Arvigna Explained

Arvigna
Commune Status:	Commune
Image Coat Of Arms:	Blason Arvigna.jpg
Arrondissement:	Pamiers
Canton:	Pamiers-2
Insee:	09022
Postal Code:	09100
Mayor:	Maxime Roubichou^[1]
Term:	2020 - 2026
Intercommunality:	CC Portes Ariège Pyrénées
Coordinates:	43.0636°N 1.7331°W
Elevation M:	650
Elevation Min M:	279
Elevation Max M:	490
Area Km2:	8.6

Arvigna (pronounced as /fr/; oc|Arvinhan) is a commune in the Ariège department in the Occitanie region of southwestern France.

Geography

Arvigna is a commune in the Pre-Pyrenees located some 11 km south-east of Pamiers and 12 km west by south-west of Mirepoix. Access to the commune is by the D12 road from Vira in the south-west passing through the commune east of the village and continuing to join the D119 north of the commune. There are extensive forests in the commune covering about 40% of the land area with the rest farmland.^[2]

The Douctouyre river flows along the edge of the forests in the north-east of the commune from south-east to north and it continues north to join the Hers near Vals. Four streams rise in the commune and flow north-east to join the Douctouyre in the commune - the Ruisseau de Lafage, the Ruisseau de Truffet, an unnamed stream, and the Ruisseau de Minguet. The western border is delineated by an unnamed stream which flows north to join Le Canal south of Saint-Amadou.^[2]

Places and Hamlets

The population is mostly split between four hamlets (Languit, Menet, Roubichou, les Bordes) which are scattered around the Town hall and the school. The church is on the slopes of Cantegril hill above Arvigna village. There are eight other hamlets in the commune:^[3]

• Le Castel
• Marty
• Minguet
• Monge
• Peres
• Le Pioy
• La Rose
• Le Soula
• En Terraine

Neighbouring communes and villages

^[2]

Heraldry

Administration

List of Successive Mayors^[4]

From	To	Name	Party	Position
1965	1977	Georges Chaubet
1977	1987	Pierre Naudi		Farmer
1987	1995	André Jalibert		Farmer
1995	2008	Jacques Mirouse		Retired
2008	2020	Jean-François Naudi		Farmer
2020	2026	Maxime Roubichou

Demography

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Arvignais or Arvignaises in French.^[5]

Sites and Monuments

There are four structures registered as historical monuments in Arvigna. These are:

• War memorial (20th century).^[6] This memorial is located inside the walls of the church.
• Funeral Chapel of the Barrière family (19th century)^[7]
• Wayside Cross at Roubichou (1813)^[8]
• Parish Church of Saint-Vincent and Saint-Martial (14th century).^[9]

The Church of Saint-Vincent and Saint-Martial contains many items that have been registered as historical objects. These are:

• Funeral Cross of Father Louis Richard (20th century)^[10]
• Cemetery Cross (19th century)^[11]
• The surroundings of the war memorial including the large statues of Saint Joan of Arc and Saint Germaine of Pibrac with their Corbels (20th century)^[12]
• 2 Altar Towers (19th century)^[13]
• Cape and Cloth of Gold (19th century)^[14]
• 4 sides of the processional dais (19th century)^[15]
• Exhibition veil of the sacremental saint: IHS (19th century)^[16]
• Processional banner: Baby Jesus blessing the world (19th century)^[17]
• Baptismal fonts and a sculpture of the baptism of Christ (19th century)^[18]
• Secondary Altar of the Virgin, Altar tombstone, Altar seating, Tabernacle, and small statue: Virgin of the Sacred Heart (19th century)^[19]
• Harmonium (19th-20th century)^[20]
• Main Altar, Altar tombstone, Altar seating, and Tabernacle (19th century)^[21]
• Collection plate (17th century)^[22]
• Stoup

3 anthropomorphic heads (17th century)^[23]

• Stoup (on a footing) (17th century)^[24]
• Family pew (19th century)^[25]
• Sacristy furniture (17th century)^[26]
• 4 Funeral candlesticks (19th century)^[27]
• Altar Cross: Christ on the cross (17th century)^[28]
• Chalice with its Paten (20th century)^[29]
• Solar Monstrance (19th century)^[30]
• Mortuary cloth: with deaths-heads insignia (19th century)^[31]
• Mortuary cloth (19th century)^[32]
• Aube (19th century)^[33]
• Paddle: IHS (19th century)^[34]
• Paddle: IHS (18th century)^[35]
• Statuette: Virgin and child (18th century)^[36]
• Pair of paintings: Saint Vincent and Saint Martial (19th century)^[37]
• Altar table with its frame: Calvary St. Peter and St. Martial (17th century)^[38]
• 4 Stained glass windows (19th century)^[39]
• The Church furniture^[40]
• 4 paintings on the processional dais (19th century)^[41]

Local life, tourism and associations

Local life

School: an inter-communal educational grouping (RPI) for the Douctouyre Valley groups together the communes of Arvigna, Calzan, Vira, [Dun], Lieurac, and Carla-de-Roquefort. Five classes are open, including one at Arvigna with a canteen service and a CLAE. There is a leisure centre that operates on Wednesdays and during the holidays at Dun.

Tourism

There are two rural Gîtes (apartments), a Hiking or Mountain bike trail 7 km long trail which is an Earth Society (maquisards and guerrillas) path starting from the hamlet of Minguet to the site of a former Cathar castle (not restored).

Associations

• The Festival Committee organises various annual events, local festivals and fireworks. It includes many people from the commune and elsewhere, young and old.
• Hunting Association
• Walking group: Les Caminaïres

See also

• Communes of the Ariège department

External links

• Arvigna on the old National Geographic Institute website
• Arvigna on Géoportail, National Geographic Institute (IGN) website
• Arvigna on the 1750 Cassini Map

Notes and References

1. Web site: Répertoire national des élus: les maires. data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 2 December 2020. fr.
2. https://www.google.com/maps/search/Arvigna+mairie,+France/@43.0579756,1.7301411,6698m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en Google Maps
3. http://www.geoportail.gouv.fr/accueil?c=1.7331,43.0636&z=7.92265E-5&l=GEOGRAPHICALGRIDSYSTEMS.MAPS.3D$GEOPORTAIL:OGC:WMTS@aggregate(1)&l=ADMINISTRATIVEUNITS.BOUNDARIES$GEOPORTAIL:OGC:WMTS(1)&permalink=yes Géoportail
4. http://www.francegenweb.org/mairesgenweb/resultcommune.php?id=13853 List of Mayors of France
5. https://www.habitants.fr/ariege-09 Le nom des habitants du 09 - Ariège
6. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
7. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
8. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
9. Ministry of Culture, Mérimée
10. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
11. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
12. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
13. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
14. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
15. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
16. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
17. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
18. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
19. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
20. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
21. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
22. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
23. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
24. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
25. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
26. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
27. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
28. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
29. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
30. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
31. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
32. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
33. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
34. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
35. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
36. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
37. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
38. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
39. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
40. Ministry of Culture, Palissy
41. Ministry of Culture, Palissy