Arquettes-en-Val

Arquettes-en-Val (French pronunciation: [aʁkɛt ɑ̃ val] ^ⓘ; Occitan: Arquetas) is a commune in the Aude department in the Occitanie region of southern France.

Arquettes-en-Val
Commune
The Town Hall
Coat of arms
Location of Arquettes-en-Val
Arquettes-en-Val Show map of France Arquettes-en-Val Show map of Occitanie
Coordinates: 43°06′14″N 2°30′11″E
Country	France
Region	Occitania
Department	Aude
Arrondissement	Carcassonne
Canton	La Montagne d'Alaric
Intercommunality	Carcassonne Agglo
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	André Pech[1]
Area 1	9.31 km2 (3.59 sq mi)
Population  (2022)[2]	79
• Density	8.5/km2 (22/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	11016 /11220
Elevation	195–561 m (640–1,841 ft) (avg. 200 m or 660 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

The commune is one of the rare ones in France that are free of debt.^[3]

Geography

A Street in Arquettes-en-Val

Arquettes-sur-Val is located some 16 km south-east of Carcassonne and 4 km south-west of Montlaur. Access to the commune is by the D42 road from Palaja in the north-west passing through the commune and the village and continuing south to Serviès-en-Val. The D114 goes north-east from Serviès-en-Val to form part of the eastern border of the commune before joining the D3. The D714 road connects the D3 east of the commune to the village. The D310 goes south-west from the village to Villetritouls. The commune is rugged and forested in the north-west giving way to farmland in the south-east.^[4]

The Ruisseau des Lys rises in the north-east of the commune and flows south-east gathering many tributaries. The Ruisseau de Jonquiere rises near the village and flows south-east. The Ruisseau de Lanes rises in the north-west of the commune and also flows south-west gathering many tributaries. All of the streams join the Sou south-west of the commune.^[4]

Neighbouring communes and villages

^[4]

History

Heraldry

Arms of Arquettes-en-Val

Blazon: Argent, 2 bends of Sable.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors^[5]

From	To	Name
1983	2001	Georges Bouges
2001	2008	Bruno Séguy
2008	2010	Lionel Carabosa
2010	2014	Bruno Séguy
2014	2026	André Pech

Demography

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Arquettois or Arquettoises in French.^[6]

Historical population

Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1793 114 —     1800 143 +3.29% 1806 165 +2.41% 1821 171 +0.24% 1831 178 +0.40% 1836 203 +2.66% 1841 185 −1.84% 1846 208 +2.37% 1851 193 −1.49% 1856 183 −1.06% 1861 179 −0.44% 1866 183 +0.44% 1872 171 −1.12% 1876 184 +1.85% 1881 269 +7.89% 1886 274 +0.37% 1891 236 −2.94% 1896 238 +0.17%	Year Pop. ±% p.a. 1901 269 +2.48% 1906 262 −0.53% 1911 234 −2.24% 1921 207 −1.22% 1926 228 +1.95% 1931 207 −1.91% 1936 208 +0.10% 1946 158 −2.71% 1954 211 +3.68% 1962 172 −2.52% 1968 148 −2.47% 1975 114 −3.66% 1982 118 +0.49% 1990 111 −0.76% 1999 96 −1.60% 2007 94 −0.26% 2012 91 −0.65% 2017 79 −2.79%
Source: EHESS[7] and INSEE[8]

A Wayside Cross in Arquettes-en-Val

Religious heritage

Entrance to the Church

The Church contains a Chasuble, Stole, Maniple, and Bourse de Corporal (17th century) which are registered as an historical object.^[9]

Notable people linked to the commune

• Oliver de Termes (1200-1274), Lord of Termes and Arquettes-en-Val.
• Émile Pouytès, born at Rieux-Minervois on 1 June 1924, died at Montredon-des-Corbières on 4 March 1976. a winemaker in Arquettes-en-Val who attended a viticultural protest by winegrowers and was killed.^[10] There is a commemoration on the 1st Sunday of March at the Montredon-des-Corbières bridge.

See also

• Val de Dagne
• Corbières AOC
• Communes of the Aude department