La Bastide-de-Besplas is a commune in the Ariège

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 south-western

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 ''Besplasois'' or ''Besplasoises''.

Geography

La Bastide-de-Besplas is an old

Bastide Bastides are fortified new towns built in medieval Languedoc, Gascony, Aquitaine, England and Wales during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, although some authorities count Mont-de-Marsan and Montauban, which was founded in 1144, as the f ...

in the Massif de Plantaurel some 50 km south by south-west 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 20 km west by north-west of

Pamiers Pamiers (; oc, Pàmias ) is a commune and largest city in the Ariège department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. It is the most populous commune in the Ariège department, although it ...

. Both the northern and southern borders of the commune are the departmental border with

Haute-Garonne Haute-Garonne (; oc, Nauta Garona, ; en, Upper Garonne) is a department in the Occitanie region of Southwestern France. Named after the river Garonne, which flows through the department. Its prefecture and main city is Toulouse, the country's ...

. Access to the commune is by the D628 from Montesquieu-Volvestre in the north-west which passes through the centre of the commune and the village and continues south-east to Daumazan-sur-Arize. The D326 branches off the D628 in the commune and goes north to join the D408 north of the commune. The commune is mostly farmland interspersed with some forest. The Arize river flows through the centre of the commune and the village flowing from south-east to north-west where it continues to join the

Garonne The Garonne (, also , ; Occitan, Catalan, Basque, and es, Garona, ; la, Garumna or ) is a river of southwest France and northern Spain. It flows from the central Spanish Pyrenees to the Gironde estuary at the French port of Bordeaux – a ...

Carbonne Carbonne (; oc, Carbona) is a commune in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern France. Geography The A64 autoroute passes near the village. Carbonne station on the Toulouse–Bayonne railway has rail connections to Toulouse, Pau and Ta ...

. The ''TaiVades'' stream rises in the north of the commune and flows north-west forming part of the northern border before joining the Arize on the commune border. The ''Ruisseau de Bergou'' forms the south-eastern border as it flows south-west to join the Arize. The ''Ruisseau d'Argain'' forms the southern border of the commune as it flows east to join the Arize in Daumazan-sur-Arize commune.

History

La Bastide-de-Besplas appears as ''la Bafude de Besplas'' on the 1750

Cassini Map The Cassini Map or Academy's Map is the first topographic and geometric map made of the Kingdom of France as a whole. It was compiled by the Cassini family, mainly César-François Cassini (Cassini III) and his son Jean-Dominique Cassini (Ca ...

and as ''la Bailute'' on the 1790 version.

Administration

List of Successive

Mayors In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities ...

Demography

In 2017 the commune had 380 inhabitants.

Culture and heritage

Religious heritage

The Chapel of Notre-Dame-du-Bout-du-pont (1663) is registered as an historical monument. The Chapel contains many items that are registered as historical objects: *A Commemorative plaque (1728) *A Ceiling Mural (18th century) *A Statue: Christ on the Cross (16th century) *A

Retable A retable is a structure or element placed either on or immediately behind and above the altar or communion table of a church. At the minimum it may be a simple shelf for candles behind an altar, but it can also be a large and elaborate structur ...

(17th century) The Parish Church also contains many items that are registered as historical oobjects: *A Painting: The beheading of Saint John the Baptist (17th century) *A Bronze Bell (1410) *A Statue: Saint Louis (18th century) *A Statue: Virgin and child (17th century) *A Statue: Saint John the Baptist (18th century) *A Chalice (19th century) *An Offering Cross (19th century) *A Chalice (19th century) *A Group Sculpture: Virgin of Pity (18th century)Ministry of Culture, Palissy

Notable people linked to the commune

* Louis Astre, French trade unionist, born in the commune, where his parents were teachers, and spent his early years there. *

Henri Cuq Henri Cuq (12 March 1942 – 11 June 2010) was a member of the National Assembly of France. He represented the Yvelines department, and was a member of the Union for a Popular Movement The Union for a Popular Movement (french: link=no ...

, French Politician * Abbot Casy Rivière

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bastidedebesplas Communes of Ariège (department)