Villasavary

Villasavary ( Occitan: Le Vilar ) is a commune with 1221 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2011 ) in the Aude department in the Languedoc- Roussillon region. The present town was created by connecting several small communities ( Besplas, Rascoux ) at the time of the French Revolution ( 1790).

Location

Villasavary situated on a hill near the Canal du Midi, near the ancient trade route Narbonne- Carcassonne -Toulouse in the south east of the landscape of Lauragais. The place is about 71 km ( driving distance ) south-east of Toulouse; about 13 kilometers north- west is Castelnaudary. Up to Carcassonne is about 30 km to the east. The cantonal capital Fanjeaux is about six kilometers south; LAURAC, the former capital of Lauragais, about six kilometers to the west.

Demographics

For the Middle Ages, the population is estimated at about 2,000 - a number that had the early years of the revolution stock; at the beginning of the 20th century there were about 1,600 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 economic life of the city. But already in the 18th century, the cultivation of the plant was abandoned - she had been gradually supplanted by the new indigo dye from the market. Since then, the farmers of cereals ( wheat, corn, sunflower) and a bit of livestock ( sheep) had to go feed the Lauragais.

History

On the territory of the present municipality of small finds were made of Gallo-Roman period (5th / 6th century ). Mentioned in documents for the first time Villasavary (Villa Severic ) in 1162 because of its border location between the County of Toulouse and Carcassonne viscounty it was attractive to both parties.; The neighboring Besplas contrast was under the control of the lords ( seigneurs ) of LAURAC. Villasavary is one of the few places in the Lauragais, which - despite its central location and despite the presence of a castle or of city fortifications - go unmentioned during the Albigensian Crusade (1209-1229) and probably harmless got away.

In the Middle Ages the town had two parish churches ( Saint- Pierre and Saint- Jacques), the latter of which was demolished in the 15th century due to disrepair and large maintenance costs. In the time of the Wars of Religion (1562-1598), the village Besplas was abandoned.

Attractions

• The single-nave parish church of the town ( Église Saint- Pierre ) dates from the 13th century, the choir area was rebuilt in the 14th century; the upper part of the lateral bell tower was remodeled in the 18th century.
• In the old, long discontinued, the district Besplas is a simple Romanesque church ( Chapelle Saint -Martin de la Salle ) from the 12th century, which still bears traces of frescoes from the 15th century on the inside. The small church has neither a tower nor a bell gable; The western facade is completely unadorned - the entrance is on the south side.
• In the vicinity are the ruins of several windmills. The first mention of a windmill in Villasavary dates from the year 1212; the last of a group of four mills was in operation until 1947 and has been restored, but no longer functional. Windmills were not needed solely for grinding grain - even the woad ( pastel) had to be ground before drying to a pulp; In addition, also limestone for the production of gypsum plaster were ground in some mills.