Revel (; oc, Revèl) is a commune in the

Haute-Garonne Haute-Garonne (; oc, Nauta Garona, ; en, Upper Garonne) is a department in the Occitanie region of Southwestern France. Named after the river Garonne, which flows through the department. Its prefecture and main city is Toulouse, the country' ...

department in southwestern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Geography

Location

Revel is situated east of

Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and fr ...

. Other notable nearby towns are

Carcassonne Carcassonne (, also , , ; ; la, Carcaso) is a French fortified city in the department of Aude, in the region of Occitanie. It is the prefecture of the department. Inhabited since the Neolithic, Carcassonne is located in the plain of the Aud ...

and Castelnaudary to the south, Castres to the east, and

Albi Albi (; oc, Albi ) is a commune in southern France. It is the prefecture of the Tarn department, on the river Tarn, 85 km northeast of Toulouse. Its inhabitants are called ''Albigensians'' (french: Albigeois, Albigeoise(s), oc, albigé ...

to the northeast.

Climate

Revel has a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

''Cfa''). The average annual temperature in Revel is . The average annual rainfall is with April as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around . The highest temperature ever recorded in Revel was on 17 June 2022; the coldest temperature ever recorded was on 16 January 1985.

Population

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Revélois and Revéloises.

History

Revel was one of the last

bastide Bastides are fortified new towns built in medieval Languedoc, Gascony, Aquitaine, England and Wales during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, although some authorities count Mont-de-Marsan and Montauban, which was founded in 1144, as ...

towns to be chartered. Founded as a royal bastide by the king's seneschal from Toulouse, Agot de Baux, on 8 June 1342, it was originally an open town on a featureless plain. During the

Hundred Years' War The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a series of armed conflicts between the kingdoms of England and France during the Late Middle Ages. It originated from disputed claims to the French throne between the English House of Plantagen ...

, the townspeople successfully lobbied for the right to protect themselves and built a kilometre of ramparts six metres high and four gates at the points of the compass.

Sights

The most notable physical feature of Revel is its central square, partially covered by a 14th-century roof, supported by wooden pillars and topped by a distinctive bell-tower. Originally, the marketplace was erected in the fourteenth century. In 1829, a fire destroyed the building. Five years later, it was restored, accruing its recent form with the addition of the cupola and a clock. Every Saturday morning, a market is held in the square and surrounding streets in which a variety of goods, but especially food and clothing, are for sale. Another distinctive building is the large, Gothic-style town church of Notre-Dame, just south of the central square. Just south of Revel, where the land begins to slope upwards into the

Montagne Noire The Montagne Noire ( oc, Montanha Negra, known as the 'Black Mountain' in English) is a mountain range in central southern France. It is located at the southwestern end of the Massif Central at the juncture of the Tarn, Hérault and Aude departm ...

regional park, is the Lac de Saint-Ferréol, a man-made lake dating from the seventeenth century which is linked to and supplies water to the

Canal du Midi The Canal du Midi (; ) is a long canal in Southern France (french: le Midi). Originally named the ''Canal royal en Languedoc'' (Royal Canal in Languedoc) and renamed by French revolutionaries to ''Canal du Midi'' in 1789, the canal is conside ...

. For some time, the lake has been enjoyed by local residents and tourists as a place for walking, sunbathing, picnicking etc. A number of hotels, cafés, restaurants and private homes can be found close to the north shore of the lake.

Economy

Revel is arguably best known for two products: furniture, and a mint liqueur named Get 27, which has been manufactured in the town since the 18th century. Cabinet-making is a specialty of the area, and many cabinet makers are trained at the local lycée, which specialises in technical training, and admits pupils from across the region on a residential (boarding) basis during the week. Furniture shops and warehouses are a feature of Revel and the surrounding area. Revel's lycée is located on the east side of the town, on the Route de Sorèze, and is named after

Vincent Auriol Vincent Jules Auriol (; 27 August 1884 – 1 January 1966) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1947 to 1954. Early life and politics Auriol was born in Revel, Haute-Garonne, as the only child of Jacques Antoine Auri ...

(1884-1966), the socialist politician who was born in the town and who was the first President of the Fourth Republic of

between 1947 and 1954.

Transportation

Public transport to and from Revel is sparse. At one time, Revel was linked to Toulouse by rail, but the only remnant of this facility is the derelict railway station to the north-west of the town. The nearest town with a rail link (to Toulouse or the south coast) is Castelnaudary. A coach service between Revel and Toulouse runs on an infrequent basis.

Media

Eglise Notre-Dame de Revel.jpg, Church "Notre-Dame de Revel" Eglise Notre-Dame de Revel - Interior.jpg, Interior Eglise Notre-Dame de Revel - Interior - Pulpit.jpg, Pulpit Eglise Notre-Dame de Revel - Decoration de la voute du choeur Henry Lefrai.jpg, Vault of choir Eglise Notre-Dame de Revel - Orgue de tribune.jpg, Gallery organ Beffroi halle detail revel 31250 france.jpg, Belfry detail