La Couvertoirade (; oc, La Cobertoirada) 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 ...
department in southern
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
.
Geography
La Couvertoirade is located on the
Larzac
The Larzac, also known as the Causse of Larzac (French: ''Causse du Larzac''), is a limestone karst plateau in the south of the Massif Central, France, situated between Millau (in the département of l'Aveyron) and Lodève (in the départe ...
plateau.
History and sites of interest
This well-preserved fortified town was owned by the
Knights Templar, under orders from the Commandery of
Sainte-Eulalie, from the twelfth century. The Templars built the fortress there during the 12th and 13th centuries; its two upper floors have since been removed. Following their dissolution in 1312, the Templars' property in the ''
causses
The Causses () are a group of limestone plateaus (700–1,200 m) in the Massif Central. They are bordered to the north-west by the Limousin (région), Limousin and the Périgord uplands, and to the east by the Aubrac and the Cévennes. Large river ...
'' was taken by the
Knights of St John of Jerusalem who were responsible for building the
curtain wall at La Couvertoirade between 1439 and 1450.
Like other Larzac villages, the population fell rapidly in the 19th century, to as few as 362 by 1880. Today, it is largely inhabited by craftsmen working with enamel, pottery, weaving and similar crafts. It is one of the
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France
''Les Plus Beaux Villages de France'' (meaning “the most beautiful villages of France”) is an independent association created in 1982 for the promotion of the tourist appeal of small rural villages with a rich cultural heritage. As of Septem ...
(most beautiful villages of France).
Population
See also
*
Communes of the Aveyron department
The following is a list of the 285 Communes of France, communes of the Aveyron Departments of France, department of France.
The communes cooperate in the following Communes of France#Intercommunality, intercommunalities (as of 2020):
References
Image:La couvertoirade 4.JPG, La Couvertoirade walls
Image:La couvertoirade 3.JPG, La Couvertoirade walls
External links
Tourist office website* Pictures of the Knights Templar Castle
Communes of Aveyron
Plus Beaux Villages de France
Aveyron communes articles needing translation from French Wikipedia
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