Elne | |
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 Cloister of Elne | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Location of Elne | |
  Elne  Elne | |
| Coordinates:42°35′59″N2°58′16″E / 42.5997°N 02.971°E /42.5997; 02.971 | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Occitania |
| Department | Pyrénées-Orientales |
| Arrondissement | Céret |
| Canton | La Plaine d'Illibéris |
| Intercommunality | CC des Albères, de la Côte Vermeille et de l'Illibéris |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2020–2026) | Nicolas Garcia[1] |
Area 1 | 21.29 km2 (8.22 sq mi) |
| Population (2023)[2] | 9,511 |
| • Density | 446.7/km2 (1,157/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 66065 /66200 |
| Elevation | 0–65 m (0–213 ft) (avg. 23 m or 75 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Elne (French pronunciation:[ɛln]ⓘ;Catalan:Elna[ˈɛlnə]) is acommune in thePyrénées-Orientalesdepartment in southernFrance.[3]
It lies in the formerprovince ofRoussillon, of which it was the first capital, being later replaced byPerpignan. Its inhabitants are still calledIllibériens in reference to the city'sIberian name, Illiberis, one that it shared with the Illiberis that becameGranada, Spain.
Elne is located in thecanton of La Plaine d'Illibéris and in thearrondissement of Perpignan. It is situated 4 km (2.5 mi) from theMediterranean near theTech River, inPyrénées-Orientales, 12 km (7.5 mi) fromPerpignan and 7 km (4.3 mi) fromArgelès.
Elne, from the heights of its fortified site, dominates the narrow plain ofRoussillon between the Pyrenees and theMediterranean. Numerous archeological researches have shown that the surrounding countryside has been occupied sinceNeolithic times. Elne was anIberianoppidum or fortified town. Elne is the oldest town inRoussillon and since it is situated on the way towards theIberian Peninsula, successive civilisations have left their traces. The first mention of the settlement, under the name ofIlliberis, occurs in the history ofLivy (xxi.24).[4] It was theIberian city at whichHannibal pitched camp having crossed the Pyrenees in 218 BCE, where he negotiated with the assembled Gaulish chiefs his safe passage through their territories on the way to Italy. In the first century CE, however, it was no more than "a modest vestige of a hitherto great city" (Pliny).
In the fourth century, Illiberis was renamed "Castrum Helenae" afterHelena, the mother ofConstantine, whence its modern name was derived by degrees. In 350 A.D., this was the location of the assassination ofConstans, a son of Constantine. With the division of southern Gaul in 462, Elne became one of the "seven cities" ofSeptimania. Its Catholic bishopric was established in the 6th century. The first known bishop of Elne, Dominus, was mentioned in 571 in the Chronicle ofJohn of Biclarum. The bishop of Elne attended theCouncil of Toledo in 599. Numerous synods were held by the bishops of Elne: That of 1027 inToulouges upheld thePeace and Truce of God, that no one should attack his enemy from Saturday at nine o'clock to Monday at one. Further synods were held in 1058, 1114, 1335, 1337, 1338, 1339, 1340, and 1380.
When the Arabs crossed thePyrenees in 719 Elne was one of the first towns to be attacked, and when the counts of Roussillon achieved independence,Perpignan became the capital of the county, with Elne remaining theEpiscopal city.
The high altar of the presentcathedral of Sainte-Eulalie-et-Sainte-Julie was consecrated in 1069. ItsRomanesque cloister was built in the 12th to 14th centuries. In 1285, under the Aragonese domination, during theAragonese Crusade instigated byPope Martin IV, the town was plundered, the cathedral set on fire and the people, who had taken refuge inside, massacred by the French troops ofPhilip III.
During the later Middle Ages, Elne was increasingly overshadowed by the growing prosperity of nearbyPerpignan; the counts of Roussillon moved their seat from Elne to Perpignan, and after vicissitudes lasting two centuries the episcopal seat was finally transferred to Perpignan also, in 1601 by a Bull ofPope Clement VIII.
In 1472 the inhabitants of Elne revolted against French rule. The town, yet again besieged, was conquered and its captain, Bernat d'Oms, beheaded (1474). In 1493 Elne, along with allRoussillon, was returned to theCrown of Aragon. In 1641 Elne suffered another siege by the French and after theTreaty of the Pyrenees (1659), became French. The medieval ramparts were partly destroyed in 1680 onLouis XIV's orders.
Since then Elne has become an agricultural town which, in spite of repeated destructions caused by its several invaders, remains a witness to its past glories, attracting some 70,000 visitors annually.
In the twentieth century a sculptor and a painter have left their imprint:Aristide Maillol andEtienne Terrus, to whom a local museum is dedicated. "Pomone" by Maillol serves as the World War II war memorial, and the studio of Terrus, whereHenri Matisse andAndré Derain were received, saw the birth of theFauve movement.
Currently the city is extending towards the north, in a carefully planned urbanization— "Las Trillas"— extending over 40 hectares, which takes advantage of picturesque views of the cathedral. A pedestrian boulevard through the city, on the model ofBarcelona's successful "Las Ramblas", is under way, as well as a new square,Place Jordi incorporating the ramparts of the upper city.
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| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 5,892 | — |
| 1975 | 6,017 | +0.30% |
| 1982 | 6,177 | +0.38% |
| 1990 | 6,262 | +0.17% |
| 1999 | 6,410 | +0.26% |
| 2007 | 7,452 | +1.90% |
| 2012 | 8,275 | +2.12% |
| 2017 | 8,941 | +1.56% |
| Source: INSEE[5] | ||
Media related toElne at Wikimedia CommonsPlaces adjacent to Elne | |
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