Aigues-Vives (; ) is a commune in the Ariège department in the Occitanie region of southwestern France.
The inhabitants of the commune are known as Aigues-Vivesiens or Aigues-Vivesiennes.Inhabitants of Aigues-Vives , Jean-Jacques Pétris, website of the Historical Society, consulted on 3 June 2011.
Geography
Location Aigues-Vives is located both in the Pays d'Olmes and the Canton of Mirepoix on the D625 main road (formerly Route nationale N625) which runs from Saint-Quentin-la-Tour in the north through the heart of the commune and the town to Laroque-d'Olmes in the south. It is about 90 km in a direct line south by south west of Narbonne. Augues-Vives can also be accessed from the east on Highway D28 from Léran. Apart from the Aigues-Vives town there is one other residential area to the north of the town called Le Kartare. The commune is forested to the west and the east with the centre of the commune farmland (apart from the town).Google Maps
Neighboring communes and villages
Hydrography The Countirou stream, which has its source in the nearby village of Tabre, passes through the commune of Aigues-Vives, along the D625 road, and comes to an end at Hers-Vif near Mirepoix. A number of streams traverse the commune and flow into Coutirou including the: Fontaine de Toustou, the Couxou, the Ribalerie, and the Saint-Paul).Géoportail, IGN
Lake Montbel is located three kilometres south-east of the commune and is visible from the hills above Aigues-Vives.
Geology and terrain The village is located in an area formed during the Tertiary period with a soil which is a mix of conglomerate and sandstone,Simplified Geological Map of Ariège, Website of the town council of Vira, consulted on 3 June 2011 on strata called the "conglomerates of Palassou" located on the North Pyrenees faultline.Distribution of the ultra-basic body along the Pyrénées mountain chain , website of the Academy of Toulouse, consulted on 3 June 2011
Aigues-Vives is surrounded by several hills, the highest being 630m above sea level, on the western edge of the commune. The village itself is 420m high on average with the lowest point being 391m.
Seismicity and disasters According to decree No. 2010-1255 of 22 October 2010 on the delimitation of the seismicity of the French territory, Aigues-Vives is exposed to a risk level of 3 (moderate).Decree No. 2010-1255 of 22 October 2010 to delineate the seismicity zones in French territory in the Aquitaine, Languedoc-Roussillon, and Midi-Pyrénées regions, website of Légifrance, consulted on 3 June 2011
Other risks facing Aigues-Vives are forest fires, industrial hazards, and risks due to transport of dangerous goods.Gaspar database - Risks for the ARIÈGE department , website of the Ministry of Ecology, sustainable development, transport and accommodation, consulted on 3 June 2011 Past disasters include the November 1982 storm, flooding and mudslides in January 1992 and mudslides in November–December 1996.Risks for Aigues-Vives , website of the Ministry of Ecology, sustainable development, transport and accommodation, consulted on 25 May 2011
Toponymy Aigues-Vives or in Occitan Aigas Vivas meaning "whitewater" takes its name from springs in the surrounding hills.General Toponymy of France - non-Roman Forms; dialectal forms, Etymology of 35,000 place names, Ernest Nègre, editor Librairie Droz, Geneva, 1991, vol. 2, 1381 pages, p. 1064, , consulted on 16 May 2011 Official Site of Aigues-Vives, consulted on 16 May 2011 There were also these old forms: Aygas vivas (1300) Aquisvivis (1377), and Aiguesvives (1801).
History The first written mention of Aigues-Vives dates to 1301. The village was under the control of Mirepoix, ten miles to the north, until 1329, when Gaston de Lévis-Léran appropriated the castle and the surrounding lands. The village remained in the possession of the Lévis-Léran family until the Revolution.
The main industries in the 20th century were the making of "horn combs"Combs made from the horns of sheep or cattle. See "Peigne en corne" in the French Wikipedia and textiles, as is the case for much of the Pays d'Olmes.
Heraldry
Policy and administration
Municipal administration Based on the number of inhabitants (more than 100, less than 499), the town has a council of 11 members.art L. 2121-2 of the General Code of Collective Territories .
List of mayorsList of Mayors of France
From To Name Party 2001 2008 Ange Fernand Mendes 2008 2020 Christian Mascarenc DVG 2020 2026 Jean-Luc Tardy
Population and society
Population
Education Aigues-Vives has a kindergarten and primary school, with 68 students (for the academic year 2010–2011).Directory of public schools , consulted on 27 May 2011.
Sports Several sports facilities exist in Aigues-Vives: a football club, a gymnasium, a tai chi group, a bicycle club, and a leisure centre which has a go-karting track and a mini-golf area.
Health There is no pharmacy or doctor in Aigues-Vives with the closest being at Laroque-d'Olmes about 3 kilometres away. The nearest hospital is in Lavelanet seven kilometres away.
Economy
Incomes of the population and taxation In 2017, the median net household income was €19,290.Dossier complet: Commune d'Aigues-Vives (09002), INSEE, consulted on 9 September 2020
Employment, business and trade The rate of unemployment in 2017 was 15.5% and slightly higher among women than men.
There are several companies in the building trades, particularly masonry and housepainting in Aigues-Vives and there is also a textile company and a website design business. There is an Asian caterer, a camping ground, and a Karting Club.Local Activities, Official website of Aigues-Vives, consulted on 6 June 2011.
Agriculture and livestock is another sector of activity in Aigues-Vives: wheat, forage grass, and vines are grown, while cattle and sheep are also raised. The nearby forests are exploited and are rich in mushrooms.Michel de La, Ariège, the complete guide to 332 communes], Deslogis-Lacoste, Paris, 1990, , consulted on 6 June 2011.
Wind farm project A project to create a wind farm on the ridges of the Serre du Tut was launched and then abandonedPresentation of the wind farm Project, consulted on 10 May 2012. due to strong opposition, especially from the Association for the Preservation and Tourism and the Sites in the Pyrénées Mountains.Winds of revolt in Cathare country against the industrial wind farm , Laurence Cabrol, 23 April 2012, AriègeNews, consulted on 10 May 2012.
Local culture and heritage
Sites and monuments A Romanesque Church dedicated to Saint Stephen with a bell tower. There is an old baptismal font with an octagonal limestone basin and sandstone base (1657). It has been transformed into a font and is registered as an historical object.Ministry of Culture, Palissy The War Memorial is also in the church.Aigues-Vives War Memorial, Gérard Doucet, online 28 January 2011, consulted on 1 June 2011.
Several 'Wayside crosses scattered around the village were used as Oratories. Processions in honour of the Virgin Mary are organized there.
A Column with a square pedestal, topped by a statue of the Virgin is located in the parking lot near the church. It is about four metres high.
An Old Fountain with a hand pump which is in no state to use.
Dry stone huts in ruins, formerly used by farmers. Lake Montbel is 5 km southeast of the commune. The Ecomuseum of Camping in the Serre.
Notable people Faust Nadal, a colonial physician. Born in Aigues-Vives Jean Pelissier (1883–1939), a historian, sociologist, and journalist born in Aigues-Vives
See also Communes of the Ariège department Lake Montbel
Bibliography History and Heritage of Mirepoix Country, Mirepoix Tourist Office, 1999, p. 115-119.
References
External links Aigues-Vives on Géoportail, National Geographic Institute (IGN) website Aiguesvives on the 1750 Cassini Map