Alet-les-Bains

Coat of arms

Alet-les-Bains

Location within Occitanie region

Alet-les-Bains

Coordinates: 42°59′51″N 2°15′25″E / 42.9975°N 2.2569°ECoordinates: 42°59′51″N 2°15′25″E / 42.9975°N 2.2569°E

Country

Government

• Mayor (2014-2020)

Ghislaine Tafforeau

Area¹

23.54 km² (9.09 sq mi)

Population (2014)²

441

• Density

19/km² (49/sq mi)

Time zone

CET (UTC+1)

• Summer (DST)

CEST (UTC+2)

INSEE/Postal code

11008 /11580

Elevation

180–720 m (590–2,360 ft)
(avg. 204 m or 669 ft)

¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

²Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Alet-les-Bains (Alet in Occitan, formerly spelt Aleth) is a commune in the Aude department in the Occitanie region in southern France.

Alet-les-Bains is located near a hot springs in Aude in the south of France. The village is roughly one and a half hours from the sea and one hour from a winter sports centre. To each side of the village, the mountains come to a height of 750 metres above sea level. Access to the SNCF can be found at the Alet-les-Bains train station.

The origins of the abbey of Alet-les-Bains are unknown other than that of a priory in the eighth century. It was likely founded by Béra, viscount of Razés. By the twelfth century, it had much influence and a large number of pilgrims. In 1318, the abbey became a bishopric in order to continue the fight against the cathars; as it stayed until the French revolution. The diocese had eighty Parishes and spanned from Formiguères to Saint-Paul-de-Fenouillet. A wall, with 4 gates, built in the twelfth century to protect the abbey can still be seen today.

In the sixteenth century, during the wars of religion, the Huguenots burnt and destroyed the abbey. In the seventeenth century, Nicolas Pavillon, bishop of Alet who stood up against the government of Louis XIV; could have found the means to repair the abbey, but did not feel that given the poverty of the people in his diocese, it would be acceptable. He did however build a bridge that spans Aude, in 1662 and gave an improved system of irrigation, as well as a seminar.

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Wikipedia