Bellac
{{Infobox French commune
|name = Bellac
|commune status = Subprefecture and commune
|image = Bellac Vincou.jpg
|caption = Bridge over the Vincou
|image coat of arms = Blason ville fr Bellac (Haute-Vienne).svg
|arrondissement = Bellac
|canton = Bellac
|INSEE = 87011
|postal code = 87300
|term = 2020–2026
|intercommunality = Haut Limousin en Marche
|coordinates = {{coord|46.1231|1.0503|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|elevation m = 245
|elevation min m = 175
|elevation max m = 301
|area km2 = 24.42
|population = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_total}}
|population date = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_as_of}}
|population footnotes = {{France metadata Wikidata|population_footnotes}}
}}
Bellac ({{IPA|fr|bɛlak|-|Fr-Bellac.ogg}}; {{Langx|oc|Belac}} {{IPA|oc|beˈlak|}}) is a commune in the Haute-Vienne department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France.
Bellac is where the French author Jean Giraudoux, writer of L'Apollon de Bellac, was born in 1882. His house has been turned into a museum.
Geography
Bellac lies {{convert|45|km|abbr=on}} northwest of Limoges at the confluence of the rivers Gartempe and {{Interlanguage link|Vincou|fr}}, in the Department of Haute-Vienne. Poitiers is {{convert|70|km|abbr=on}} to the northwest, and Angoulême {{convert|100|km|abbr=on}} to the southwest. The hills known as the Monts de Blond lie immediately to the south.
Administration
Bellac is a sous-préfecture of Haute-Vienne, seat of the arrondissement of Bellac which covers 57 communes. Furthernore, it is part of the canton of Bellac and of the communauté de communes Haut Limousin en Marche.[https://www.insee.fr/fr/metadonnees/geographie/commune/87011-bellac Commune de Bellac (87011)], INSEE
Population
{{Historical populations
|source = INSEE[https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/4515315?geo=COM-87011#ancre-POP_T1 Population en historique depuis 1968], INSEE
|percentages = pagr
|align = left
|1968 |5240
|1975 |5360
|1982 |5079
|1990 |4924
|1999 |4576
|2007 |4401
|2012 |4211
|2017 |3808
}}
Inhabitants are known as Bellachons in French.
{{clear left}}
Transport
Bellac is {{convert|30|km|abbr=on}} west of the A20 Limoges-Orléans motorway, and lies at a crossroads where the RN145 crosses the RN147. Both these roads had been designated part of the {{Interlanguage link|Route Centre-Europe Atlantique|fr}} (RCEA) and were thus at risk of being upgraded to motorway. However, the latest thinking is that the RCEA will be re-routed from La Souterraine south down the A20 to Limoges and then via upgraded to the N520/N141 routes to Angoulême and the west.
Classifications
Bellac is classified as a {{Interlanguage link|cité de caractère|fr|3=Villages et cités de caractère}}, a village étape, a {{Interlanguage link|station verte de vacances|fr|3=Station verte}}, and a {{Interlanguage link|station touristique|fr|3=Station touristique}}.
Notable people
- Jean Giraudoux (1882–1944), writer, dramatist and playwright, was born in Bellac
- Charles Silvestre (1889–1948), writer, winner of the Prix Femina in 1926, died in Bellac
Climate
{{Weather box|width=auto
|metric first=y
|single line=y
|collapsed = Y
|location = Bellac (1996–2010 normals, extremes 1996–2012)
|Jan record high C = 18.2
|Feb record high C = 23.3
|Mar record high C = 25.2
|Apr record high C = 30.5
|May record high C = 32.2
|Jun record high C = 36.9
|Jul record high C = 36.5
|Aug record high C = 39.5
|Sep record high C = 34.2
|Oct record high C = 29.0
|Nov record high C = 22.3
|Dec record high C = 17.7
|Jan record low C = -11.9
|Feb record low C = -17.5
|Mar record low C = -12.6
|Apr record low C = -3.4
|May record low C = -1.4
|Jun record low C = 2.9
|Jul record low C = 5.0
|Aug record low C = 3.7
|Sep record low C = -1.3
|Oct record low C = -6.9
|Nov record low C = -10.0
|Dec record low C = -12.8
|Jan high C = 8.1
|Feb high C = 9.8
|Mar high C = 13.3
|Apr high C = 16.0
|May high C = 20.2
|Jun high C = 24.1
|Jul high C = 25.6
|Aug high C = 26.0
|Sep high C = 22.3
|Oct high C = 17.6
|Nov high C = 11.2
|Dec high C = 8.2
| year high C = 16.9
|Jan mean C = 4.8
|Feb mean C = 5.7
|Mar mean C = 8.3
|Apr mean C = 10.6
|May mean C = 14.6
|Jun mean C = 18.0
|Jul mean C = 19.4
|Aug mean C = 19.6
|Sep mean C = 16.0
|Oct mean C = 13.0
|Nov mean C = 7.6
|Dec mean C = 4.9
| year mean C = 11.9
|Jan low C = 1.6
|Feb low C = 1.6
|Mar low C = 3.3
|Apr low C = 5.2
|May low C = 9.0
|Jun low C = 12.0
|Jul low C = 13.1
|Aug low C = 13.1
|Sep low C = 9.8
|Oct low C = 8.4
|Nov low C = 3.9
|Dec low C = 1.6
| year low C = 6.9
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 76.4
|Feb precipitation mm = 65.8
|Mar precipitation mm = 73.7
|Apr precipitation mm = 86.5
|May precipitation mm = 88.9
|Jun precipitation mm = 64.7
|Jul precipitation mm = 59.9
|Aug precipitation mm = 74.4
|Sep precipitation mm = 62.6
|Oct precipitation mm = 85.4
|Nov precipitation mm = 97.5
|Dec precipitation mm = 86.5
|year precipitation mm = 922.3
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 13.1
| Feb precipitation days = 10.1
| Mar precipitation days = 10.4
| Apr precipitation days = 12.2
| May precipitation days = 11.7
| Jun precipitation days = 8.5
| Jul precipitation days = 9.4
| Aug precipitation days = 9.3
| Sep precipitation days = 8.9
| Oct precipitation days = 11.5
| Nov precipitation days = 14.7
| Dec precipitation days = 12.6
| year precipitation days =132.5
|source 1 = Meteociel{{cite web
|url=https://www.meteociel.fr/obs/clim/normales_records.php?code=87011006
|title=Normales et records pour Bellac (87)
|publisher=Meteociel
|access-date=21 November 2024}}}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{Commons category|Bellac}}
{{Haute-Vienne communes}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Communes of Haute-Vienne
Category:Subprefectures in France
{{HauteVienne-geo-stub}}