Albiès

Albiès (French pronunciation: [albjɛs]; Occitan: Alvièrs) is a commune in the Ariège department in the Occitanie region of southwestern France.

Albiès
Commune
Albiès railway bridge
Location of Albiès
Albiès Show map of France Albiès Show map of Occitanie
Coordinates: 42°46′42″N 1°42′10″E
Country	France
Region	Occitania
Department	Ariège
Arrondissement	Foix
Canton	Haute-Ariège
Intercommunality	Haute-Ariège
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Bholème Boufaid[1]
Area 1	7.69 km2 (2.97 sq mi)
Population  (2022)[2]	122
• Density	16/km2 (41/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	09004 /09310
Elevation	531–1,887 m (1,742–6,191 ft) (avg. 560 m or 1,840 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography

Albiès is a long narrow commune oriented north–south about 25 km south by south-east of Foix and 15 km west by north-west of Ax-les-Thermes. It is traversed by Route Nationale N20 (E9) from Verdun in the north-west passing south of the village and continuing to the east. It is also possible to access the southern tip of the commune by road D522 from Les Cabannes to the west of the village via a tortuous mountain route west of the commune arriving at the southern tip of the commune where it terminates. The commune south of the N20 highway is heavily forested and inaccessible mountainous terrain. The village can be accessed by the Rue de Nappy going north from the N20 highway. A railway line passes through the village from west to east but there is no station in the commune. The nearest station is at Les Cabannes some 4 km to the west.^[3]

Albiès Floodgates on the Ariège river

The Ariège river passes through the village flowing east parallel to the N20. The Ruisseau de Caychax flows from the north of the commune into the Ariège. The Ruisseau de Sauzelles rises in the south of the commune and flows north joining the Ruisseau de l'Oule which rises in the south-west and forms the southern portion of the western border before joining the Ruisseau de Sauzelles and becoming the Ruisseau de Lavel d'Albiès which is most of the western border before joining the Ravin de la Rescalbade and flowing into the Ariège as the Ruisseau de la Garganle. A separate stream - the Ruisseau de Garganle - forms part of the eastern border where it flows into the Ariège.^[3]

^[3]

Administration

List of Successive Mayors^[4]

From	To	Name	Party
2001	2020	Jean-Claude Prat	PCF
2020	2026	Bholème Boufaid

Population

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Albiésois or Albiésoises in French.^[5]

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1968	146	—
1975	163	+1.59%
1982	144	−1.75%
1990	141	−0.26%
1999	156	+1.13%
2007	139	−1.43%
2012	131	−1.18%
2017	123	−1.25%
Source: INSEE[6]

Albiès Town Hall

The Lavoir (Public Laundry)

Albiès War Memorial

The railway passing through the village

Albiès Church

Albiès Drinking Trough

Religious heritage

The Parish Church contains a Collection plate (17th century) which is registered as an historical object.^[7]

Notable people linked to the commune

• Monseigneur Jean-Marie Vidal (1872–1940), Bishop of Pamiers, historian and writer.
• Jacques Martiel (born 13 December 1946), journalist, publisher and Printer.

See also

• Communes of the Ariège department