^1 French Land Register data, which excludeestuaries, and lakes, ponds, and glaciers larger than 1 km2
Ariège (French pronunciation:[aʁjɛʒ]ⓘ;Occitan:Arièja[aɾiˈɛdʒɔ]) is adepartment in southwesternFrance, located in theregion ofOccitanie. It is named after the riverAriège and its capital isFoix. Ariège is known for its rural landscape, with a population of 153,287 as of 2019.[5] ItsINSEE and postal code is 09. The inhabitants of the department are known asAriègeois orAriègeoises.[6]
The department is part of the current region of Occitanie. It bordersHaute-Garonne to the west and north,Aude to the east,Pyrénées-Orientales to the south-east. To the south it bordersAndorra and the SpanishProvince of Lleida.Covering an area of 4,890 km2, the department is divided into three arrondissements:Foix,Pamiers, andSaint-Girons.[7]It comprises13 cantons, 21 intercommunalities, and325 communes.[8] In 2009 the Regional Natural Park of the Ariège Pyrenees was created covering about 40% of the area of the department of Ariège.
The north of the department consists of plains, hills and low valleys where agriculture is prevalent. Part ofLauragais covers the northeast of the department. Two major rivers, theAriège and theLèze, traverse the plain from south to north. A landscape of grain fields dominates the scene with growing ofsweetcorn andsunflowers and withprairies.
The Pyrenean foothills
This area includes thePlantaurel mountains and the Pre-Pyrenean hills below 1000 m. Various geological structures are present in contrast: the Foix Valley with its granite mountain landscape and theLavelanet region withmarl andlimestone.
Ariège high country
The geography is dominated by thePyrenees mountains exceeding 1,000 m above sea level which form the border between France and Spain. ThePica d'Estats (3143 m), thePic de Montcalm (3077 m), andPic de Sotllo (3072 m) are the highest points of the department. These peaks are clearly visible fromToulouse in theHaute Garonne.
There are hundreds of kilometres of well-marked paths which allow exploration of the magnificent Pyrenees mountains. The high mountains are easily accessible via good roads, cable cars or by foot. There are a number of lodges providing high level mountain accommodation that are comfortable, warm and with good meals. There are also a number of fresh water lakes which provide a variety of activities including, walking, swimming, fishing, canoeing, sailboarding and picnicking.
There are several downhill ski resorts, the three largest being Ax-Bonascre, Les Monts D'Olmes andGuzet-Neige. There are many cross country ski-ing resorts, one of the best being at Plateau de Beille, nearLes Cabannes. Ariège is one of the least populated and most unspoiled regions of France. The locals enjoy keeping traditions alive, especially old farming techniques. Consequently, as fewer insecticides, for example, have been used, the flora and fauna of the area continue to be rich in both diversity and numbers. Butterflies are common and birds are numerous; particularly noticeable are large birds of prey, including the magnificent Griffon vultures.
There are also many unspoiled villages and hamlets tucked away in the valleys close to the department's border with Spain –Seix, Cominac, andAulus-les-Bains are examples – together with picturesque mountain villages, most notablyAleu which comes alive in the holiday season.
Ariège stands on the eastern limit ofoceanic dominance over rainfall, but other influences are felt:
Mediterranean – particularly visible in the vegetation of the foothills and of the valley of the Ariège river towards Tarascon, and in the Sault country
Continental – in the Pyrenean valleys, with many storms and big differences of temperature between day and night
There is no great tendency to summer drought, as the flow of air from the north-west brings rain throughout the year. Rainfall is moderate on the foothills and in some sheltered valleys, measuring 700 to 1,000 mm per year, but increases significantly in the higher valleys with levels between 1,000 mm and 1,800 mm. The slopes exposed to the north-west, such as Aulus andOrlu, are, as one would expect, the wettest, together with the frontal ridges that meet air flow from the southwest (giving rise to theFoehn effect). Snow cover is common over 1,000 metres, lasting several months above 1,500 to 2,000 metres. Some periglacial areas exist over 2,500 m but the only trueglacier in Ariège is that ofMont Valier, nearCastillon-en-Couserans.
Temperatures are mild in the foothills, most notably at the city ofFoix (400 metres) the average is 5 °C in January and 19 °C in July. However, they decline rapidly with elevation, e.g. atl'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre (1,430 m) it is 0 °C in January and 14 °C in July.
Comparison of local Meteorological data with other cities in France[9]
Ariège is one of the original 83 departments created during theFrench Revolution on 4 March 1790 under the Act of 22 December 1789. It was created from the counties ofFoix (Languedoc) andCouserans (Gascogne).
A request was made to the Council of State to rename the department Ariège-Pyrénées.[11] According to the proponents of this project, the word "Pyrenees" would better position the department to promote itself throughout France. The demand was rejected.
Foix is the administrative capital of the Ariège. It is an ancient medieval town with a fortress,Chateau de Foix, perched on a hill overlooking it. The fortress has been attacked many times without being captured including an attempt bySimon de Montfort. It has also been used as a prison, and the names of English prisoners of war can still be seen on the cell walls. Another famous castle in the Ariège isMontségur, located on a rocky outcrop at a height of 1200 metres. During theAlbigensian Crusade and siege in 1244 the castle was largely destroyed, with more than two hundredCathar priests burnt at the stake as heretics. The castle was gradually rebuilt by Royalists over the next three hundred years.
The start of the seventeenth century saw the area ravaged by theHuguenot rebellions of Protestants against Catholics. In 1621 the Huguenot forces ruined the church atLa Tour-du-Crieu. In 1629Pamiers was sacked byHenry of Condé following uprisings that left several hundred dead in the city. This was also the period during which the abbeys at Foix,Tarascon-sur-Ariège,Saint-Girons,Saverdun andLe Mas-d'Azil were torched and destroyed.
The nineteenth century was a time of strong industrial growth, supported in Ariège by an abundant supply of water power. The department also benefited from its significant reserves of iron ore. The growth of iron-based industries was a feature of the period with the establishment, in 1817, of asteel manufacturing plant atPamiers. This has been the principal driver of the local economy ever since. Other representative examples of the iron-based industries that developed in Ariège during the nineteenth century include the forges atMontgaillard and theblast furnaces atTarascon-sur-Ariège.
An additional part of the department's industrial development during the nineteenth century was the paper industry atSaint-Girons and the textile industry in the Pays d'Olmes. Changes in forest laws in 1829 resulted in theWar of the Maidens, a revolt by peasants who resisted losing their rights to use the forests. They disguised themselves as women while performing acts of rebellion.[12]
Towns of particular historical interest in the department includePamiers, which hosted a large commercial centre and three churches;Mirepoix, a medieval town; andSaint-Lizier, which is situated on a hilltop with winding streets, fine views, and a church withcloisters that are noteworthy.Saint-Girons is an agricultural centre with a Saturday market.
The red and gold represents theCounty of Foix and the bell is the emblem ofCouserans, countries of the former province of Gascogne. This blazon, proposed by Robert Louis, is not official.
Blazon: Or, with 3 pales of gules and escutcheon of azure charged with a bell in argent.
The patriotic songArièjo O moun Pais was written by Father Sabas Maury, born on 1 March 1863 inGestiès in the valley of Siguer. He was the pastor ofMiglos andVarilhes. It became the anthem for Ariège.
The Ariège department is a largely unknown department which is situated next toAude in the southwestern part of the Occitanie region. It shares its borders withAude,Andorra,Haute-Garonne andPyrénées-Orientales.
It is predominantly a farming area, as the soil is rich and fertile. More than 50% of Ariège is mountainous, with 490,965 hectares being covered by forests.
Limestone breccia, polished stone marketed as "French Grand Antique Marble". Old quarry atAubert,Lez Valley, southwest ofSaint-Girons, western Ariège Department.
In the Ax valleys, the mining oftalc is the most typical activity. The processing plant for talc atLuzenac is supplied byCarrière de talc de Trimouns, which is the largest producer in the region (400,000 tonnes per year).
This industry is supplemented by tourism. Winter sports resorts are located atAx 3 Domaines, Ascou-Pailhères,Plateau de Beille, Le Chioula, andGoulier Neige.
In the Lavelanet area, the textile industry used to be significant, but much of the industry has moved out of the country and offshore. A few companies have tried to persist in the face of competition from lower cost-labor in Eastern Europe and Asia. New craftspeople installed themselves in the abandoned factories, like the brewery Le Grand Bison, now active for several years and counting gold and silver rewards for their beers.
In the Pamiers area metallurgy, aeronautics, and chemistry are the main industries. Metallurgy, at the Aubert & Duval factory, produces forgings for the aerospace and energy industries. Several companies are in the aeronautics outsourcing industry, such asRecaero andMaz'Air, partners with aircraft manufacturers. Chemistry is represented by the paint industry with theAlliance Maestria, which includes several companies making paint for anything from buildings to aircraft. In the same sector,Etienne Lacroix in the commune ofMazères, mainly manufactures fireworks and pyrotechnics.
For the Saint-Girons area, industry is in decline. It is represented mainly by the production of paper.
Hydroelectric production from Ariège is about one-fifth of Pyrenean production. The hydroelectric plant atAston has the largest annual production capacity in the Pyrenees (392 million kWh). WithOrlu andL'Hospitalet-près-l'Andorre, these three plants have the largest capacity in the department. The hydroelectric developments in Ariège can support a city of 600,000 inhabitants. Large industrial plants use the energy produced together with thenatural gas fromLacq.
The Ariège Chamber of Commerce and Industry is situated at Foix. The department's Economic Development Agency ("Ariège Expansion") is atVerniolle.[13] The department has established three 'business incubators' to support enterprise in Ariège.
Mostly mountainous and rural, the department of Ariège is far from the main transport routes serving the main valleys and coastlines. The railway arrived in the department in 1861 with theToulouse to Puigcerda line which is the only line that remains open to this day in the department.[14] Besides the trains of theTER Occitanie, this route is still served byIntercity trains fromParis-Austerlitz.
The most populous commune isPamiers; the prefectureFoix is the second-most populous. As of 2019, there are 10 communes with more than 3,000 inhabitants:[5]
According to INSEE as of 2020[update] 24.7% of available housing in Ariège consisted of secondary residences.[17] The following table indicates the main communes in Ariège (population more than 1,000) where second homes or occasional residences comprise more than 10% of total housing.[18]
Communes with more than 10% Secondary Residences (2017)
The department has twoparliamentary constituencies and 13 cantons. In general it can be said that:"With a republican and secular tradition since theThird Republic, Ariège is firmly held by theSocialist Party (PS) even though in recent years the right has managed to sink a few corners of the fortress".[20]
This resulted in a parliamentary representation until 2017 was dominated by the PS and a General Council where 19 of the 22 members were PS or close to this party – the political orientation of the department is therefore clearly identified. In 2007 it was the department with the most votes forSégolène Royal (59.56%). In 2012 it had the third most voters forFrançois Hollande in France with 64.69% afterCorrèze andSeine Saint-Denis.
Although male/female parity is well respected by MPs (Mrs.Frédérique Massat and Mr. Alain Fauré), all 22 councillors were men until 2011 when two women were elected.
The President of the Departmental Council is Christine Tequi of theSocialist Party.
The gastronomy of Ariège is based on the cooking of Pyrenean regional food, such as cheese orcharcuterie from the mountain country.Azinat is the local and typical dish of Ariège. The department is also well advanced in the field of organic farming.
Several novels by Louis Henry Destel are set in Ariège.
Thedetective story by Pascal DessaintLes Pis rennais (The Octopus) is set in the Couserans. It has been reprinted in comics.
Most of the novels by George-Patrick Gleize published by the Parisian publisherAlbin Michel feature Ariège or the Pyrenees such asLe Temps en héritage (Foix country),Un brin d'espérance (A strand of hope) (Olmes country),Rue des Hortensias Rouge (Ax-les-Thermes country),Le Forgeron de la liberté (Mirepoix country),Le Sentier des pastelliers (Mazéres region),La Vie en plus (Couserans),Le Destin de Marthe Rivière (Le Quérigut),Le Chemin de Peyreblanque orL'Auberge des myrtilles (Tarascon country),Une nuit en juin (Cerdagne and Pamiers region).
MiMa is an international festival of the art of marionettes held every summer inMirepoix. Each year the event is guided by a central theme. The line-up showcases a variety of techniques including object theatre, glove puppets, string puppets and marionettes portées (puppets carried by a handle on the back of the head).[25]
Terence Macartney-Filgate (1924–2022) was a British-Canadian film director living inMirepoix. He directed, wrote, produced or shot more than 100 films in a career spanning more than 50 years.
Richard Stanley (1966–), the South African film director, lives in Montségur
Marie-Louise (born 1876 inMirepoix) andRaymond Escholier (born 1882 in Paris), co-authors of "regionalist" novels such asCantegril which won thePrix Fémina in 1922
Marcel Pagnol (1895–1974), the novelist, playwright and filmmaker, taught at the École Supérieure inMirepoix.
Raymond Abellio (Georges Soulès) (1907–1986) philosopher, novelist. His paternal family came fromAx-les-Thermes and his maternal family was fromSeix in Haut-Couserans
Gaston Massat (1909–1966), surrealist poet and resistance fighter born inSaint-Girons
Michel-Aimé Baudouy (1909–1999), scholar, novelist, and playwright born inVernet d'Ariège
Max-Firmin Leclerc (1923–2014), writer and television director, lived in the commune ofDurfort (Maloureille) from 1974 to 1988
Christian Bernadac (1937–2003), journalist and writer born inTarascon-sur-Ariège
Georges-Patrick Gleize (1952–), novelist and historian
Patrick Cintas (1954–), writer, painter, sculptor, and composer
Remy Marrot (author of the novel 'Le Tribunal du peuple') teaches in Pamiers.[28]
Marie Laforêt (1939–2019) singer and actress. She defined herself as "Ariégeoise". Granddaughter of Louis Doumenach, founder ofLavelanet, a textile company
Christian Ton Ton Salut (1953–) is a jazz musician. He lived inPamiers from 1958 to 1977 and began his musical career with Marc Feinder's orchestra in 1970
Alfred de Jancigny (1824–1892), préfect of Ariège in 1864
Léon Galy-Gasparrou (1850–1921), MP for Ariège
Alpinien Pabot-Chatelard (1837-1929), préfect of Ariège from 1892 to 1898
Théophile Delcassé (1852–1923), politician, several times Minister of Foreign Affairs, in particular during the conclusion of the Entente cordiale with Great Britain, born inPamiers
Paul Caujolle (1891–1955), Mayor ofSiguer, General Counsel of Ariège and President of the National Assocuiation of Accountants
Pierre Dumas (1891–1968), born and died atSaint-Martin-d'Oydes (where an avenue is named after him), writer and journalist, great resistance fighter known as "Saint Jean", politician, MP forHaute-Garonne
François Camel (1893–1941), MP for Ariège from 1936 to 1941 and resistance fighter
Georges Galy-Gasparrou (1896–1977), MP, Secretary of State for Information, Mayor ofMassat
Augustin Bonrepaux (1936–), politician, former MP for Ariège and President of the General Council of Ariège, former president of the Finance Commission for theNational Assembly. Participated in the opening of the road to Ariège particularly the Puymorens Tunnel
André Trigano (1925–2024) Officer of the Legion of Honour. He was Mayor of Mazères for 24 years, General Councillor for the Canton of Saverdun and MP for the 2nd electoral district of Ariège from 1993 to 1997. Mayor of Pamiers, he is also the brother of Gilbert Trigano, the co-founder of Club Med
^"Département de l'Ariège (09) – Résumé statistique".Publications et statistiques pour la France ou les régions (in French). Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques – INSEE. Retrieved10 February 2015.
^"Populations légales 2022" (in French). National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 19 December 2024.
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