Saint-Lizier (; ) is a commune in the Ariège department in southwestern

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, situated on the river

Salat ''Salah'' (, also spelled ''salat'') is the practice of formal ibadah, worship in Islam, consisting of a series of ritual prayers performed at prescribed times daily. These prayers, which consist of units known as rak'a, ''rak'ah'', include ...

History

Saint-Lizier has a rich history stretching back to pre Gallo-Roman times. In 72 BC, Pompey, returning from his triumphs in Spain against Sertorius, stopped here. He gathered together the ancient tribes of the area under the name Consorani. The ramparts seen today date from 3rd century AD and enclose the oppidum. During the fifth century, the citadel became an

episcopal see An episcopal see is the area of a bishop's ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Phrases concerning actions occurring within or outside an episcopal see are indicative of the geographical significance of the term, making it synonymous with ''diocese'' ...

, the oldest in the Ariège area. Its first bishop is thought to have been Saint Valier. The town is named in honor of its 6th Century bishop

Lycerius Saint Lycerius (sometimes also Glycerius; ; ) (died 548) was a bishop of Couserans in the late 5th and 6th centuries. Bishop Glycerius is recorded as having attended the Council of Agde in 506. After his death in 548 he was buried in what i ...

, canonized as Saint Lizier, a bishop who participated in the

Council of Agde The Council of Agde was a regional synod of Latin liturgical rites, Western Rite Nicene Christianity, Nicene bishops held in September 506 at Agatha or Agde, on the Mediterranean coast east of Narbonne, in the Septimania region of the Visigothic K ...

in 506. The town has two former cathedrals:

Saint-Lizier Cathedral Saint-Lizier Cathedral () is one of two former co-cathedrals of the town of Saint-Lizier in southern France. The other is the Notre-Dame-de-la-Sède Cathedral. The Saint-Lizier Cathedral is dedicated to Saint Lycerius (), an early bishop of Couser ...

(now the parish church) and

Notre-Dame-de-la-Sède Cathedral Notre-Dame-de-la-Sède Cathedral () is one of two former co-cathedrals of the town of Saint-Lizier in southern France. The other is the Saint-Lizier Cathedral. The town of Saint-Lizier was formerly the seat of the Bishop of Couserans. The dioc ...

Population

Inhabitants of Saint-Lizier are called ''Licérois''.

Notable person

* The mathematician

Alexander Grothendieck Alexander Grothendieck, later Alexandre Grothendieck in French (; ; ; 28 March 1928 – 13 November 2014), was a German-born French mathematician who became the leading figure in the creation of modern algebraic geometry. His research ext ...

(1928–2014) died in Saint-Lizier

References

Communes of Ariège (department) Plus Beaux Villages de France World Heritage Sites in France Ariège communes articles needing translation from French Wikipedia {{Ariège-geo-stub

History

Population

Notable person

See also

References