L'Aiguillon (; oc, L'Agulhon) is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the Ariège department in the

Occitanie Occitanie may refer to: *Occitania, a region in southern France called ''Occitanie'' in French *Occitania (administrative region) Occitania ( ; french: Occitanie ; oc, Occitània ; ca, Occitània ) is the southernmost administrative region of ...

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...

of southwestern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Aiguillonnois'' or ''Aiguillonnoises''

Geography

Location

L'Aiguillon is part of the

natural region A natural region (landscape unit) is a basic geographic unit. Usually, it is a region which is distinguished by its common natural features of geography, geology, and climate. From the ecological point of view, the naturally occurring flora and ...

of Olmes Country and lies halfway between

Lavelanet Lavelanet (; ''L'Avelhanet'' in the Languedocian dialect of Occitan) is a commune in the Ariège department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. Population Its inhabitants are called ''Lavelanetiens.'' Tour de France In 2 ...

, the capital of the canton and Bélesta. It has a number of hamlets and localities including Terris, Durenat, Couchou, Pagès, Jordy, Ramoundino, Les Peyriquets, Saint Charles, and Roudière.IGN Map of L’Aiguillon

Géoportail Géoportail is a comprehensive web mapping service of the French government that publishes maps and geophysical aerial photographs from more than 90 sources for France and its territories. The service, first developed by two public agencies (the ...

, consulted on 13 June 2011 . The D117 road (the former National Route N117) passes through the commune and is joined in the centre of the village by the D16 road.

Neighbouring communes and villages

Hydrology

The

Hers Hers may refer to: * The possessive pronoun version of she * Two rivers in southern France: ** Hers-Vif (also: ''Grand Hers'' or ''Hers'') ** Hers-Mort * The Georgian name for the indigenous people of Hereti, more commonly called Èrs * Her's, a ...

traverses the commune in the north at the foot of the ''Crète de l’Arse''. Several tributaries join it within the commune: streams of Benaix, Mede, and Bacref.

Geology and relief

The commune lies at the bottom of a gorge carved by the Hers in the Massif de Plantaurel of the

Pyrenees Mountains The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to C ...

. The village is sandwiched between the peak of Mede to the south which rises to above sea level and the peak of the Arse to the north whose highest point is . The latter is cut off from the Bouchard peak by the Balussous Pass where the Hers turns north (see map).

Toponymy

L'Aiguillon was formerly spelled ''L’Éguillon''. In

Occitan Occitan may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain. * Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France. * Occitan language, spoken in parts o ...

L'Aiguillon is called ''agulhon'' which means "a sharp height".

History

Ruines du moulin à marbre de L'Aiguillon

The Lordship of L'Aiguillon came under

Mirepoix A mirepoix ( ; ) is a flavor base made from diced vegetables cooked—usually with butter, oil, or other fat—for a long time on low heat without coloring or browning, as further cooking, often with the addition of tomato purée, creates a dar ...

until the sharing of the fief in 1329 when it passed to the authority of Léran. From the 16th century L'Aiguillon was part of the barony of Bélesta with the lordships of Bélesta and Fougax. The village was part of the commune of Bélesta until its separation in 1926.''L’Aiguillon''
Jean-Jacques Pétris, histariege.com, consulted on 13 June 2011 . The main industries in the 19th and 20th centuries were, as is the case in all of Olmes Country, were those of

horn Horn most often refers to: *Horn (acoustic), a conical or bell shaped aperture used to guide sound ** Horn (instrument), collective name for tube-shaped wind musical instruments *Horn (anatomy), a pointed, bony projection on the head of various ...

comb A comb is a tool consisting of a shaft that holds a row of teeth for pulling through the hair to clean, untangle, or style it. Combs have been used since prehistoric times, having been discovered in very refined forms from settlements dating ba ...

manufacturing (formerly made of

boxwood ''Buxus'' is a genus of about seventy species in the family Buxaceae. Common names include box or boxwood. The boxes are native to western and southern Europe, southwest, southern and eastern Asia, Africa, Madagascar, northernmost South ...

) and spinning.

Administration

List of mayors

Population

Sites and monuments

*A Sawmill in marble from the 19th century (built under an authorisation of

Charles X Charles X (born Charles Philippe, Count of Artois; 9 October 1757 – 6 November 1836) was King of France from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. An uncle of the uncrowned Louis XVII and younger brother to reigning kings Louis XVI and Lou ...

on 21 February 1827) was updated in 2005. *A building which was a

Flour mill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that has been separated ...

prior to 1747, was transformed into a factory making

s but is now in ruins.''A mill can conceal another''
, Laurence Cabrol, 28 October 2005, Ariège News, consulted on 13 June 2011 *The Church combines both classical and modern architectural features (especially the entrance). Formerly consecrated to the Virgin Mary, it is now dedicated to Saint Sernin. There was also a chapel dedicated to Saint Michael near the present church (late 15th century). *A

French formal garden The French formal garden, also called the (), is a style of garden based on symmetry and the principle of imposing order on nature. Its epitome is generally considered to be the Gardens of Versailles designed during the 17th century by the ...

next to the cemetery with a

gazebo A gazebo is a pavilion structure, sometimes octagonal or turret-shaped, often built in a park, garden or spacious public area. Some are used on occasions as bandstands. Etymology The etymology given by Oxford Dictionaries is "Mid 18th c ...

at its centre. *There are also several Monumental Crosses.

Notable people linked to the commune

*Father Edouard Lafuste (died 17 November 1935 in L'Aiguillon), the village priest, was the author of numerous historical studies.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aiguillon Communes of Ariège (department)