Mont-Louis (; or ''el Vilar d'Ovansa'') is a commune in the

Pyrénées-Orientales Pyrénées-Orientales (; ; ; ), also known as Northern Catalonia, is a departments of France, department of the Regions of France, region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Southern France, adjacent to the northern Spain, Spanish ...

department in southern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Geography

Mont-Louis is located in the

canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes The canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes is an administrative division of the Pyrénées-Orientales department, in Southern France. It was created at the French canton reorganisation which came into effect in March 2015. Its seat is in Prades. ...

and in the

arrondissement of Prades The arrondissement of Prades is an arrondissement of France in the Pyrénées-Orientales department (Northern Catalonia) in the Occitanie region. It has 123 communes. Its population is 60,536 (2021), and its area is . Composition The communes ...

. Mont-Louis-La Cabanasse station has rail connections to Villefranche-de-Conflent and Latour-de-Carol. Map commune FR insee code 66117

Government and politics

Mayors

Population

Sites of interest

In 2008, the citadel and the city walls of Mont-Louis were listed as part of the Fortifications of Vauban UNESCO World Heritage Site, because of its outstanding engineering and testimony to the development of military architecture in the 17th through 19th centuries. The

Mont-Louis Solar Furnace The Mont-Louis Solar Furnace is an experimental solar furnace - a solar thermal energy facility that was built in 1949. It was the first facility of its kind in the world, and was a precursor of the Odeillo Solar Furnace. It provides a thermal p ...

, is the world's first

solar furnace A solar furnace is a structure that uses concentrated solar power to produce high temperatures, usually for industry. Parabolic mirrors or heliostats concentrate light ( Insolation) onto a focal point. The temperature at the focal point may ...

, built in 1949, by engineer

Félix Trombe Félix Trombe (1906–1985) was a French engineer and speleologist. He was born in Nogent and died in Ganties. He is best known for his pioneering work in passive solar building design with the Trombe wall, which bears his name. He is also ...

. It is open to visit for practical education on solar energy uses and technologies. The citadel has been hosting for more than half a century the

National Commando Training Center The National Centre for Commando Training, (, ) is a French Army training centre. It is a located in Mont-Louis and Collioure in the Pyrenees-Orientales department, and is part of the . As of 18 July 2022, the commander was Lieutenant Colonel D ...

(

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...

) which trains elite French troops and some foreign ones in the usage of

commando A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines. Originally, "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as oppo ...

techniques and for enduring heavy physical and mental stress in combat situations. Nevertheless, some places of the citadel, like the "Puits de Forçats", in the French page. can also be visited, being accompanied by a local guide.

Notable people

Mont-Louis - Signature du maire Michel Aldebert 1815

Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban Sébastien is a common French given name. It is a French form of the Latin name ''Sebastianus'' meaning "from Sebaste". Sebaste was a common placename in classical Antiquity, derived from the Greek word ''σεβαστος'', or ''sebastos'', mea ...

(1633-1707), military engineer who conceived and directed the construction of Mont-Louis. *

Pedro Étienne Solère Pedro Étienne Solère (4 April 1753 – 1817) was a French composer, teacher of music and clarinetist. Biography Born in Mont-Louis, Solère began playing clarinet as a child. He was very talented and already at the age of 14, he joined the Ch ...

(1753–1817), classical clarinetist * Jean Gilles (1904-1961), French Army general who died in Mont-Louis.

References

External links

Webpage about the fortifications of Mont-Louis
Communes of Pyrénées-Orientales Vauban fortifications in France {{PyrénéesOrientales-geo-stub