
• Gorges de Galamus with the Hermitage Saint -Antoine