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Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda

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Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda
The Mondony river and the parish church of Our Lady of Life, in Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda
The Mondony river and the parish church of Our Lady of Life, in Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda
Coat of arms of Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda
Location of Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda
Map
CountryFrance
RegionOccitania
DepartmentPyrénées-Orientales
ArrondissementCéret
CantonArles-sur-Tech
IntercommunalityCommunauté de communes du Haut Vallespir
Government
 • Mayor (2014-2020) Alexandre Reynal
Area
1
29.43 km2 (11.36 sq mi)
Population
 (2012)
3,680
 • Density130/km2 (320/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
66003 /66110
Elevation176–1,424 m (577–4,672 ft)
(avg. 240 m or 790 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda (Template:Lang-ca) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.

It is situated in the Tech valley, and combines the old and the new with a mix of narrow cobbled streets and modern accommodation. It has become a 'station verte' meaning that it must strive at all times to ensure that tourists benefit from a calm and natural environment.

Geography

Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda is located at the confluence of the Mondony with the Tech, 28.5 miles (46 km) SSW of Perpignan by road. The town is situated at a height of 770 feet (230 m) and has both a winter and summer season.

In the winter season the average temperature is about 10 degrees Celsius, and in the summer it is roughly 29 degrees Celsius. Thunderstorms are not infrequent in the area, and the telltale signs are small showers throughout the day.

Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda is located in the canton of Arles-sur-Tech and in the arrondissement of Céret.

Map of Amélie-les-Bains-Palalda and its surrounding communes

Springs

The town has numerous sulphur springs (20-60C.) used as baths by sufferers from rheumatism and illnesses of the lungs. There are two bathing establishments, one of which preserves remains of Roman baths, and a large military thermal hospital.

Toponymy

The town, formerly called Les-Bains-d'Arles, became Fort-les-Bains in 1670 after the construction of the new castle. It was renamed Amélie-les-Bains in 1840 after Queen Amelia wife of Louis Philippe. She finally visited the town in 1848, for which she then did much advertisement.[1] In Catalan it is still called Els banys d'Arles.

History

Government and politics

Mayors

Mayor Term start Term end
Paul Alduy 1952 1959
Jacqueline Alduy 1959 2001
Alexandre Reynal 2001

Population

Historical population
YearPop.±%
19623,001—    
19683,662+22.0%
19753,908+6.7%
19823,713−5.0%
19903,239−12.8%
19993,475+7.3%
20063,723+7.1%
20093,695−0.8%

Notable people

  • Maximilien Chaudoir (1816-1881) : Russian entomologist, died in Amélie-les-Bains ;
  • Pierre Restany (1930-2003) : art critic and philosopher, born in Amélie-les-Bains.

See also

References

  • INSEE commune file
  •  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domainChisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Amélie-Les-Bains". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
  1. ^ Cárdenas, Fabricio (2014). 66 petites histoires du Pays Catalan [66 Little Stories of Catalan Country] (in French). Perpignan: Ultima Necat. ISBN 978-2-36771-006-8. OCLC 893847466.