Villelongue-dels-Monts (; ca, Vilallonga dels Monts) 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

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. ...

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 ...

. The inhabitants are called ''Villelonguais''.

Geography

Villelongue-dels-Monts is located in the south of the department of Pyrénées-Orientales, 33 km south of

Perpignan Perpignan (, , ; ca, Perpinyà ; es, Perpiñán ; it, Perpignano ) is the prefecture of the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France, in the heart of the plain of Roussillon, at the foot of the Pyrenees a few kilometres from the ...

, 18 km east from the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...

and 17 km from the Spanish border by

Le Perthus Le Perthus (, ca, El Pertús, ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Natives of Le Pertus are called ''Perthusiens'' and, in 2016, there were 586 inhabitants. Le Perthus is also one of French territories on th ...

, in the

canton of Vallespir-Albères The Canton of Vallespir-Albères is a French canton of Pyrénées-Orientales department, in Occitanie. At the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015, the canton was created including 8 communes from the canton of Céret a ...

and in the

arrondissement of Céret The arrondissement of Céret is an arrondissement of France in the Pyrénées-Orientales department (Northern Catalonia) in the Occitanie region. It has 64 communes. Its population is 129,464 (2016), and its area is . Composition The communes of ...

. Its close neighbouring communities are : in the north

Banyuls-dels-Aspres Banyuls-dels-Aspres (; ca, Banyuls dels Aspres) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Localisation Banyuls-dels-Aspres is located in the canton of Les Aspres and in the arrondissement of Céret. ...

Brouilla Brouilla (; ca, Brullà) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Localisation Brouilla is located in the canton of Les Aspres and in the arrondissement of Perpignan. Government and politics M ...

and

Saint-Génis-des-Fontaines Saint-Génis-des-Fontaines ( ca, Sant Genís de Fontanes) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Saint-Génis-des-Fontaines is located in the canton of Vallespir-Albères and in the arrondissement of ...

; in the east

Laroque-des-Albères Laroque-des-Albères (; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. It is part of the Occitanie region. The town is in the foothills of the Pyrénées mountains. Geography Localisation Laroque-des-Albères is ...

; in the south

l'Albère L'Albère ( ca, L'Albera) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Geography Localisation L'Albère is located in the canton of Vallespir-Albères and in the arrondissement of Céret. Toponymy The name ...

and in the west

Montesquieu-des-Albères Montesquieu-des-Albères ( ca, Montesquiu d'Albera) is a Communes of France, commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales Departments of France, department in southern France. Geography Montesquieu-des-Albères is located in the canton of Vallespir-A ...

. With a surface of 1155 hectares, the territory is narrow and long (2 km from east to west and 8 km from north to south).Rapport de présentation - PLU de Villelongue dels Monts Map commune FR insee code 66225

History

Villelongue-dels-Monts is named after the peak above the village which means « Villelongue-du-Mont ». It was mentioned for the first time in 981. Eventually, the monastery of Saint-Génis-des-Fontaines possessed a freehold on "Villalonga". The phrase "Castrum Sancti Christophori" appeared in 1095 to indicate the fortress constructed on the rocky peak.

Politics and administration

Mayors

Demography

The communal demography is marked by a certain stability between 1851 and 1975, fluctuating in a minimum of population of 408 in 1968 and a maximum of 533 in 1891, and alternating between the periods of growth and decline. In 1975, Villelongue-dels-Monts began to grow. The population more than doubled in 30 years, from 513 inhabitants in 1975 to 1346 in 2006. This growth is largely related to the growth of the metropolitan area of Perpignan.

Sites of interest

Santa Maria del Vilar The Priory of Santa Maria del Vilar at Villelongue-dels-Monts in the department of the Pyrénées-Orientales, France, houses the Romanian Orthodox Monastery of the Dormition of the Mother of God. It falls under the jurisdiction of the Romanian Ort ...

Villelongue maria del vilar(1).jpg, ''Santa Maria del Vilar'' Villelongue-dels-Monts Église Saint-Étienne (sud).jpg, ''Église Saint-Étienne''

References

External links

Official website of Villelongue dels Monts

Villelongue-dels-Monts Villelongue-dels-Monts (; ca, Vilallonga dels Monts) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. The inhabitants are called ''Villelonguais''. Geography Villelongue-dels-Monts is located in the south of the depart ...

{{PyrénéesOrientales-geo-stub