Arques, Aude

Arques is located in the Pyrénées mountains some 25 km south-east of Limoux and 25 km north-east of Quillan. Access to the commune is by the D613 road from Serres in the west passing through the village and continuing to Albières in the east. The D54 goes north from the village to Valmigère. At the commune border the D70 branches from the D54 and follows a tortuous route to Bouisse. The commune is an alpine commune with rugged terrain but with some farms in the valley.[https://www.google.com/maps/place/Arques/@42.9413838,2.3983131,6879m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x12afd964eb164aef:0x4078821166d3300?hl=en Google Maps]

The Rialsesse river flows through the centre of the commune and the village from east to west gathering many tributaries. In the south the Ruisseau de Lait, with many tributaries rising in the commune, flows north-west into the Lac d'Arques (Arques Lake) which feeds the Rialsesse.

{{Geographic location

|width=auto

|Centre = Arques

|North = Valmigère

|Northeast = Bouisse

|East = Albières

|Southeast = Auriac

|South = Sougraigne

|Southwest = Rennes-les-Bains

|West = Serres

|Northwest = Terroles

}}

The area was owned by the Abbey of Lagrasse in the early 11th century, before coming under the control of the Lords of Termes. In 1231 the region was given by Simon de Montfort to Pierre de Voisins after the Albigensian Crusade. His successor, Gilles de Voisins, began the construction of the castle in 1280 and the organization of the Bastide. It was the northern barons who came to occupy the land of the Cathar heretics under the order of Pope Innocent III.

The dynasty of Voisins was extinguished in 1518 with the marriage of Françoise with Jean de Joyeuse, a member of the House of Joyeuse who therefore became the owner of the lordship and barony of Arques. Arques castle was abandoned in favour of the Château des Ducs de Joyeuse (Castle of the Dukes of Joyeuse) in Couiza. Lords and barons of Arques-barons were hereditary barons of Languedoc (Pays d'états) and had a permanent seat in the Estates of Languedoc.

{{Blazon-arms

|img1=Blason de la ville d'Arques (11).svg

|legend1=Arms of the Commune of Arques

|text=This design is the interpretation of Henri Sivade

Commune of Arques Blazon:

Vert, Party per fess Argent chapé chaussé of one in the other.Charles d'Hozier, Armorial General of Persons, Places, Companies, Corps, and Communities of the department of Aude, Imprimerie François Pomiès, Augustin Cornet-Peyrusse, 1876, Carcassonne, 124 pages, [http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k1048273/f18.image Read online] {{in lang|fr}}Arms of the communes of the department of Aude, Departmental Archives of Aude, Henri Sivade, 1996, Carcassonne, 128 pages, {{ISBN|2-86011-012-7}} {{in lang|fr}}

}}

{{Blazon-arms

|img1=Blason ville fr Arques (Aude).svg

|legend1=Arms of Hozier

|text=The Armorial of General d'Hozier shows this picture which can be emblazoned as follows:Armorial General of France, prepared under the edict of 1696. Vol. 15: Languedoc (Part 2), Charles d'Hozier, [http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k1114681 Read online] {{in lang|fr}}

Blazon:

Party per fess, Vert and Argent, vêtu of one in the other.

}}

{{incomplete list|date=April 2021}}

List of Successive Mayors[http://www.francegenweb.org/mairesgenweb/chercher.php List of Mayors of France] {{in lang|fr}}

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Arquois or Arquoises in French.[https://www.habitants.fr/aude-11 Le nom des habitants du 11 - Aude], habitants.fr

{{Historical populations

| align = none

| cols = 2

| percentages = pagr

| source = EHESS{{Cassini-Ehess|1331|Arques}} and INSEE[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-11015#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE

|1793 |460

|1800 |488

|1806 |535

|1821 |506

|1831 |549

|1836 |591

|1841 |600

|1846 |601

|1851 |556

|1856 |504

|1861 |560

|1866 |539

|1872 |542

|1876 |495

|1881 |520

|1886 |531

|1891 |508

|1896 |507

|1901 |504

|1906 |516

|1911 |429

|1921 |272

|1926 |326

|1931 |330

|1936 |297

|1946 |284

|1954 |250

|1962 |235

|1968 |210

|1975 |190

|1982 |201

|1990 |210

|1999 |199

|2007 |260

|2012 |252

|2017 |254

}}

File:Le donjon d'Arques.jpg

The commune has two sites that are registered as historical monuments:

• The Arques Iron Cross (14th century){{Mérimée Icon}}Ministry of Culture, Mérimée {{Mérimée|PA00102540|PA00102540 Arques Iron Cross}} {{in lang|fr}}
• The Château d'Arques (14th century){{Mérimée Icon}}Ministry of Culture, Mérimée {{Mérimée|PA00102539|PA00102539 Château d'Arques}} {{in lang|fr}}

;Other sites of interest

• The Déodat Roché House converted into an exhibition on Catharism
• The Arboretum du Planel
• A Sculpture of the Head of a Cleric (15th century){{Palissy Icon}} is registered as an historical object.Ministry of Culture, Palissy {{Palissy|PM11001712|PM11001712 Sculpture of the Head of a Cleric}} {{in lang|fr}}
• The Church contains several items that are registered as historical objects:
• A Group Sculpture: Saint Anne, Virgin and child (14th century){{Palissy Icon}}Ministry of Culture, Palissy {{Palissy|PM11001711|PM11001711 Group Sculpture: Saint Anne, Virgin and child}} {{in lang|fr}}
• A Tabernacle and Altar seating in the south side chapel (17th century){{Palissy Icon}}Ministry of Culture, Palissy {{Palissy|PM11002887|PM11002887 Tabernacle and Altar seating}} {{in lang|fr}}
• A Cross (14th century){{Palissy Icon}}Ministry of Culture, Palissy {{Palissy|PM11002843|PM11002843 Cross}} {{in lang|fr}}
• An Altar Cross and 6 Candlesticks (18th century){{Palissy Icon}}Ministry of Culture, Palissy {{Palissy|PM11002509|PM11002509 Altar Cross and 6 Candlesticks}} {{in lang|fr}}
• A Retable and Tabernacle in the south side chapel (17th century){{Palissy Icon}}Ministry of Culture, Palissy {{Palissy|PM11002508|PM11002508 Retable and Tabernacle}} {{in lang|fr}}

;Chateau d'Arques Picture Gallery

File:Arques (Aude).jpg|The chateau

File:Arques - Château 28.JPG|Interior

File:Arques - Château 29.JPG|A door

File:Arques - Château 26.JPG|The ceiling

File:Arques - Château 6.JPG|The keep

File:Arques - Château 5.JPG|The entrance

File:Arques - Château 32.JPG|Windows

File:Château d'Arques (Francia) 3.jpg|Arch

File:Donjon d Arques, Aude (8356577801).jpg|The keep in the 19th century

• Pierre de Voisins (1177–1233), Lord of Voisins-le-Bretonneux, then Limoux, Arques, Reddes, Caderonne, Couiza, and Bugarach. In 1191 he went on the Third Crusade. In 1209 he took part in the Albigensian Crusade. Lieutenant of Simon de Montfort who entrusted him with several lordships in Carcassonne and Razes after the fall of the Château de Termes. He was Baron of Arques.
• Anne de Joyeuse (1560/1-1587), Baron of Arques, Viscount then Duke of Joyeuse.
• Déodat Roché, born on 13 December 1877 at Arques, died on 12 January 1978, historian of Catharism, magistrate, philosopher, anthroposopher, freemason.
• Victor Boffelli, born on 20 March 1947 at Arques, French rugby player

• Communes of the Aude department

{{Reflist|2}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20140423055146/http://www.cathares.org/arques-intro.html Page on the Chateau d'Arques on the cathares.org website] {{in lang|fr}}
• [http://www.audecathare.fr/chateaux/chateau_arques.htm Page on the Chateau d'Arques on the AudeCathare.fr website] {{in lang|fr}}
• [http://www.geoportail.gouv.fr/accueil?c=2.3758,42.9533&z=7.92265E-5&l=GEOGRAPHICALGRIDSYSTEMS.MAPS.3D$GEOPORTAIL:OGC:WMTS@aggregate(1)&l=ADMINISTRATIVEUNITS.BOUNDARIES$GEOPORTAIL:OGC:WMTS(1)&permalink=yes Arques on Géoportail], National Geographic Institute (IGN) website {{in lang|fr}}
• [http://rumsey.geogarage.com/maps/cassinige.html?lat=42.9533&lon=2.3758&zoom=13 Arques on the 1750 Cassini Map]

{{Commons category|Arques (Aude)|Arques, Aude}}

{{Aude communes}}

{{authority control}}

Arques