^1 French Land Register data, which exclude estuaries and lakes, ponds and glaciers larger than 1 km2
Aveyron (French:[avɛʁɔ̃]ⓘ;Occitan:Avairon[aβajˈɾu]) is adepartment in theregion ofOccitania,Southern France. It was named after the riverAveyron. Its inhabitants are known asAveyronnais (masculine) orAveyronnaises (feminine) in French.[3] The inhabitants of Aveyron'sprefecture,Rodez, are calledRuthénois, based upon the first settlers in the area, theRuteni. With an area of 8,735 square kilometres (3,373 sq mi) and a population of 279,595, Aveyron is a largely rural department with a population density of 32 people/km2 (83 people/mi2).[4]
Aveyron is one of theoriginal 83 departments created during theFrench Revolution on 4 March 1790. The earliest known inhabitants of the region were theRutenii tribe, though the area was inhabited prior to their tenure. The department has many prehistoric monuments, including over a thousanddolmens, the most of any department in France.
Victor of Aveyron in 1800
During the medieval and early modern periods, and until the 1790s, the territory included within Aveyron was aprovince known asRouergue. In 1797,Victor of Aveyron (aferal child) was found wandering the woods in the area. The story of Victor is told in the filmThe Wild Child.
In 1817, a local prosecutor,Antoine Bernardin Fualdès, was assassinated. The sordid circumstances of his death, following which his body was found floating in the river Aveyron, led to the matter becoming publicised as acause célèbre. Recent studies have indicated that he met his end at the initiative of a right-wing royalist organisation known as theChevaliers de la Foi (Knights of Faith).[5]
Aveyron is the centre of a triangle formed by the cities ofToulouse,Clermont-Ferrand, andMontpellier. The department approximately follows the outline of the former province ofRouergue. It is the 5th largest department in metropolitan France in terms of area (8,735 km2 (3,373 sq mi)). Its prefecture isRodez.
The department comes under the jurisdiction of theAcademy of Toulouse and the MontpellierCourt of Appeal. TheINSEE and Post Code is 12. Aveyron is located in the south of theMassif Central. The highest point in the department is the summit of theSignal de Mailhebiau at 1469m on the Plateau ofAubrac. The Aveyron department is divided into several natural regions such as the Grand Causses and Rougiers.
In 2017, the department had 279,206 inhabitants. The evolution of the number of inhabitants is known through the population censuses conducted in the department since 1793.
The most populous commune isRodez, the prefecture. Of the department's population, 25% live in the four largest communes:Rodez,Millau,Onet-le-Château, andVillefranche-de-Rouergue. As of 2019, there are 7 communes with more than 5,000 inhabitants:[10]
The regional sub-dialect spoken in Aveyron is a form ofLanguedocOccitan calledRouergat. Faced with the risk of disappearance of the language several associations asked the State and political communities for an ambitious language policy.[14] In Rouergat,Aveyron is written:
Avairon (traditional Occitan spelling) – e.g. "Roergue forma lo despartament de l'Avairon"
Oboyróu (spelling of Father Vayssier) – e.g. "Rouergue fouórmo lou desportomén de l'Oboyróu"
Activities include horseriding, fishing, swimming in theLacs du Lévézou and hiking/camping. The inhabitants are also very good craftsmen, and Aveyron is full of various craft objects, handmade, that can be found locally. Examples include thecouteau de Laguiole, the world famousRoquefort cheese, from the village of the same name and other local produce. Markets take place every Saturday on market places around the region.
José Bové, anti-globalizationist, MEP since 2009, farmer, activist and former spokesman of French farmers' unionConfédération paysanne, peasant in the cause ofLarzac (1953 -)
Paul Astruc,Major Criminal cases of Aveyron, Éditions De Borée,ISBN2-84494-180-X(in French)
Christian Bernard,Aveyron in flowers: Illustrated inventory of vascular plants of Aveyron department, Éditions du Rouergue,ISBN2-84156-658-7(in French)
Francine Claustres,Aveyron Cuisine, Sud Ouest,ISBN2-87901-257-0(in French)
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