Amis,
Yes, it is once again time for another installment of our on going two year series: Better Know a Department! And I know what you're thinking: just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday, too. Nothing makes for an icebreaker with slightly estranged extended family quite like saying, "hey, do you know which French department borders the nation of Andorra? Oh, you don't? Well, let me tell you about it."
Then you say all of the following (memorize this word-for-word, and you'll be the life of the party tomorrow):
Like 83 of the other 100 departments in France, Ariège came into existence on March 4, 1790. The only two old provinces that make up this department are Foix and Couserans. It remains a rather unknown department, perhaps in part due to being one of the most unpopulated of all the departments (it is ranked 96th in population). There are three arrondissements, 322 communes, and the president of the General Council is Augustin Bonrepaux.
The old province of Couserans, which is the western half of the department, is mostly composed of beautiful farms and mountains. If you struggle to picture this, think of the Simpsons episode where Bart is sent to France as a foreign exchange student and enjoys a culturally enriching experience ... "employed" ... on a vineyard. There, now you've got it. Aside from this picturesque aspect, there are only three cities in the entire department: Pamiers, Mirepoix, and the administrative capital of the department: Foix.
Foix is a wonderful Medieval town that still has its fortress, le Chateau de Foix, which is French for "the Chateau of Foix" (we do strive to cater to our non-French speaking readers, thanks for your support!). It is here (on a sad note)
, where 205 Cathars met their end. The Pope and French monarchy caught up with them in Foix in 1244 and burned them to death. Also noteworthy, this fortress has never been conquered by a foreign power and served as a prison. You can even find the names of English prisoners of war from centuries ago that have been carved on their old cell walls. Maybe someone will use that information for their genealogy work someday, kind of like visiting a cemetery? The most important thing about this fortress, however, is that the next time you hear someone making fun of the French military you can let them know that there is a Fortress that has never been taken. Then, dare that person to go try and take this fortress over if they really think the French military is so weak. At this point, the antagonist will back down. Now whose weak?You will find the mightly Ariège in the far south of France on the border with Spain and the lesser known nation of Andorra (did you know Nicolas Sarkozy is a prince of Andorra? and you thought he was nothing more than the president of a major western european country). Given their location right by the Pyrenees mountains, the people who live here (the Ariégeois) enjoy great skiing ... or at least they could get jobs at the ski resorts where rich people come to enjoy the great skiing.
So the next time you are visiting Andorra, a country I'm sure you all love to frequent, make the long journey across that whole nation to see Ariège. Come for the mountains, stay for the fortress. Here's to you, department 9!
Check it out: http://www.ariege.com/
