Pouzilhac | |
---|---|
A general view of Pouzilhac | |
Coordinates: 44°02′31″N 4°34′50″E / 44.0419°N 4.5806°E | |
Country | France |
Region | Occitania |
Department | Gard |
Arrondissement | Nîmes |
Canton | Redessan |
Intercommunality | Pont du Gard |
Government | |
• Mayor (2020–2026) | Thierry Astier[1] |
Area 1 | 16.04 km2 (6.19 sq mi) |
Population (2021)[2] | 744 |
• Density | 46/km2 (120/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
INSEE/Postal code | 30207 /30210 |
Elevation | 168–261 m (551–856 ft) (avg. 230 m or 750 ft) |
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. |
Pouzilhac (French pronunciation: [puzijak]; Occitan: Posilhac) is a French commune in the Gard department in southern France, formerly Languedoc-Roussillon.
Geography
[edit]Pouzilhac is situated on the right bank of the Rhone next to the route national 86 and its close access to the A7 motorway (Remoulins, Tavel, Bollène).[3] The commune covers 16 km² and has 733 inhabitants since the last population census in 2018. Surrounded by the municipalities of Valliguières, La Capelle-et-Masmolène and Saint-Paul-les-Fonts, Pouzilhac is located 14 km southwest of Bagnols-sur-Cèze, the largest city in the area. Located at 218 meters above sea level, the Ragouse is the main waterway that crosses the town of Pouzilhac.
History
[edit]The oldest occupation of the site dates back to the Bronze Age, around 2500 B.C.[3]
The Romans left many traces of their occupation, an inscription in the masonry of the church testifies to the existence of a "villa".[3]
During the medieval period, since the 11th century, a castrum existed, first mentioned in 1121 as Castrum de Posilhac.[4]: 171 In 1176 it appeared as Villa de Posiliaco [4] In 1258, the municipal archives of Valliguières mention it as 'Posillanum' and in 1355 as 'Posilhacum'.[4] A Posillac took part in the First Crusade alongside the Count of Toulouse.[3]
It was during the religious wars in Europe in 1662 that the community took strategic importance with the construction of fortifications, and experienced a demographic progression.[3] Pouzilhac belonged to the viguerie of Roquemaure, a viguerie of the diocese of Uzès which included fourteen villages: Les Essarts, Lirac, Montfaucon, Pujaut, Rochefort, Roquemaure, Saint-Geniès-de-comolas, Saint-Hilaire-d'Ozilhan, Saint-Laurent-des-Arbres, Sauveterre, Saze, Tavel, and Valliguières.[4]: 188
The 12 th century chapel of Saint-Privat de Pouzilhac appears under the name 'Priory Sainct-Privat de Pouzilhac' in 1620.[4] The chapel occupies a site located along the ancient Roman road linking Nîmes to Alba Augusta, on which ancient inscriptions and epitaphs have been discovered.[5]: 525
Population
[edit]Year | Pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1962 | 328 | — |
1968 | 357 | +8.8% |
1975 | 372 | +4.2% |
1982 | 403 | +8.3% |
1990 | 373 | −7.4% |
1999 | 434 | +16.4% |
2008 | 612 | +41.0% |
2010 | 618 | +1.0% |
2014 | 660 | +6.8% |
2018 | 734 | +11.2% |
2020 | 739[6] | +0.7% |
Sights
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Chateau_et_%C3%A9glise_de_Pouzilhac.jpg/220px-Chateau_et_%C3%A9glise_de_Pouzilhac.jpg)
There is the Château de Pouzilhac and the Église Saint-Privat de Pouzilhac, (both private property) as well as the Chapelle Saint-Privat de Pouzilhac. There are also 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites within a radius of 30 km around Pouzilhac: Nimes, Orange, Avignon and Pont du Gard.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 4 May 2022.
- ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
- ^ a b c d e "Communes - Pont du Gard". 14 January 2015. Archived from the original on 14 January 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Eugène Germer-Durand, 'Dictionnaire topographique du département du Gard, Imprimerie impériale, Paris, 1868
- ^ Michel Provost, Carte archéologique de la Gaule (30/2 GARD), Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, 1999.
- ^ "Populations légales 2006 − Commune de Pouzilhac (30207)". www.insee.fr. Retrieved 30 April 2023.