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Bages, Aude

Coordinates: 43°07′27″N 2°59′30″E / 43.1242°N 2.9917°E / 43.1242; 2.9917
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Bages
A general view of Bages, seen from a vineyard
A general view of Bages, seen from a vineyard
Coat of arms of Bages
Location of Bages
Map
Bages is located in France
Bages
Bages
Bages is located in Occitanie
Bages
Bages
Coordinates: 43°07′27″N 2°59′30″E / 43.1242°N 2.9917°E / 43.1242; 2.9917
CountryFrance
RegionOccitania
DepartmentAude
ArrondissementNarbonne
CantonNarbonne-2
IntercommunalityGrand Narbonne
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Jean-Louis Rio[1]
Area
1
12.53 km2 (4.84 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
779
 • Density62/km2 (160/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
11024 /11100
Elevation0–190 m (0–623 ft)
(avg. 36 m or 118 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Bages (French pronunciation: [baʒ] ; Template:Lang-oc) is a commune in the Aude department in the Occitanie region of southern France.

Geography

Panorama of Bages

Bages is located in the urban area of Narbonne on the Canal de la Robine and the Étang de Bages-Sigean (Bages-Sigean Lake) some 6 km south-west of Narbonne and 9 km north of Portel-des-Corbières. Access to the commune is by the D6009 road from Narbonne which passes through the centre of the commune and continues south to Salses-le-Château. Access to the village in the east of the commune is by road D105 which branches from the D6009 just north of the commune and goes to the village before continuing south to Peyriac-de-Mer. The A9 autoroute passes through the commune from north to south but has no exit in the commune. The nearest exit is Exit  38  some 4 km north of the commune which links to the D6009. Apart from the village there are the hamlets of Les Pesquis, Domaine de Java, and Prat de Cest.[3]

The Étang de Bages-Sigean forms the entire eastern border of the commune with numerous streams flowing from the commune into it such as the Ruisseau Mairal, the Ruisseau de Boutoubouli, and the Ruisseau des Potences. A smaller Lake - the Étang de Saint-Paul - is on the southern border of the commune linked to the much larger Étang de Bages-Sigean with a dam forming the border of the commune.[3]

Neighbouring communes and villages

[4]

History

The origins of the site of the present commune date back to prehistoric times. According to historians tools found in Bages attest the presence of man from the Lower Paleolithic (80,000 years ago). Undoubtedly Neanderthal then Cro-Magnon men stayed on the shores of the Narbonne Gulf (sea at the time). The discovery of Neolithic sites proves the existence of significant human communities at that time.[5]

It was under Roman occupation that a real settlement emerged. Many plots of land were distributed to senior army veterans and there were numerous luxurious villae. The origin of the current name is thought to have come from this period: BAÏA or BAÏES in Latin meaning "place of pleasure". Few traces remain of this period and they are often covered by vegetation. The most important are those of "Castellas" and "Monadières" - important Villae from the beginning of that era.

The population of the time left the flat areas to shelter from the wind by moving to the rocky outcrop seen today. This was a slightly dominant defensive position but also the climate and exposure allowed them to live without encroaching on arable land. The Cadran Solaire (Sundial) (11th century ) marks the entrance of the old village. A corner of the Lake can be seen from the narrow and steep streets.

The village of Bages is on the edge of the lake although agriculture, especially the vineyards, forms the core of its economy (the main square of the village dates to the Revolt of the Winemakers in 1907). Bages village is mostly considered as a fishing village.

Heraldry

Arms of Bages
Arms of Bages
The official status of the blazon remains to be determined.

Blazon:
Gules, a fesse fusilly of Or and Vert.



Administration

List of Successive Mayors[6]

From To Name
1870 1877 Louis Daude
1877 1878 Guilhaume Alberny
1878 1888 Louis Daude
1888 1891 Jean Daude
1891 1892 Auguste Gayraud
1892 1944 Gabriel Cros-Mayrevieille
1944 1945 Joseph Martin
1945 1977 Louis Alberny
1977 1983 René Chevrier
1983 1995 Georges Arcis
1995 2008 Claude Mulero
2008 2020 Marie Bat
2020 2026 Jean-Louis Rio

Demography

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Bageois or Bageoises in French.[7]

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1793 716—    
1800 699−0.34%
1806 698−0.02%
1821 742+0.41%
1831 875+1.66%
1836 900+0.57%
1841 864−0.81%
1846 864+0.00%
1851 876+0.28%
1856 805−1.68%
1861 881+1.82%
1866 924+0.96%
1872 1,018+1.63%
1876 1,146+3.01%
1881 1,193+0.81%
1886 1,163−0.51%
1891 1,137−0.45%
1896 1,136−0.02%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1901 1,124−0.21%
1906 1,022−1.88%
1911 1,030+0.16%
1921 917−1.16%
1926 799−2.72%
1931 791−0.20%
1936 711−2.11%
1946 542−2.68%
1954 549+0.16%
1962 559+0.23%
1968 558−0.03%
1975 572+0.35%
1982 547−0.64%
1990 694+3.02%
1999 755+0.94%
2007 826+1.13%
2012 864+0.90%
2017 803−1.45%
Source: EHESS[8] and INSEE[9]

Economy

Flamingos at Bages
A Flamingo at Bages

Art is prominent in the commune with Painters, sculptors, visual artists, musicians, storytellers, and cabinet makers drawing inspiration. There are four permanent Art galleries: La Maison des Arts , L'Etang Art (which also has publishing activity through Les Temps d'Art Graphique), Latuvu and NullepArt.

The commune is in the zone of the Vin de pays des Coteaux du Littoral Audois (Local wine of Coteaux du Littoral Audois)

In the fishing village the main produce is eel which is prepared in bouillabaisse style.

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

  • The Monument of the Republic in the Place de Juin 1907 (1888) is registered as an historical object.[10]

Religious heritage

The Church contains several items that are registered as historical objects:

  • A Statue: Saint Delphine of Sabran (19th century)[11]
  • 2 Statues: Saints Martin of Tours and Paul of Narbonne[12]
  • A Painting: Christ on the cross between Saints Paul of Narbonne and Martin of Tours (17th century)[13]
  • A Thurible (19th century)[14]

Notable people linked to the commune

  • Pierre Dumayet (1923-2011), writer, journalist, scriptwriter, and French producer, was buried in the cemetery at Bages.
  • Gianfredo Camesi, Swiss artist who lived in Bages in 1975.
  • Jean-Pierre Serre, mathematician who was born in Bages.
  • Pierrette Bloch, artist who had a second home in Bages.
  • Jean-Michel Meurice, painter who lives in Bages, cofounder of ARTE.
  • Matias Spescha, paintre, sculpteur, graveur suisse who lived in Bages.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b Google Maps
  4. ^ Géoportail, IGN (in French)
  5. ^ Jean Guiffan, History of Bages and its inhabitants, Éditions Élysiques, 2007, 233 pages, paperback, ISBN 2-9528777-0-X, ISBN 978-2952877701 (in French)
  6. ^ List of Mayors of France (in French)
  7. ^ Le nom des habitants du 11 - Aude, habitants.fr
  8. ^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Bages, EHESS (in French).
  9. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  10. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM11000052 Monument of the Republic (in French)
  11. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM11000620 Statue: Saint Delphine of Sabran (in French)
  12. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM11000619 2 Statues: Saints Martin of Tours and Paul of Narbonne (in French)
  13. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM11000618 Painting: Christ on the cross between Saints Paul of Narbonne and Martin of Tours (in French)
  14. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM11000617 Thurible (in French)

Bibliography