Arnac-sur-Dourdou (, literally ''Arnac on Dourdou''; oc, Arnac) 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

Aveyron Aveyron (; oc, Avairon; ) is a department in the region of Occitania, Southern France. It was named after the river Aveyron. Its inhabitants are known as ''Aveyronnais'' (masculine) or ''Aveyronnaises'' (feminine) in French. The inhabitants o ...

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 ''Arnacois'' or ''Arnacoises''

Geography

Arnac-sur-Dourdou is a sparsely populated commune in the extreme southern corner of

some 50 km west by north-west of

Saint-André-de-Sangonis Saint-André-de-Sangonis (''Sant Andrieu de Sangònis'' in Occitan) is a commune in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France. Population Sights * Jardin botanique de la Font de Bézombes See also *Communes of the H� ...

and 8 km east by north-east of

Murat-sur-Vèbre Murat-sur-Vèbre (; oc, Murat) is a commune in the Tarn department and Occitanie region of southern France. Geography The Dourdou de Camarès River has its source in the commune. See also *Communes of the Tarn department The following i ...

in the heart of the Lacaune mountains. The western border of the commune is also the border between the departments of Aveyron and Tarn while the southern border is the border between Aveyron and

Hérault Hérault (; oc, Erau, ) is a department of the region of Occitania, Southern France. Named after the Hérault River, its prefecture is Montpellier. It had a population of 1,175,623 in 2019.Brusque in the north which is a tortuous mountain road going to the village and continuing west to change to the D162 at the commune border then south to join the D622 to Murat-sur-Vèbre. The D12 road from Brusque to the south forms the eastern border of the commune and road D174 connects the village to this road. The commune is mountainous and heavily forested.Google Maps
/ref> The

Dourdou de Camarès The Dourdou de Camarès (, literally ''Dourdou of Camarès''; oc, Dordon de Camarés) is an long river in the Tarn, Hérault and Aveyron departments in southern France. Its source is in the Parc naturel régional du Haut-Languedoc, in the com ...

river flows through the commune and the village from east to west gathering numerous tributaries flowing from all corners of the commune.

Neighbouring communes and villages

History

Until the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

the Parish of Arnac was part of the community of Brusque. Saint-Benoît-d'Arnac was then an annex of the Parish of Saint-Pierre-des-Cats (currently the commune of Mélagues). After the Revolution Arnac was part of the commune of Mélagues. It was in 1872 that the commune of Arnac-sur-Dourdou was founded. Today the village consists of many second homes which are often the properties of descendants of the past inhabitants of the village.

Administration

List of Successive MayorsList of Mayors of France

Population

Cultural Events and Festivals

*Arnac Festival in traditional clothes File:Arnac-sur-Dourdou fete 1.JPG File:Arnac-sur-Dourdou fete 2.JPG File:Arnac-sur-Dourdou fete 3.JPG File:Arnac-sur-Dourdou fete 4.JPG

Sites and monuments

*The Church of Saint-Benoît *The Bread oven at the Arnac Mill *The GR 71 passes through the commune File:Arnac St-Benoit.jpg, Church of Saint-Benoît. File:Arnac St-Benoit 2.JPG, Church of Saint-Benoît. File:Arnac-sur-Dourdou croix 1.JPG, Wayside Cross. File:Arnac four 2.JPG, The bread oven in the Mill of Arnac.