Aleu

Aleu
The road into Aleu
Aleu
Location within Midi-Pyrénées region  Aleu
Coordinates: 42°53′37″N 1°16′01″E / 42.8936°N 1.2669°ECoordinates: 42°53′37″N 1°16′01″E / 42.8936°N 1.2669°E
Country	France
Region	Languedoc-Roussillon-Midi-Pyrénées
Department	Ariège
Arrondissement	Saint-Girons
Canton	Massat
Government
• Mayor (2014–2020)	André Vidal
Area^1	13.95 km^2 (5.39 sq mi)
Population (2013)^2	125
• Density	9.0/km^2 (23/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	09005 / 09320
Elevation	496–1,105 m (1,627–3,625 ft) (avg. 700 m or 2,300 ft)
^1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. ^2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Aleu is a French commune in the Ariège department in the Languedoc-Roussillon-Midi-Pyrénées region of southwestern France.

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Aleudiens or Aleudiennes^[1]

Geography

A street in Aleu

Lavoir (public laundry)

Aleu is located some 10 km south-east of Saint-Girons and 30 km west by south-west of Foix. It can be accessed by the D618 road coming from the west and following the northern border of the commune continuing to Biert in the east. The only access to the village by vehicle is by a small mountain road branching from the D618 at Castet d'Aleu. There is a small unsealed airstrip north-east of the village at approx 1000m altitude. The commune is very rugged with extensive forests. Apart from the village, there are numerous hamlets: Castet d'Aleu, Galas d'en Bas and Galas d'en Haut, La Trappe, La Bordasse, Biech, Pinsou, La Rouere and Fontale.^[2]

The Ruisseau d'Aleu rises in the south of the commune and flows north through the centre of the commune and the village gathering many tributaries and continues to join the Arac which forms the entire northern border of the commune. The Ruisseau de Loule forms most of the eastern border and also flows into the Arac. In the west the Ruisseau de Regude forms most of the border and flows north-west to join the Arac north-west of the commune.^[2]

Neighbouring communes and villages^[2]

History

The commune of Aleu was created in the French Revolution superseding the Community of Aleu which was detached in 1776 from that of Soulan.

Administration

List of successive mayors^[3]

From	To	Name	Party	Position
2001	2008	Louis Gilabert
2008	2020	André Vidal

(Not all data is known)

Demography

In 2013, the commune had 125 inhabitants. The evolution of the number of inhabitants is known through the population censuses conducted in the commune since 1793. From the 21st century, a census of communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants is held every five years, unlike larger towns that have a sample survey every year.^{[Note 1]}

Population Change (See database)

1793	1800	1806	1821	1831	1836	1841	1846	1851
1,095	1,107	1,205	1,069	1,175	1,343	1,331	1,283	1,204

1856	1861	1866	1872	1876	1881	1886	1891	1896
1,136	1,174	1,130	1,162	1,151	1,076	1,151	1,148	1,032

1901	1906	1911	1921	1926	1931	1936	1946	1954
974	921	790	695	595	531	516	386	293

1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2006	2008	2010
204	211	135	127	134	122	141	146	152

Sources : Ldh/EHESS/Cassini until 1962, INSEE database from 1968 (population without double counting and municipal population from 2006)

Aleu Town Hall

War memorial

Sites and monuments

The Church of Saint Benedict

A monumental cross in Aleu

• Joubac, a small peak just above Aleu, has an altiport with a view of all the surrounding mountains and the Mont Valier mountain chain^[4]
• The Church of Saint Benedict contains a 12th century font which is registered as an historical object.^[5]
• Church of Saint Roch and Saint Germaine at Castet d'Aleu (windows from the 19th century)
• Castelet of Castet at Aleu dating from the 12th or 13th century

Notable people linked to the commune

• Léopold Galy, born in Aleu on 12 March 1908 and died at Toulouse on 17 February 2001, was a French aviator and test pilot

See also

• Communes of the Ariège department
• Cantons of the Ariège department
• Arrondissements of the Ariège department

Notes and references

Notes

1. At the beginning of the 21st century, the methods of identification have been modified by law No. 2002-276 of 27 February 2002 , the so-called "law of local democracy" and in particular Title V "census operations" which allow, after a transitional period running from 2004 to 2008, the annual publication of the legal population of the different French administrative districts. For municipalities with a population greater than 10,000 inhabitants, a sample survey is conducted annually, the entire territory of these municipalities is taken into account at the end of the period of five years. The first "legal population" after 1999 under this new law came into force on 1 January 2009 and was based on the census of 2006.

References

1. Inhabitants of Ariège (French)
2. Google Maps
3. List of Mayors of France
4. LE PANORAMA DE JOUBAC, (French)
5. Ministry of Culture, Palissy PM09000003 Bénitier (French)

External links

• Aleu on the old IGN website (French)
• Aleu on Lion1906
• Aleu on Google Maps
• Aleu on Géoportail, National Geographic Institute (IGN) website (French)
• Aleu on the 1750 Cassini Map
• Aleu on the INSEE website (French)
• INSEE (French)