Antraigues-sur-Volane


Antraigues-sur-Volane is a former commune in the Ardèche department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southern France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Vallées-d'Antraigues-Asperjoc.
WWW antraigues.org

Geography

Location

Antraigues-sur-Volane is located 5 kilometres north of Vals-les-Bains and 14 km north of Aubenas. The village lies on the edge of the Ardèche Cévennes with the northern boundary ending at the Mézilhac Pass and the Vivarais Mountains.
Access to the commune is on the D578 road from Val-les-Bains in the south to the village then continuing north through the heart of the commune to Laviolle in the north. There is also the D254 going west from the D578 just outside the village via a mountainous route to Labastide-sur-Besorgues in the west. Similarly the D318 road goes east from the village by a mountainous route to Genestelle in the east. The commune is mountainous with some mountain roads accessing parts of the commune.

Hydrology

The Volane river flows from the north through the commune where it is joined by many tributaries including the Ruisseau de Rouyon, the Ruisseau du Bouchet, the Ruisseau des Fuels, the Rivière de Bise, the Ruisseau de Coupe, and many other unnamed streams.

History

In 1841 the commune of Laviolle was created from a part of Antraigues.
Antraigues took its current name on 20 August 1989.
In the 1960s Mayor Jean Saussac brought in many artists such as Jacques Brel, Lino Ventura, Pierre Brasseur, Claude Nougaro, Alexander Calder, Allain Leprest Francesca Solleville, Aubret Isabelle and Jean Ferrat, who settled permanently in the village and became deputy mayors in charge of culture. As a result, the nickname "Little Saint Tropez of the Ardèche" was attributed to the commune.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors of Antraigues-sur-Volane
FromToNamePartyPosition
18201833Jean Pierre Chabannes
19651977Jean SaussacPCFArtist
19772001Michel Beyssade
20012014Michel PesentiDVG
20142019Gilles Doz

Demography

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Antraiguains or Antraiguaines or alternatively as Antraiguais or Antraiguaises in French.

Distribution of Age Groups

The population of the town is relatively old. The rate of persons above the age of 60 years is significantly higher than the departmental level.

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

  • A Tower on the village hilltop

Religious heritage

  • The Chapel of Saint-Roch
  • The Parish Church contains a number of items that are registered as historical objects:
  • *A Statue: The Virgin of the Immaculate Conception bringing down the serpent
  • *A Statue: Saint Roch
  • *A Statue: Saint Philomene
  • *A Statue: Saint Jean François Régis
  • *A Painting: Saint Bauzille, martyred deacon

Environmental heritage

The commune has been an integral part of the Regional Natural Park of Monts d'Ardèche since its inception on 9 April 2001. The commune has two ZNIEFF type II areas in its territory named:
"Line of the crest of the Mézilhac to the Escrinet Pass"
"Watersheds of the Volane, the Dorne, and the Bézorgues"
The town also includes four ZNIEFF type I areas:
  • "Rocks and moors of the volcano forest"
  • "Streams of the Volane, the Mas, the Bise, and the Gamondes"
  • "Plateau of Pradou and the Field of Mars"
  • "Slopes of the Crau volcano"

Notable People linked to the commune