Saint-Hilaire (; oc, Sant Ilari) 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 department 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
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...
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 ...
.
Geography
The commune of Saint-Hilaire is situated in the Aude department, midway between
Limoux
Limoux (; oc, Limós ) is a commune and subprefecture in the Aude department, a part of the ancient Languedoc province and the present-day Occitanie region in southern France. Its vineyards are famous for being first to produce sparkling w ...
and
Carcassonne
Carcassonne (, also , , ; ; la, Carcaso) is a French fortified city in the department of Aude, in the region of Occitanie. It is the prefecture of the department.
Inhabited since the Neolithic, Carcassonne is located in the plain of the Au ...
in the region of the Carcassès. It is mostly covered by the forest of Crausse-Rabassié. The river Lauquet borders it to the north. It is crossed by the
Meridian of Paris, otherwise known as the Green Meridian.
History
The history of Saint-Hilaire is closely linked with that of the abbey. It begins in the Roman era but the most important remains date from the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
. In the eighth century, the abbey was built under the name of Saint
Saturnin
Saint Saturnin of Toulouse ( la, Saturninus, oc, Sarnin, french: Saturnin, Sernin, ca, Serni, Sadurní, gl, Sadurninho and pt, Saturnino, Sadurninho, eu, Satordi, Saturdi, Zernin, and es, Saturnino, Serenín, Cernín) was one of the ''" ...
and then Saint Hilaire, Bishop of Carcassonne in the sixth century. Over the course of centuries, the village grew to surround the abbey.
The abbots built fortifications around the village to protect it from the troubles of the
Hundred Years War
The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantagen ...
. A document of 1386 regulates the care of the keys of the village gates. In 1574, the village was burned and partly destroyed by the
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
s of the Lord of Villar.
During 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 ...
, Saint-Hilaire experienced some troubles. In 1792, troops had to be sent to maintain public order.
Population
Its inhabitants are known as ''Saint-Hilairois''.
Sights
Abbey of Saint-Hilaire
![France-Saint-Hilaire-eglise](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/France-Saint-Hilaire-eglise.jpg)
This ancient and fortified Benedictine abbey was founded at the end of the eighth century and dedicated to Saint Saturnin. In the tenth century, in obedience to the will of the Count of Carcassonne, the abbey changed its name and was dedicated to Saint Hilaire, the first Bishop of Carcassonne in the sixth century.
The monastery enjoyed a certain prosperity until the thirteenth century, but at the time of the Hundred Years War it suffered the devastations of war, the ravages of the
Black Death
The Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or the Plague) was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causi ...
and periods of famine.
After a long period of decline, the abbey closed in 1748.
In 1531, the monks of Saint-Hilaire discovered the first effervescent wine in the world, now known as
Blanquette de Limoux
Limoux wine is produced around the city of Limoux in Languedoc in southwestern France. Limoux wine is produced under four ''Appellation d'origine contrôlée'' (AOC) designations: Blanquette de Limoux, Blanquette méthode ancestrale, Crémant de ...
.
Today it is possible to explore the ancient monastic buildings by guided visit.
See also
*
Limoux wine
Limoux wine is produced around the city of Limoux in Languedoc in southwestern France. Limoux wine is produced under four ''Appellation d'origine contrôlée'' (AOC) designations: Blanquette de Limoux, Blanquette méthode ancestrale, Crémant de ...
*
Communes of the Aude department
References
Communes of Aude
Aude communes articles needing translation from French Wikipedia
{{Aude-geo-stub