Nant, Aveyron
Encyclopedia
Nant is a commune
in the Aveyron
department in southern France
.
. It includes a part of the causse du Larzac plateau and its foothills, the valley of the Durzon river and a part of the valley of the Dourbie
river.
, using a network of stone-lined canals. They started agriculture in the district. In 926 AD they built a monastery at the confluence of the two watercourses. In 1135 the monastery became an abbey. The economy and the local population grew and the village of Nant grew up around the abbey.
During the Wars of Religion
the cloister and the monastic buildings were destroyed, but the village had a period of prosperity again during the second half of the 17th century. The halles in the main square hosted local fairs and a flourishing market. An ecclesiastical college was founded in the village in 1665, until the abbey was suppressed in 1771 by royal decree. The Eglisle-Abbatiale of Saint Pierre de Nant contains stained glass windows by the artist Jean Hugo
, who had a family home in the nearby Durzon valley.
and Tomme cheeses, as well as the fattening of veal and lamb for domestic consumption. There is some diversification towards aquaculture, beekeeping, the production of firewood and rural tourism.
Local farmers sell their produce in the open air market in the village. (The market hall is currently occupied by the terrace of a café). Merchants selling other food items also attend the market. A market exclusively for farmers is being planned.
Leisure activities also influence the local economy: horse-riding, holiday rental accommodation, camping, hiking, mountain biking
and both coarse and game fishing. There is a municipal swimming pool. The wild boar hunting season opens each year on the 15th of August.
Two retirement homes are also located in the commune.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Aveyron
Aveyron
Aveyron is a département in southern France named after the Aveyron River.- History :Aveyron is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790....
department in southern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Geography
The commune is located in the southern part of the Massif CentralMassif Central
The Massif Central is an elevated region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaux....
. It includes a part of the causse du Larzac plateau and its foothills, the valley of the Durzon river and a part of the valley of the Dourbie
Dourbie
Dourbie is also a tributary of the Hérault river-----The Dourbie is a 72 km long river in southern France, left tributary of the Tarn River. Its source is north of Le Vigan, in the Cévennes...
river.
History
In the 10th century, monks drained the marshy soil of the Durzon valley where it joins the DourbieDourbie
Dourbie is also a tributary of the Hérault river-----The Dourbie is a 72 km long river in southern France, left tributary of the Tarn River. Its source is north of Le Vigan, in the Cévennes...
, using a network of stone-lined canals. They started agriculture in the district. In 926 AD they built a monastery at the confluence of the two watercourses. In 1135 the monastery became an abbey. The economy and the local population grew and the village of Nant grew up around the abbey.
During the Wars of Religion
French Wars of Religion
The French Wars of Religion is the name given to a period of civil infighting and military operations, primarily fought between French Catholics and Protestants . The conflict involved the factional disputes between the aristocratic houses of France, such as the House of Bourbon and House of Guise...
the cloister and the monastic buildings were destroyed, but the village had a period of prosperity again during the second half of the 17th century. The halles in the main square hosted local fairs and a flourishing market. An ecclesiastical college was founded in the village in 1665, until the abbey was suppressed in 1771 by royal decree. The Eglisle-Abbatiale of Saint Pierre de Nant contains stained glass windows by the artist Jean Hugo
Jean Hugo
Victor Jean Hugo is a South African professional golfer.Hugo matriculated at Paul Roos Gymnasium in Stellenbosch, South Africa in 1994 and graduated three years later with a BA Degree from the University of Stellenbosch prior to becoming a professional golfer...
, who had a family home in the nearby Durzon valley.
Population
Economy
The local economy is characterised by traditional agriculture based on sheep farming for the production of Roquefort, PérailPerail
Perail is a soft cheese made with ewes milk originating in the Region of Aveyron, France. Cheeses are between 10 and 12 cm in diameter and should have an ivory coloured wrinkly rind composed mainly of geotrichum candida. The cheese is produced by the lactic fermentation method...
and Tomme cheeses, as well as the fattening of veal and lamb for domestic consumption. There is some diversification towards aquaculture, beekeeping, the production of firewood and rural tourism.
Local farmers sell their produce in the open air market in the village. (The market hall is currently occupied by the terrace of a café). Merchants selling other food items also attend the market. A market exclusively for farmers is being planned.
Leisure activities also influence the local economy: horse-riding, holiday rental accommodation, camping, hiking, mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
and both coarse and game fishing. There is a municipal swimming pool. The wild boar hunting season opens each year on the 15th of August.
Two retirement homes are also located in the commune.