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 ...
Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Nouvelle-Aquitaine (; oc, Nòva Aquitània or ; eu, Akitania Berria; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Novéle-Aguiéne'') is the largest administrative region in France, spanning the west and southwest of the mainland. The region was created by ...
in southwestern
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 ...
Mont-de-Marsan
Mont-de-Marsan (; Occitan: ''Lo Mont de Marçan'') is a commune and capital of the Landes department, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France.
Population
Military installations
The French Air and Space Force operates the '' Constantin Roza ...
, at the confines of the
Landes forest
The Landes forest (; La forêt des Landes in French) in the Landes de Gascogne (las Lanas de Gasconha in the Gascon language), in the historic Gascony natural region of southwestern France now known as Aquitaine, is the largest man-made woodland ...
and of the agricultural region of
Chalosse Chalosse (; oc-gsc, Shalòssa or ) is a wine-growing area in Gascony, in south-west France. It lies in the ''departement'' of Landes and is centred on the town of Dax.
Chalosse also gives its name to ''coteaux de Chalosse'', the wine of the are ...
. It is from the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
Saint-Sever
Saint-Sever (, Gascon ''Sent Sever'' ) is a commune in the Landes department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France.
History and geography
Saint-Sever stands on an eminence. It is south of Mont-de-Marsan, on the left bank of the ...
Benquet, belonging to the former royal province of Gascony, was under the rule of the abbey of Saint Sever. Jehan Bernard de Benquet, vassal of the prince of Navarre, had the title of Sénéchal of Marsan and of Gabardan. Fights with French
Huguenots
The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...
are reported here.
Population
Its inhabitants are called ''Benquetois''.
Economy
Mostly corn-growing, breeding (ducks, geese), foie-gras making. Agri-foodstuff research center.
Twin cities
Benquet is the twin village of Muespach-le-Haut, on the German border. As a matter of fact, population from
Alsace
Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...
flew their region and found shelter in South-Western France when the Nazi troops arrived in the early stages of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
.
Sights
Churches
St John the Baptist
John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
(19th century) and Saint Christau (eleventh century). Benquet is a stopover on the medieval pilgrimage route to Santiago Compostela (route of
Vézelay
Vézelay () is a commune in the department of Yonne in the north-central French region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. It is a defensible hill town famous for Vézelay Abbey. The town and its 11th-century Romanesque Basilica of St Magdalene are de ...
). Benquet boasts a the privately owned château de Laurens Castelet and a "miraculous" spring, close to the church of St Christau.
Benquet château.JPG, Château de Benquet
Benquet St Christau 1.JPG, 11th century church
King Henri IV
Henry IV (french: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarc ...
had an elegant home in Benquet: the Château-Vieux lodge (no longer exists).
Religion and language
People are mostly Catholic. The official language is French. The Gascon language is still spoken by some elderly people on some occasions.
Recreational activities
Hunting (woodcocks, pheasants...) and fishing are very popular + walking (pilgrims to Santiago are still to be met), cycling, basketball playing.
Events
* Music Festival Atout Choeurs : early May
* Fair of Benquet : early July
See also
*
Communes of the Landes département
The following is a list of the 327 communes of the Landes department of France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories i ...