Aurelle-Verlac (;

Languedocien Languedocien (French name, ), Languedocian or Lengadocian (), is an Occitan dialect spoken in rural parts of southern France such as Languedoc, Rouergue, Quercy, Agenais and Southern Périgord. It is sometimes also called Languedocien-Guyennai ...

: ''Aurèla e Verlac'') is a former

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 ...

. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of

Saint-Geniez-d'Olt-et-d'Aubrac Saint-Geniez-d'Olt-et-d'Aubrac is a commune in the department of Aveyron, southern France. The municipality was established on 1 January 2016 by merger of the former communes of Saint-Geniez-d'Olt and Aurelle-Verlac.Massif Central The (; oc, Massís Central, ; literally ''"Central Massif"'') is a highland region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaus. It covers about 15% of mainland France. Subject to volcanism that has subsided in the last 10,00 ...

Aubrac Aubrac is a small village in the southern Massif Central of France. The name is also applied to the surrounding countryside, which is properly called L'Aubrac in French. The Aubrac region has been a member of the Natura 2000 network since August 200 ...

some 60 km east of

Decazeville Decazeville ( oc, La Sala) is a commune in the Aveyron department in the Occitanie region in southern France. The commune was created in the 19th century because of the Industrial Revolution and was named after the Duke of Decazes (1780–186 ...

and 70 km south-east of

Aurillac Aurillac (; oc, Orlhac ) is the prefecture of the Cantal department, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Aurillacois'' or ''Aurillacoises''. Geography Aurillac is at above sea leve ...

with the eastern border of the commune being the border between

and

Lozère Lozère (; oc, Losera ) is a landlocked department in the region of Occitanie in Southern France, located near the Massif Central, bounded to the northeast by Haute-Loire, to the east by Ardèche, to the south by Gard, to the west by Aveyron, ...

departments. Access to the commune is by road D503 from

Saint-Geniez-d'Olt Saint-Geniez-d'Olt (, literally ''Saint Geniez of Olt''; oc, Sent Ginièis d'Òlt) is a former commune in the Aveyron department in southern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Saint-Geniez-d'Olt-et-d'Aubrac.

in the south which goes north through the village and most of the length of the commune before going west to join the D219 west of the commune. Apart from the village there are the hamlets of Crespiac, Verelaguet, Les Mazes, La Frassinede, Naves d'Aubrac, La Molière, Moncan, Rieuzens, Bernie, Les Caps, and Les Ginestes. The commune is mainly deep valleys where ''boraldes'' flow down to the Lot. The highest point in the department is on the ''Signal de Mailhe-Biau'' in the north-east of the commune. It is located in a

Natura 2000 Natura 2000 is a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union. It is made up of Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas designated under the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive, respectively ...

zone and is rugged with forests and high country farming.Google Maps
/ref> The ''Ruisseau de Mardonenque'' rises in the north and flows south down the centre of the commune gathering tributaries including the ''Ruisseau de Monette'', the ''Ravin de Placaus'', the ''Ravin des Rives'', the ''Ravin de la Coste'', the ''Ravin de la Ligue'', and the ''Ruisseau de Rioubasset'', which forms the south-eastern border, before continuing south to join the

Lot Lot or LOT or The Lot or ''similar'' may refer to: Common meanings Areas * Land lot, an area of land * Parking lot, for automobiles *Backlot, in movie production Sets of items *Lot number, in batch production *Lot, a set of goods for sale togethe ...

near Saint-Geniez-d'Olt. The ''Ruisseau de Bonance'' also rises in the north of the commune and flows south towards the eastern side of the commune forming part of the eastern border before continuing south to join the Lot near Pomayrols. On the western side of the commune the ''Merdanson'' forms the western border of the commune as it flows south to join the Lot near Cabanac. The ''Ruisseau de Rioudis'' and the ''Ruisseau de Mandialou'' both rise in the commune and join the ''Merdanson'' on the western border.

Neighbouring communes and villages

Heraldry

Administration

List of Successive Mayors ;Mayors from 1919

Demography

In 2012 the commune had 164 inhabitants.

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

*The Fortified Farm of Aubignac

Religious heritage

The commune has two religious buildings that are registered as historical monuments: *The Church of Saint-Jacques de Verlac (11th century) is Romanesque and depended on the abbey of ''La Chaise-Dieu''. It is located in the village centre surrounded by a small cemetery and built from local materials: schist for the walls, basalt, tuff, and sandstone for the cut stones. Its plan consists of a single

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

with pointed columns terminated by an

apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an ''exedra''. In ...

in a ''cul-de-four'' design. Two chapels, built later, act as

transept A transept (with two semitransepts) is a transverse part of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In cruciform churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform ("cross-shaped") building withi ...

s. The church contains a Bronze Bell (16th century) which is registered as a historical object. *The Church of Saint-Pierre d'Aurelle (1384) is the smallest Romanesque church in France. It has a unique history. In 1382, on the pretext of the arrival of the English, the Marquis of Beaufort, Baron of Aurelle, destroyed the church. On being

excommunicate Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...

d, he was obliged by the bishop to rebuild the church in a year. The new church was rebuilt inside the village in 1384 with the old materials. *The Church of Saint-Martin-de-Montbon contains a Bronze Bell (1762) which is registered as a historical object. ;Other religious structures of interest: *The Rode Cross was erected by the lord of Peyre in 1377. *The Berque CrossBerque Cross
is located at ''Les Mazes'' rising from the Vergnes Cross. It was built in 1531 and marked the boundary of the barony of Aurelle between the ''dom''A name given to certain religious, particularly in the

Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...

Carthusian The Carthusians, also known as the Order of Carthusians ( la, Ordo Cartusiensis), are a Latin enclosed religious order of the Catholic Church. The order was founded by Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns. The order has its ...

, and

Trappist The Trappists, officially known as the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance ( la, Ordo Cisterciensis Strictioris Observantiae, abbreviated as OCSO) and originally named the Order of Reformed Cistercians of Our Lady of La Trappe, are a ...

orders. lands of Aubrac and those of the Marquis of Canilhac. On one of its faces it has an expressive though stylized virgin with child.

Bibliography

*Christian-Pierre Bedel, ''Sent-Ginièis, Aurela-Verlac, Pèira-Ficha, Pomairòls, Pradas, Senta-Aularia / Christian-Pierre Bedel and the inhabitants of the commune of Sent-Ginièis'', Rodez, Mission départementale de la culture, 1991, Al canton collection, 230 pages, ill., cov. ill., 28 cm, , ISSN 1151-8375, BnF 36653864f