Argelès-Gazost

Argelès-Gazost (Occitan: Argelèrs de Gasòst) is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in southwestern France in the Occitanie region. It is part of the historical region of Gascony and is the capital of the arrondissement of Argelès-Gazost.

Argelès-Gazost
Subprefecture and commune
Argelès-Gazost viewed from Hautacam.
Coat of arms
Location of Argelès-Gazost
Argelès-Gazost Show map of France Argelès-Gazost Show map of Occitanie
Coordinates: 43°00′N 0°06′W
Country	France
Region	Occitanie
Department	Hautes-Pyrénées
Arrondissement	Argelès-Gazost
Canton	Argelès-Gazost
Intercommunality	Vallée d'Argelès-Gazost
Government
• Mayor (2014-2020)	Dominique Roux
Area 1	3.05 km2 (1.18 sq mi)
Population  (2014)	3,020
• Density	990/km2 (2,600/sq mi)
Demonym	Argelésiens
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	65440 /65000
Elevation	412–600 m (1,352–1,969 ft) (avg. 506 m or 1,660 ft)
Website	www.argeles-gazost.fr
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

History

Argelès-Gazost was made a commune in 1790 with the name of Argelès; it was merged in 1824 with the commune of Vieuzac.^[1] Vieuzac was also made a commune in 1790.^[2]

The name of the commune, Argelès, was changed to Argelès-Gazost in 1896.^[1]

Geography

Argelès-Gazost is a commune in the Lavedan (a natural region in the Pyrenees), at the confluence of the Gave de Pau and Gave d'Azun rivers, between Lourdes and Gavarnie.

It has an area of 3.05 km² (1 sq mi) and its average altitude is 506 m (1,660 ft); at the city hall, the altitude is 508 m (1,667 ft).^[3]

Argelès-Gazost and its neighboring communes

Climate

The climate of Argelès-Gazost, in the Köppen climate classification, is Cfb - Oceanic climate with template summers.

Population

The inhabitants of Argelès-Gazost are known, in French, as Argelésiens (women: Argelésiennes).^[4]

Argelès-Gazost has a population, in 2014, of 3,020,^[5] and its population density is of 990.2 inhabitants/km².

Evolution of the population in Argelès-Gazost

Administration

Argelès-Gazost is a subprefecture of the Hautes-Pyrénées department since 1790. It is also the capital of the arrondissement of Argelès-Gazost and the administrative centre (French: chef-lieu) of the canton La Vallée des Gaves with 50 communes and 15,743 inhabitants in 2014.

It is part of the intercommunality La Vallée d'Argelès-Gazost (French: Communauté de communes de la Vallée d'Argelès-Gazost).

Sites of interest

Some important buildings and places are:

• The Saint-Saturnin church, built in the second half of the nineteenth century.
• Château d'Ourout, built in the fifteenth - sixteenth century, rebuilt in the nineteenth century. With its park and chapel, it is registered as a historical monument since 1995.
• Vieuzac tower of the fourteenth century.
• Mendaigne tower of the eighteenth century.
• Pyrénées Animal Park (French: Parc Animalier des Pyrénées)

Gallery

• 
  Argelès-Gazost City Hall
• 
  Saint-Saturnin church
• 
  Vieuzac tower
• 
  Mendaigne tower
• 
  Stream of hot water in a park

Related pages

• Arrondissement of Argelès-Gazost
• Communes of the Hautes-Pyrénées department