Jacques Alaux - Maire de LaguépieEn tant que maire de Laguépie , je serai ravi de vous présenter notre commune pour que vous puissiez mieux connaître et apprécier notre mode de vie dans la France profonde. La meilleure façon de profiter du mode de vie français c'est de s'intégrer dans la vie de nos villages. As maire of Laguepie, I'm delighted to present to you our commune
so that you can get to know and appreciate our way of life in rural
France. The best way to make the most out of French life is to integrate
into village life. "A Taste of Rural France" organisé par Relocate France en association avec « Les Cerisiers » à Laguépie, vous donneront plusieurs possibilités de goûter les réalités et les richesses de la vie quotidienne en France. Vous aurez en plus la possibilité de faire la connaissance des commerçants et des habitants de notre commune - une commune qui s'intéresse à l'intégration afin de garder l'esprit vivant. ' A Taste of Rural France' , organised by Relocate France in partnership with "Les Cerisiers" in Laguepie, will provide you with various opportunities to experience the realities and the wonders of daily French life. You will also have the opportunity to meet local business people and villagers from our community - a community that recognises the importance of integration in order to keep the spirit of the village alive.
Situated in the Midi Quercy at the confluence of the rivers Aveyron and Viaur and at thecorner of 3 different departments, Laguepie is a typical village of La France Profonde. It is in reality two villages. Laguepie itself (pop 733) is now in the Tarn and Garonne and forms an island in the middle of the two rivers. Until 1808 when Napoleon I created the Tarn and Garonne it belonged to the Aveyron, forming part of the diocese of Rodez. Its sister village St Martin Laguepie (pop 530) lines the left bank of the Viaur is dominated by the ruins of the medieval chateau and is in the department of the Tarn. During medieval times the river Viaur formed the boundary between the French and English owned parts of France and the area is rich in history. Simon de Montfort sacked the castle in 1212 during the Albigensian Crusades, during the Hundred Years War ownership passed back and forth between the English and the French, and there were more turbulent religious wars between the Catholics and Protestants throughout the 16 th century. 200 years of peaceful occupation by the local lords was followed by the French Revolution and the castle then fell in to ruin. The railway reached Laguepie in the 1850s bringing a new prosperity to the area. Agriculture was the main occupation but there were also tanneries, shoe factories and a liaison with the nearby coalmines at Carmaux. Chestnuts were one of the crops for which the area was famous and to this day there is a Chestnut Festival "La Châtaigne" the last week in October. Nearby are the beautiful bastide villages of Najac and Cordes sur Ciel, the Gaillac vineyards, Albi with its famous cathedral and connections to Toulouse-Lautrec, St Antonin where the film Charlotte Gray was made and a host of other delightful medieval villages and walled market towns. The main commerce is situated in Laguepie where there are 2 restaurants and a pizzeria, 3 bars, 2 small supermarkets, banks, a post office, bakers, butchers, hardware store and everything necessary for everyday needs. The railway connects to Toulouse and Paris. Twice a week there is a market and once a month a larger 'foire'. The village has many associations ranging from football through fishing to folk dancing and pétanque (boules to the rest of the world) to patchwork. All in all Laguepie is the ideal place to learn more about a typical French village and more information can be had from the official website www.laguepie-en-rouergue.fr |
LAGUEPIE
