Lavaur (French pronunciation: [lavɔʁ]; Occitan: La Vaur) is a commune in the Tarn department in southern France.
History
Lavaur was taken in 1211 by Simon de Montfort during the wars of the Albigenses, a monument marking the site where Dame Giraude de Laurac (Lady of Lavaur) was killed,[3] being thrown down a well and stoned to death.[4] The town was also taken several times during the religious wars of the 16th century.
Geography
Lavaur stands on the left bank of the Agout, which is here crossed by a railway-bridge and a fine stone bridge of the 1770s.[5] It lies 36 km southwest of Albi and 32 km east of Toulouse.
Demographics
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 7,665 | — |
| 1975 | 7,897 | +0.43% |
| 1982 | 7,972 | +0.14% |
| 1990 | 8,148 | +0.27% |
| 1999 | 8,537 | +0.52% |
| 2007 | 10,036 | +2.04% |
| 2012 | 10,242 | +0.41% |
| 2017 | 10,811 | +1.09% |
| Source: INSEE[6] | ||
Sights
- From 1317 till the French Revolution Lavaur was the seat of a bishopric; Lavaur Cathedral, dedicated to Saint Alan, was built for this purpose, dating from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, with an octagonal bell-tower. A second, smaller square tower contains a jaquemart (a statue which strikes the hours with a hammer) of the 16th century. In the bishops garden is the statue of Emmanuel, comte de Las Cases, one of the companions of Napoleon at Saint Helena. Historical monument since 1911.
- Church of Saint-François. (XIV c.). Historical monument since 1996.
- Tower of Rounds. (XIII c.) Historical monument since 1971.
- Viaduc de Lavaur. 1884. Engineer Paul Séjourné.
- Pont de Lavaur. Stone masonry road bridge over the Agout. Built between 1773 and 1791. Designed for the Estates of Languedoc by Joseph-Marie de Saget, known as De Saget elder.
Economy
The town carries on distilling and flour-milling and the manufacture of brushes, plaster and wooden shoes.
Notable residents
- Pierre Fabre, founder of Laboratoires Pierre Fabre[7]
- Étienne de Voisins-Lavernière (1813–1898), French deputy and then senator for Tarn
Miscellaneous
There is a subprefecture and a tribunal of first instance (a lower Court of Justice).
See also
References
- ^ "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.
- ^ "The Local Area around ourTarn Gite close to: Lavaur, Toulouse, Castres, Albi, Gaillac, Nalanda Buddhist Monastery, Vajrayogini Buddhist Institute, Cordes-sur-Ciel". Archived from the original on 2010-03-01. Retrieved 2010-04-30.
- ^ "Languedoc (Traditional province, France)". www.crwflags.com. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
- ^ Base Mérimée: Pont Saint-Roch, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)
- ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
- ^ "Pierre Fabre, founder of pharmaceutical giant, dies". Agence France Presse. France 24. 2013-07-20. Archived from the original on 2013-07-23. Retrieved 2013-08-17.
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