Alzonne

Alzonne

Alzonne Water Tower

Coat of arms
Alzonne

Coordinates: 43°15′18″N 2°10′39″E / 43.255°N 2.1775°E / 43.255; 2.1775Coordinates: 43°15′18″N 2°10′39″E / 43.255°N 2.1775°E / 43.255; 2.1775
Country France
Region Occitanie
Department Aude
Arrondissement Carcassonne
Canton Alzonne
Intercommunality Carcassonne Agglo
Government
 • Mayor (2014–2020) Régis Banquet
Area1 22.38 km2 (8.64 sq mi)
Population (2009)2 1,303
 • Density 58/km2 (150/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
INSEE/Postal code 11009 / 11170
Elevation 108–242 m (354–794 ft)
(avg. 129 m or 423 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.

Alzonne is a French commune in the Aude department in the Occitanie region of southern France.

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Alzonnois or Alzonnoises[1]

Geography

The commune is located in the Lauragais valley some 15 km west of Carcassonne and 15 km east of Castelnaudary. The route D6113 passes through the commune from west to east between these two cities and becomes National Route N113 near Carcassonne. The Autoroute des Deux Mers (A61, E80) passes just 1 km south of the commune but the nearest exit is to the D43 near Bram. Other roads running into the commune are the D8 from Montolieu in the north, the D34 from Saint-Martin-le-Vieil in the northwest, and the D33 running west to east from Bram to Villesèquelande forms the southern border of the commune with a connecting road running north to the village. The Bordeaux-Sète railway runs west to east across the southern part of the commune but there is no station. The nearest station is at Bram.[2]

The Fresquel river runs from west to east through the commune passing just south of the village and joining the Aude at Carcassonne. The Fresquel is joined by the Lampy just east of the village and a number of streams flow into the two rivers including the Ruisseau de Fontorbe, the Ruisseau de Rebenty, the Ruisseau de Falgous, and the Vernassonne which forms a part of the northern border of the commune. The Canal du Midi also passes through the southern part of the commune.

The commune is mostly farmland with some forests in the north. Apart from the village of Alzonne there are also the hamlets of Fongayraud and La Rode near the village, and La Migance in the north.[2]

Neighbouring communes and villages[2]

 Saint-Martin-le-Vieil Saissac Montolieu
Villepinte Pezens
   Alzonne  
Bram Montréal Villesèquelande
View of the Pyrenees

Toponymy

The name Alsona dates from 898 and comes from Fresquel. It is based on the Hydronymic root alz- meaning "alder" or "swamp" (Dauzat, Negre, Billy, Morvan) and the suffix -onna.

History

Alzonne from the 9th century was a town of some importance as it was once the capital of the viguerie of its name: vicaria Ausonensis; therefore Alzonne was also known in pago Carcassensi. In this respect the situation of Alzonne has hardly changed since this small town is today the capital of the canton of its name in the arrondissement of Carcassonne.

Its ancient and enduring importance is due to the fertility of its land and the rivers that form its fertile valley. Once the city was fortified and was besieged and taken three times during the Wars of Religion of the 16th century.[3] It was a strategic place in the crusade against the Albigensians.

Heraldry

 The official Blazon remains to be determined.

Blazon:
Argent, embrassé sinister Azure.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors of Alzonne[4]

Mayors from 1929
From To Name Party Position
1929 1943 Jean Bousquet
1943 1944 Georges Satgé
1944 1945 Edouard Revel
1945 1971 Antoine Azam SFIO
1971 1977 Grégoire Vanacker PS
1977 1995 Jacques Tramunt PS
1995 2014 Jean-Marie Salles PS
2014 2020 Régis Banquet

(Not all data is known)

Demography

In 2009 the commune had 1,303 inhabitants. The evolution of the number of inhabitants is known through the population censuses conducted in the town since 1793. From the 21st century, a census of municipalities with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants is held every five years, unlike larger towns that have a sample survey every year.[Note 1]

Population Change (See database)
1793 1800 1806 1821 1831 1836 1841 1846 1851
1,384 1,510 1,596 1,610 1,629 1,644 1,598 1,623 1,588
1856 1861 1866 1872 1876 1881 1886 1891 1896
1,605 1,566 1,468 1,510 1,546 1,516 1,584 1,506 1,405
1901 1906 1911 1921 1926 1931 1936 1946 1954
1,530 1,574 1,460 1,315 1,321 1,312 1,277 1,277 1,223
1962 1968 1975 1982 1990 1999 2009 - -
1,275 1,177 1,206 1,208 1,225 1,220 1,303 - -

Sources : Ldh/EHESS/Cassini until 1962, INSEE database from 1968 (population without double counting and municipal population from 2006)

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

The commune has two structures that are registered as historical objects:

Other sites of interest

Religious heritage

The Church contains two items that are registered as historical objects:

Notable People linked to the commune

See also

External links

Notes and references

Notes

  1. ↑ At the beginning of the 21st century, the methods of identification have been modified by law No. 2002-276 of 27 February 2002 , the so-called "law of local democracy" and in particular Title V "census operations" which allow, after a transitional period running from 2004 to 2008, the annual publication of the legal population of the different French administrative districts. For municipalities with a population greater than 10,000 inhabitants, a sample survey is conducted annually, the entire territory of these municipalities is taken into account at the end of the period of five years. The first "legal population" after 1999 under this new law came into force on 1 January 2009 and was based on the census of 2006.

References

  1. ↑ Inhabitants of Aude (French)
  2. 1 2 3 Google Maps
  3. ↑ Dezobry and Bachelet, Dictionnary of Biography, Vol. 1, Ch. Delagrave, 1876, p. 68 (French)
  4. ↑ List of Mayors of France (French)
  5. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM11000173 War Memorial (French)
  6. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM11000172 Monument to Vialatte (French)
  7. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM11001688 Bronze bell (French)
  8. ↑ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM11001687 Bronze bell (French)
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