Arvigna (French pronunciation: [aʁvinɑ̃]; Occitan: Arvinhan) is a commune in the Ariège department in the Occitanie region of southwestern France.

Arvigna
Town hall
Town hall
Coat of arms of Arvigna
Location of Arvigna
Map
Arvigna is located in France
Arvigna
Arvigna
Arvigna is located in Occitanie
Arvigna
Arvigna
Coordinates: 43°03′49″N 1°43′59″E / 43.0636°N 1.7331°E / 43.0636; 1.7331
CountryFrance
RegionOccitania
DepartmentAriège
ArrondissementPamiers
CantonPamiers-2
IntercommunalityCC Portes Ariège Pyrénées
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Maxime Roubichou[1]
Area
1
8.6 km2 (3.3 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
230
 • Density27/km2 (69/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
09022 /09100
Elevation279–490 m (915–1,608 ft)
(avg. 650 m or 2,130 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography edit

Arvigna is a commune in the Pre-Pyrenees located some 11 km south-east of Pamiers and 12 km west by south-west of Mirepoix. Access to the commune is by the D12 road from Vira in the south-west passing through the commune east of the village and continuing to join the D119 north of the commune. There are extensive forests in the commune covering about 40% of the land area with the rest farmland.[3]

The Douctouyre river flows along the edge of the forests in the north-east of the commune from south-east to north and it continues north to join the Hers near Vals. Four streams rise in the commune and flow north-east to join the Douctouyre in the commune - the Ruisseau de Lafage, the Ruisseau de Truffet, an unnamed stream, and the Ruisseau de Minguet. The western border is delineated by an unnamed stream which flows north to join Le Canal south of Saint-Amadou.[3]

Places and Hamlets edit

The population is mostly split between four hamlets (Languit, Menet, Roubichou, les Bordes) which are scattered around the Town hall and the school. The church is on the slopes of Cantegril hill above Arvigna village. There are eight other hamlets in the commune:[4]

  • Le Castel
  • Marty
  • Minguet
  • Monge
  • Peres
  • Le Pioy
  • La Rose
  • Le Soula
  • En Terraine

Neighbouring communes and villages edit

[3]

Heraldry edit

 
Arms of Arvigna
Blazon:

Or, 3 chevrons of Sable debruised by a castle Gules towered at centre turreted port open, windowed and masoned in Sable, bordure in Vert.



Administration edit

List of Successive Mayors[5]

From To Name Party Position
1965 1977 Georges Chaubet SE
1977 1987 Pierre Naudi SE Farmer
1987 1995 André Jalibert SE Farmer
1995 2008 Jacques Mirouse PS Retired
2008 2020 Jean-François Naudi SE Farmer
2020 2026 Maxime Roubichou

Demography edit

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Arvignais or Arvignaises in French.[6]

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1793 375—    
1800 335−1.60%
1806 396+2.83%
1821 420+0.39%
1831 404−0.39%
1836 415+0.54%
1841 426+0.52%
1846 394−1.55%
1851 394+0.00%
1856 411+0.85%
1861 355−2.89%
1866 364+0.50%
1872 350−0.65%
1876 353+0.21%
1881 350−0.17%
1886 296−3.30%
1891 293−0.20%
1896 277−1.12%
YearPop.±% p.a.
1901 272−0.36%
1906 235−2.88%
1911 226−0.78%
1921 208−0.83%
1926 202−0.58%
1931 192−1.01%
1936 182−1.06%
1946 174−0.45%
1954 168−0.44%
1962 146−1.74%
1968 132−1.67%
1975 127−0.55%
1982 154+2.79%
1990 149−0.41%
1999 156+0.51%
2007 187+2.29%
2012 233+4.50%
2017 223−0.87%
Source: EHESS[7] and INSEE[8]

Sites and Monuments edit

There are four structures registered as historical monuments in Arvigna. These are:

  • War memorial (20th century). [9] This memorial is located inside the walls of the church.
  • Funeral Chapel of the Barrière family (19th century) [10]
  • Wayside Cross at Roubichou (1813) [11]
  • Parish Church of Saint-Vincent and Saint-Martial (14th century). [12]

The Church of Saint-Vincent and Saint-Martial contains many items that have been registered as historical objects. These are:

  • Funeral Cross of Father Louis Richard (20th century) [13]
  • Cemetery Cross (19th century) [14]
  • The surroundings of the war memorial including the large statues of Saint Joan of Arc and Saint Germaine of Pibrac with their Corbels (20th century) [15]
  • 2 Altar Towers (19th century) [16]
  • Cape and Cloth of Gold (19th century) [17]
  • 4 sides of the processional dais (19th century) [18]
  • Exhibition veil of the sacremental saint: IHS (19th century) [19]
  • Processional banner: Baby Jesus blessing the world (19th century) [20]
  • Baptismal fonts and a sculpture of the baptism of Christ (19th century) [21]
  • Secondary Altar of the Virgin, Altar tombstone, Altar seating, Tabernacle, and small statue: Virgin of the Sacred Heart (19th century) [22]
  • Harmonium (19th-20th century) [23]
  • Main Altar, Altar tombstone, Altar seating, and Tabernacle (19th century) [24]
  • Collection plate (17th century) [25]
  • Stoup: 3 anthropomorphic heads (17th century) [26]
  • Stoup (on a footing) (17th century) [27]
  • Family pew (19th century) [28]
  • Sacristy furniture (17th century) [29]
  • 4 Funeral candlesticks (19th century) [30]
  • Altar Cross: Christ on the cross (17th century) [31]
  • Chalice with its Paten (20th century) [32]
  • Solar Monstrance (19th century) [33]
  • Mortuary cloth: with deaths-heads insignia (19th century) [34]
  • Mortuary cloth (19th century) [35]
  • Aube (19th century) [36]
  • Paddle: IHS (19th century) [37]
  • Paddle: IHS (18th century) [38]
  • Statuette: Virgin and child (18th century) [39]
  • Pair of paintings: Saint Vincent and Saint Martial (19th century) [40]
  • Altar table with its frame: Calvary St. Peter and St. Martial (17th century) [41]
  • 4 Stained glass windows (19th century) [42]
  • The Church furniture [43]
  • 4 paintings on the processional dais (19th century) [44]

Local life, tourism and associations edit

Local life edit

School: an inter-communal educational grouping (RPI) for the Douctouyre Valley groups together the communes of Arvigna, Calzan, Vira, [Dun], Lieurac, and Carla-de-Roquefort. Five classes are open, including one at Arvigna with a canteen service and a CLAE. There is a leisure centre that operates on Wednesdays and during the holidays at Dun.

Tourism edit

There are two rural Gîtes (apartments), a Hiking or Mountain bike trail 7 km long trail which is an Earth Society (maquisards and guerrillas) path starting from the hamlet of Minguet to the site of a former Cathar castle (not restored).

Associations edit

 
The Festival Committee of Arvigna
  • The Festival Committee organises various annual events, local festivals and fireworks. It includes many people from the commune and elsewhere, young and old.
  • Hunting Association
  • Walking group: Les Caminaïres

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Google Maps
  4. ^ Géoportail, IGN (in French)
  5. ^ List of Mayors of France (in French)
  6. ^ Le nom des habitants du 09 - Ariège, habitants.fr
  7. ^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Arvigna, EHESS (in French).
  8. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  9. ^ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA09000072 War memorial (in French)
  10. ^ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA09000186 Funeral Chapel of the Barrière family (in French)
  11. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09001045 Wayside cross at Roubichou (in French)
  12. ^ Ministry of Culture, Mérimée IA09000052 Church of Saint-Vincent and Saint-Martial (in French)
  13. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000940 Funeral Cross of Father Louis Richard (in French)
  14. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000853 Cemetery Cross (in French)
  15. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000922 Surroundings of the war memorial (in French)
  16. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000852 2 Altar Towers (in French)
  17. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000779 Cape and Cloth of Gold (in French)
  18. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000778 4 sides of the processional dais (in French)
  19. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000777 Exhibition veil of the sacremental saint (in French)
  20. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000776 Processional banner: Baby Jesus blessing the world (in French)
  21. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000775 Baptismal fonts and a sculpture of the baptism of Christ (in French)
  22. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000774 Secondary Altar of the Virgin, Altar tombstone, Altar seating, Tabernacle, and small statue: Virgin of the Sacred Heart (in French)
  23. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000773 Harmonium (in French)
  24. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000772 Main Altar, Altar tombstone, Altar seating, and Tabernacle (in French)
  25. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000771 Collection plate (in French)
  26. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000770 Stoup: 3 anthropomorphic heads (in French)
  27. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000769 Stoup (on a footing) (in French)
  28. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000768 Family pew (in French)
  29. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000767 Sacristy furniture (in French)
  30. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000766 4 Funeral Candlesticks (in French)
  31. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000765 Altar Cross: Christ on the cross (in French)
  32. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000764 Chalice with its Paten (in French)
  33. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000763 Solar Monstrance (in French)
  34. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000762 Mortuary cloth: with deaths-heads insignia (in French)
  35. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000761 Mortuary cloth (in French)
  36. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000760 Aube (in French)
  37. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000759 Paddle: IHS (in French)
  38. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000758 Paddle: IHS (in French)
  39. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000757 Statuette: Virgin and child (in French)
  40. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000756 Pair of paintings: Saint Vincent and Saint Martial (in French)
  41. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000755 Altar table with its frame: Calvary St. Peter and St. Martial (in French)
  42. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000754 4 Stained glass windows (in French)
  43. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000753 Church furniture (in French)
  44. ^ Ministry of Culture, Palissy IM09000875 4 paintings on the processional dais (in French)

External links edit