Puilaurens (, also non-officially: ''Lapradelle-Puilaurens''; oc, La Pradèla de Puèglhaurenç) 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 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 ...
.
It includes the hamlets of Lapradelle, Puilaurens and Lavignac. It is known for the medieval
Puilaurens Castle
Puilaurens (, also non-officially: ''Lapradelle-Puilaurens''; oc, La Pradèla de Puèglhaurenç) is a commune in the Aude department in southern France.
It includes the hamlets of Lapradelle, Puilaurens and Lavignac. It is known for the medie ...
.
Geography
The commune is situated on the
Boulzane
The Boulzane () is a river in the south of France. It is long. Its source is in Aude, near Montfort-sur-Boulzane. It flows through Lapradelle-Puilaurens, Gincla, Caudiès-de-Fenouillèdes before it empties into the Agly near Saint-Paul-de-Feno ...
The built-up area of Lapradelle did not exist until the 19th century and owes its development to activities related to water power taken from the Boulzane: textile spinning and
sawmill
A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...
s.
In 1904, a
railway
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
was constructed from
Quillan
Quillan (; Languedocien: ''Quilhan'') is a commune in the Aude department in southern France. On 1 January 2016, the former commune of Brenac was merged into Quillan.Rivesaltes
Rivesaltes (; ca, Ribesaltes, which means the ''high shores'') is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
Geography
Rivesaltes is in the canton of La Vallée de l'Agly and in the arrondissement of Perpignan.
...
(the
Carcassonne - Rivesaltes Line
Carcassonne (, also , , ; ; la, Carcaso) is a French defensive wall, fortified city in the Departments of France, department of Aude, in the Regions of France, region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitanie. It is the prefectures in F ...
) passing through Lapradelle on a
viaduct
A viaduct is a specific type of bridge that consists of a series of arches, piers or columns supporting a long elevated railway or road. Typically a viaduct connects two points of roughly equal elevation, allowing direct overpass across a wide v ...
spanning the valley of the Boulzane. The line carried passengers until 1939. Afterwards it was used to transport
feldspar
Feldspars are a group of rock-forming aluminium tectosilicate minerals, also containing other cations such as sodium, calcium, potassium, or barium. The most common members of the feldspar group are the ''plagioclase'' (sodium-calcium) feldsp ...
between 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 ...
and the
Pyrénées-Orientales
Pyrénées-Orientales (; ca, Pirineus Orientals ; oc, Pirenèus Orientals ; ), also known as Northern Catalonia, is a department of the region of Occitania, Southern France, adjacent to the northern Spanish frontier and the Mediterranean Sea. ...
, the railway line is today used in the summer for a tourist train, running between
Axat
Axat (; ''Atsat'' in Occitan) is a commune in the Aude department in the Occitanie region of southern France.
The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Axatois'' or ''Axatoises''.
Geography
Axat is located in Cathar country at the door ...
and
Rivesaltes
Rivesaltes (; ca, Ribesaltes, which means the ''high shores'') is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.
Geography
Rivesaltes is in the canton of La Vallée de l'Agly and in the arrondissement of Perpignan.
...
.
In 1868, Puilaurens lost the
hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
s of Salvezines and Caunil, established as the separate commune of Salvezines.