Alairac () is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the

Aude Aude (; ) is a Departments of France, department in Southern France, located in the Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie Regions of France, region and named after the river Aude (river), Aude. The departmental council also calls it "Ca ...

department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...

in the

Occitanie Occitanie may refer to: *Occitania, a region in southern France called ''Occitanie'' in French *Occitania (administrative region) Occitania ( ; french: Occitanie ; oc, Occitània ; ca, Occitània ) is the southernmost administrative region of ...

region of southern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Alairacois'', or ''Alairacoises''.

Geography

The commune is in the urban area of

Carcassonne Carcassonne (, also , , ; ; la, Carcaso) is a French fortified city in the department of Aude, in the region of Occitanie. It is the prefecture of the department. Inhabited since the Neolithic, Carcassonne is located in the plain of the ...

and is located on a hillock at the foot of the Malepère mountain range. Alairac is a traditional

circulade In the Languedoc-Roussillon region of the south of France, a ''circulade'' is a traditional village that has been built in concentric circles. The center, which one might expect to be the site of a '' château-fort'' or a parish church, is as ofte ...

village dating to 1000AD. The commune has been part of the agglomeration community called Carcassonne Agglo since 1 January 2010. The commune is located some 80 km south-east of

Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...

and only 6 km south-west of

. The Motorway E80 (A61) passes across the northern tip of the commune but has no exit. The commune can be reached by Road D18 from Carcassonne which passes in a south-westerly direction through the heart of the commune towards Cailhau. Road D211 also passes through the commune from Arzens in the west to Lavalette in the east passing to the north of Alairac village. The village can be reached by a number of local roads from both the D211 and the D18. The commune is both farmland and forest with a two small hamlets: Galet and Les Rougeats.Google Maps
/ref> Several streams pass through the commune. In the east the Ruisseau Saint Pierre forms the eastern border of the commune, the Ruisseau de Bonne Mere forms the southern boundary, and the Ruisseau du Sout forms the western boundary. Inside the commune there are several streams with the Ruisseau de Celule Ou Gautel passing near the village. All the streams eventually flow into the river

which continues east into the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...

Neighbouring communes and towns

Geology, topography and hydrography

The village overlooks the plain where the

Canal du Midi The Canal du Midi (; ) is a long canal in Southern France (french: le Midi). Originally named the ''Canal royal en Languedoc'' (Royal Canal in Languedoc) and renamed by French revolutionaries to ''Canal du Midi'' in 1789, the canal is considere ...

to the north of the commune towards Carcassonne and the view extends over a panorama limited to the north by the

Montagne Noire The Montagne Noire ( oc, Montanha Negra, known as the 'Black Mountain' in English) is a mountain range in central southern France. It is located at the southwestern end of the Massif Central at the juncture of the Tarn, Hérault and Aude departm ...

(Black Mountain). To the north-east is the city of Carcassonne and to the south the Malepère mountain range covered in oak forest, the domain of

wild boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is ...

and

mushroom A mushroom or toadstool is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground, on soil, or on its food source. ''Toadstool'' generally denotes one poisonous to humans. The standard for the name "mushroom" is t ...

collectors.

Climate

The village has an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...

with a strong Mediterranean influence. This area is dominated by

Holly Oak ''Quercus ilex'', the evergreen oak, holly oak or holm oak is a large evergreen oak native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the '' Ilex'' section of the genus, with acorns that mature in a single summer. Description An evergreen ...

forests which makes it suitable for the cultivation of the grapevines. The summers are temperate and the winters mild.

History

The first written record of the castle appeared in 1063: the time of the probable construction of the

. The area belonged to the

Count of Foix The Count of Foix ruled the independent County of Foix, in what is now Southern France, during the Middle Ages. The House of Foix eventually extended its power across the Pyrenees mountain range, joining the House of Bearn and moving their court ...

, the first of which was ''Roger I de Foix'' who was the second son of

Bernard-Roger, Count of Bigorre Bernard Roger ( – ) was the count of Couserans, in which capacity he was lord of parts of Comminges and Foix. Life Bernard Roger was the son of count Roger I of Carcassonne and Adelaide de Melgueil. His elder brother, Raymond I of Carcasso ...

. Over the years, he exchanged the ''County of Foix'' with the ''Viscount of Carcassonne'' several times to the

Trencavel The Trencavel was an important noble family in Languedoc between the 10th and 13th centuries. The name "Trencavel" began as a nickname and later became the family's surname. The name may derive from the Occitan words for "Nutcracker" (''trenca ...

family. From the 11th century, the village was traversed by one of the paths to Saint Jacques de Compostela called "Path of the Pyrenean Piedmont". This pilgrimage continued until the 18th century. During the

Albigensian Crusade The Albigensian Crusade or the Cathar Crusade (; 1209–1229) was a military and ideological campaign initiated by Pope Innocent III to eliminate Catharism in Languedoc, southern France. The Crusade was prosecuted primarily by the French crown ...

at Easter 1210,

Simon de Montfort Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester ( – 4 August 1265), later sometimes referred to as Simon V de Montfort to distinguish him from his namesake relatives, was a nobleman of French origin and a member of the English peerage, who led the ...

besieged the castle at Alairac for eleven days at which the people, fearing they may have to surrender, fled by night. In 1309, the last known

Cathar Catharism (; from the grc, καθαροί, katharoi, "the pure ones") was a Christian dualist or Gnostic movement between the 12th and 14th centuries which thrived in Southern Europe, particularly in northern Italy and southern France. Follow ...

perfect,

Guillaume Bélibaste Guillaume Bélibaste ( occitan: Guilhèm Belibasta) is said to have been the last Cathar parfait in Languedoc. He was burned at the stake in 1321, as a result of the Inquisition at Pamiers led by Jacques Fournier (afterwards Pope Benedict XII). M ...

, fled

Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...

with Philippe of Alayrac. The latter, on his return home after ten years of exile, was probably captured and burned. Panneau circulade

On hearing the sound of an approaching large company from

Routiers Routiers () were mercenary soldiers of the Middle Ages. Their particular distinction from other paid soldiers of the time was that they were organised into bands (''rutta'' or ''routes''). The term is first used in the 12th century but is partic ...

in 1366, the officers of the

Bailiwick A bailiwick () is usually the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff, and once also applied to territories in which a privately appointed bailiff exercised the sheriff's functions under a royal or imperial writ. The bailiwick is probably modelled on th ...

of Carcassonne ordered the inhabitants of the castle at Alairac — which belonged to Jean d'Armagnac — to fortify it and destroy the surrounding area. Having failed to execute the order, the Viscount angrily set fire to the castle which was completely burned. Later, the

Count of Armagnac The following is a list of rulers of the county of Armagnac: House of Armagnac *William Count of Fézensac and Armagnac ?– 960 * Bernard the Suspicious, First count privative of Armagnac 960– ? * Gerald I Trancaléon ? –1020 * Bernard ...

ceded the land of Alairac to the Marquis of Mirepoix in 1404. The lordship was sold at the beginning of the 18th century to a citizen of Carcassonne. This lordship was extinguished by the Revolution in 1789. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

from 1914 to 1918, the village lost nineteen people whose names are inscribed on the memorial. Every year on 11 November, this sacrifice is remembered by reading their names during a ceremony attended by schoolchildren. During the

Algerian War The Algerian War, also known as the Algerian Revolution or the Algerian War of Independence,( ar, الثورة الجزائرية '; '' ber, Tagrawla Tadzayrit''; french: Guerre d'Algérie or ') and sometimes in Algeria as the War of 1 November ...

, many young people from Alairac were called to fight. One of them was killed. Every 19 March the laying of wreaths takes place to commemorate the date the

Évian Accords The Évian Accords were a set of peace treaties signed on 18 March 1962 in Évian-les-Bains, France, by France and the Provisional Government of the Algerian Republic, the government-in-exile of FLN (), which sought Algeria's independence ...

came into force.

Heraldry

Administration

List of Successive Mayors of Alairac

Population

Economy

Viticulture: Malepère (AOC)

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

*The

Circulade In the Languedoc-Roussillon region of the south of France, a ''circulade'' is a traditional village that has been built in concentric circles. The center, which one might expect to be the site of a '' château-fort'' or a parish church, is as ofte ...

of Alairac with its circular boulevard called ''Rond Saint-Germain'': the heart of the village *The War memorial surmounted by a

Gallic rooster The Gallic rooster (french: le coq gaulois) is a national symbol of France as a nation, as opposed to Marianne representing France as a state and its values: the Republic. The rooster is also the symbol of the Wallonia region and the French Commu ...

on which is inscribed the names of the twenty young men of the village who were killed during the wars of the 20th century *A Courtyard shaded by

acacias ''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus na ...

at the primary school dating from 1935 *The village is crossed by one of the roads of the

Way of Saint James The Camino de Santiago ( la, Peregrinatio Compostellana, "Pilgrimage of Compostela"; gl, O Camiño de Santiago), known in English as the Way of St James, is a network of pilgrims' ways or pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint ...

leading to Saint-Jacques de Compostela

Religious heritage

The commune has several religious buildings and structures that are registered as historical monuments: *The Parish Church of Saint Germain (14th century) with an octagonal

bell tower A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell tower ...

which originally served as a

Fortified tower A fortified tower (also defensive tower or castle tower or, in context, just tower) is one of the defensive structures used in fortifications, such as castles, along with curtain walls. Castle towers can have a variety of different shapes and ful ...

. The Church contains two items that are registered as historical objects: **A

Chalice A chalice (from Latin 'mug', borrowed from Ancient Greek () 'cup') or goblet is a footed cup intended to hold a drink. In religious practice, a chalice is often used for drinking during a ceremony or may carry a certain symbolic meaning. Re ...

with

Paten A paten or diskos is a small plate, used during the Mass. It is generally used during the liturgy itself, while the reserved sacrament are stored in the tabernacle in a ciborium. Western usage In many Western liturgical denominations, the p ...

(19th century) **A

with

(19th century) *The Catuffe Cross (1645) on the ''Chamin des Castelles''. *The Alairac Cross (17th century), a Saint Germain style round cross.

Gallery

File:Eglise vue aérienne.jpg, Church of Saint-Germain d'Alairac File:Clocher octogonale.JPG, Octagonal Bell Tower from the 13th century File:Croix de saint Germain à alairac (11).jpg, Saint-Germain round cross File:Monument aux morts d'Alairac (11).jpg, Twenty names engraved on the War memorial File:Croix de Catufe.jpg, The Cross of Catufe from the 17th century File:La cour de l'école.JPG, The courtyard of the primary school File:Neige sur cours d'école.JPG, Snow on the primary school courtyard

Culture and festivals

*The Alain Cazalis Library is associated with the library of the Aude *In March there is ''Printemps de notes'' (Spring notes), an artistic and musical festival of Alairac in Malepère *In May ''De circulade en circulade'' is hosted, comprising plays, lectures, and local bands together with fourteen other circulade villages of Aude. *On the first Sunday of June there is a hunting feast with a Mass for

Saint Hubert Hubertus or Hubert ( 656 – 30 May 727 A.D.) was a Christian saint who became the first bishop of Liège in 708 A.D. He is the patron saint of hunters, mathematicians, opticians and metalworkers. Known as the "Apostle of the Ardennes", he w ...

to bless the packs of dogs *In the last weekend of July there is the village fete

Children's activities

There is a hall for teenagers (12–17 years old) organised by the CIAS of Carcassonne. This activity is supervised by Mathieu Bruno the organiser.

Facilities

Education

*In total one hundred and fifty children were enrolled in the Alairac public school in 2012 which has both a primary schoolAlairac School
built in 1935 and a kindergarten which was built in 2002 *From eleven years old most of the children go to the Varsovie College at Carcassonne.

Sports

*Football club of the Malepère in association with Lavalette and Roullens *Tennis accord between the Malepère and Alairac, Caux-et-Sauzens, Preixan, Arzens, and Lavalette. *

Cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...

Club *Motorcycle club, with the Escande track and the motocross international circuit at Escande

Notable people linked to the commune

*Philippe of Alayrac, companion of the last

Cathar Perfect Perfect (also known as a in French or in Latin) was the name given by Bernard of Clairvaux to the leaders of the mediaeval Christian religious movement in southern France and northern Italy commonly referred to as the Cathars. The were not cle ...

*André Mouls, playwright and

Occitan Occitan may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain. * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France. * Occitan language Occitan (; o ...

poet *Alain Cazalis (1950-2012), Deputy Mayor, Deputy for Culture, defender of "rural culture", including the creator of the Spring notes festival and initiator of the association ''De circulade en circulade'' *Roger Adivèze former regional councilor, officer of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

, mayor between 1971 and 2020 and vice president of the Carcassonne Agglo since January 2010, and also Chairman of the management centre of the territorial public service of Aude.

References

{{authority control Communes of Aude