Villelongue-dels-Monts (; ) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.INSEE commune file
The inhabitants are called Villelonguais.
Geography Villelongue-dels-Monts is located in the south of the department of Pyrénées-Orientales, 33 km south of Perpignan, 18 km east from the Mediterranean Sea and 17 km from the Spanish border by Le Perthus, in the canton of Vallespir-Albères and in the arrondissement of Céret.
Its close neighbouring communities are : in the north Banyuls-dels-Aspres, Brouilla and Saint-Génis-des-Fontaines; in the east Laroque-des-Albères; in the south l'Albère and in the west Montesquieu-des-Albères.
With a surface of 1155 hectares, the territory is narrow and long (2 km from east to west and 8 km from north to south).Rapport de présentation - PLU de Villelongue dels Monts
History Villelongue-dels-Monts is named after the peak above the village which means « Villelongue-du-Mont ». It was mentioned for the first time in 981. Eventually, the monastery of Saint-Génis-des-Fontaines possessed a freehold on "Villalonga". The phrase "Castrum Sancti Christophori" appeared in 1095 to indicate the fortress constructed on the rocky peak.
Politics and administration Mayors Name Period Raphaël Roque 1792–1794 Sauveur Vigo 1794–1797 Antoine Portes 1797–1800 Raphaël Roque 1800–1813 Joseph Guichet 1813–1815 Joseph Ribes 1815–1821 Joseph Guichet 1821–1831 Jean Guichet 1831–1835 Louis Galangau 1835–1842 Jean Guichet 1842–1846 Saturnin Blay 1846–1848 Jean Guichet 1848–1850 Pierre Badie 1850–1851 Saturnin Blay 1851–1856 François Durand 1856–1870 Jean-Baptiste Vigo 1870–1874 François Durand 1874–1876 Name Period Jean-Baptiste Vigo 1876–1884 Jean Claret Guichet 1884–1888 Jean Cavaillé-Giralt 1888–1894 Pierre Cavaillé-Paris 1894–1896 Barthélemy Cavaillé 1896–1900 Louis Galangau-Jourda 1900–1907 Jean Boulet 1907–1914 Paul Portes 1914–1915 Jean Cavaillé 1915–1919 Jean Boulet 1919–1929 Antonin Monné 1929–1945 Julien Galangau 1945–1953 Robert Gazan 1953–1989 François Oms 1989–2001 Christian Nifosi 2001 -
Demography The communal demography is marked by a certain stability between 1851 and 1975, fluctuating in a minimum of population of 408 in 1968 and a maximum of 533 in 1891, and alternating between the periods of growth and decline.
From the 1970s, Villelongue-dels-Monts began to grow rapidly, related to the growth of the metropolitan area of Perpignan.
Sites of interest Santa Maria del Vilar
See also Communes of the Pyrénées-Orientales department
References
External links
Official website of Villelongue dels Monts Site of Santa Maria del Vilar