Argein

Argein
The drinking trough in Argein The drinking trough in Argein
Argein
Location within Midi-Pyrénées region Argein
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Languedoc-Roussillon-Midi-Pyrénées
Department	Ariège
Arrondissement	Saint-Girons
Canton	Castillon-en-Couserans
Intercommunality	Castillonnais
Government
• Mayor (2014–2020)	Denis Lourde
Area1	11.09 km2 (4.28 sq mi)
Population (2009)2	176
• Density	16/km2 (41/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	09014 / 09800
Elevation	517–1,675 m (1,696–5,495 ft) (avg. 534 m or 1,752 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Argein (Occitan: Argenç) is a French commune in the Ariège department in the Midi-Pyrénées region of south-western France.

The inhabitants of the commune are known as Argenois or Argenoises

Geography

Argein is located some 12 km south-west of Saint-Girons just a kilometre west of Audressein. Access to the commune is by the D618 road from Audressein in the east passing through the centre of the commune and the village and continuing west to Aucazein. Apart from the village there is also the hamlet of Viellot. The centre of the commune is the valley of the Bouigane oriented east-west where the village lies. In the valley there is some farmland however the rugged north and south of the commune is heavily forested.

The Buouigane river flows along the central valley east to join the Léz at Audressein. Some tributaries rise in the commune to join the Bouigane including the Ruisseau d'Auriech and the Ruisseau de Sol.

Administration

File:Argein Mairie.JPG

The Town Hall

List of Successive Mayors

Mayors from the French Revolution to 1929

From	To	Name	Party	Position
1791	1792	Jacques Bataille
1792	1796	Jacques Fourment
1796	1802	Jean Doumenc
1802	1811	Jean Argela
1811	1813	Jean Doumenc
1813	1830	Jean Argela
1830	1837	Jean Bourdeau
1837	1847	Bernard Doumenc
1847	1857	Gaudens de Meritens de Roses
1857	1870	André Tap
1870	1899	Jean-Pierre Ille
1899	1904	Jean Ferre
1904	1915	Pierre Pujol
1915	1919	François Bauby
1919	1929	Michel Ferre

Mayors from 1929

From	To	Name	Party	Position
1929	1945	François Dedieu
1945	1965	Guillaume Ortet
1965	1971	Jean Delbert
1971	1977	François Bauby
1977	2001	Guy Dubuc
2001	2014	Raymond Junca

(Not all data is known)

Demography

In 2009 the commune had 176 inhabitants. The evolution of the number of inhabitants is known from the population censuses conducted in the commune since 1793. From the 21st century, a census of communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants is held every five years, unlike larger towns that have a sample survey every year.

Population Change (See database)

1793	1800	1806	1821	1831	1836	1841	1846	1851
632	385	632	636	674	779	846	881	837

1856	1861	1866	1872	1876	1881	1886	1891	1896
762	736	767	784	657	624	634	638	626

1901	1906	1911	1921	1926	1931	1936	1946	1954
583	539	515	380	373	335	342	271	262

1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2006	2009	-
235	214	211	193	164	149	156	176	-

Sources : Ldh/EHESS/Cassini until 1962, INSEE database from 1968 (population without double counting and municipal population from 2006)

File:Argein War Memorial.JPG

Argein War Memorial

File:Population - Municipality code 09014.svg

Population of Argein

Sites and Monuments

File:Argein Church.JPG

The Parish Church of Saint Peter

File:Argein Wayside Cross.JPG

A Wayside Cross in Argein

The Parish Church of Saint Peter is an old Romanesque church from the 12th century and now an integral part of a church originally built in the 9th century. The original semicircular Apse forms the south aisle of the present building. There is an altar bearing a very ancient inscription (prior to the 4th century) depicted again in the south wall of the church. The Church contains many items that are registered as historical objects:

• 2 Altar Candlesticks (17th century)
• 2 Collection Plates (16th century)
• A Thurible (17th century)
• A Ciborium (1638)
• A Chalice (17th century)
• A Chalice with Paten (16th century)
• A Statue: Saint Peter (18th century)
• A Tabernacle (18th century)
• An Altar, Retable, and Altar Dais (18th century)
• A Monumental Painting on the southern exterior facade and interior walls (17th century)

Notable people linked to the commune

• Honoré Laffont, born 6 October 1901 at Argein and died on 14 February 1975. An international Rugby player (1st time in 1926 against Wales). He was twice a finalist in the championship of France with RC Narbonne (1932 and 1933). He played scrum half (1.65m, 62 kg). He was also coach for RC Narbonne.

See also

• Communes of the Ariège department

External links

• Argein on the National Geographic Institute website (French)
• Argein on Lion1906
• Argein on Google Maps
• Argein on Géoportail, National Geographic Institute (IGN) website (French)
• Argein on the 1750 Cassini Map
• Argein on the INSEE website (French)
• INSEE (French)