Ajac
Ajac | |
|---|---|
 A general view of Ajac | |
 Coat of arms | |
Location of Ajac  | |
  Ajac  Ajac | |
| Coordinates:43°02′55″N2°08′17″E/ 43.0486°N 2.1381°E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Occitania |
| Department | Aude |
| Arrondissement | Limoux |
| Canton | La Région Limouxine |
| Intercommunality | Limouxin |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2020–2026) | Gérard Chaumond[1] |
| Area 1 | 5.29 km2(2.04 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[2] | 199 |
| • Density | 38/km2(97/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00(CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00(CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 11003/11300 |
| Elevation | 226–401 m (741–1,316 ft) (avg. 240 m or 790 ft) |
| 1French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2(0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Ajac(French pronunciation:[aʒak]) is a commune in theAudedepartment,part of theOccitanieregion, southern France.
Location
[edit]Ajac is 7 km from the local market town ofLimoux,and 30 km from the historic city ofCarcassonne.Falling within the ancient region ofLanguedoc,Ajac is part of thePays Cathare,an area rich withMedievalabbeys and castles.[3]
Village Layout
[edit]Although not aCirculadelike neighboring villages, Ajac is built upon a hill with thechateauat the top and center. The chateau was the ancestral home of the noble Montcalm andLévisfamilies, and birthplace ofFrançois Gaston de Lévis, Duc de Levis.Building of the chateau started in the 12th century, but has since had numerous alterations, most notably in the 18th century.[4]It is now in private ownership.
The church of Ajac is ofRomanesqueorigin, but rebuilt in the 18th century.
Sited within the foothills of the Eastern Pyrenees, the village is largely surrounded by agricultural land andvineyards.Both red and white wine grapes are grown locally, most notably for the production ofBlanquette de Limoux,claimed by some to predate champagne.[5]
History
[edit]The village of Ajac was given the name of the local count.
The local duke who was accused and hunted by the locals for accused treason against the king went into hiding. And the duke went into hiding. The duke was allowed to return on the condition that his authority not be passed on following his death. Therefore, Ajac remained independent until the French revolution and the establishment of the republic.
Administration
[edit]The current mayor of Ajac is Gérard Chaumond, reelected in 2020.[1]
Population
[edit]Reversing the decline experienced by rural villages during the later half of the last century, the population of Ajac has latterly increased. A village school and part-time cafe have reopened to serve this changing demographic.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 219 | — |
| 1975 | 226 | +0.45% |
| 1982 | 217 | −0.58% |
| 1990 | 209 | −0.47% |
| 1999 | 196 | −0.71% |
| 2007 | 244 | +2.78% |
| 2012 | 196 | −4.29% |
| 2017 | 187 | −0.94% |
| Source: INSEE[6] | ||
Personalities
[edit]See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ab"Répertoire national des élus: les maires".data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises(in French). 2 December 2020.
- ^"Populations légales 2021"(in French).The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies.28 December 2023.
- ^"Aude Cathar country - Tourism Aude Cathar Country, France".audetourisme.Archived fromthe originalon 2 March 2016.Retrieved13 February2016.
- ^Latour, Roger (2009).Les Villages du Canton de limoux.Lavalanet: R L editions.ISBN2-916467-12-2.
- ^Moore, Victoria."Limoux: Creme de la creme".The Telegraph.
- ^Population en historique depuis 1968,INSEE
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