Pouzilhac (French pronunciation: [puzijak]; Occitan: Posilhac) is a French commune in the Gard department in southern France, formerly Languedoc-Roussillon.

Pouzilhac
A general view of Pouzilhac
A general view of Pouzilhac
Coat of arms of Pouzilhac
Location of Pouzilhac
Map
Pouzilhac is located in France
Pouzilhac
Pouzilhac
Pouzilhac is located in Occitanie
Pouzilhac
Pouzilhac
Coordinates: 44°02′31″N 4°34′50″E / 44.0419°N 4.5806°E / 44.0419; 4.5806
CountryFrance
RegionOccitania
DepartmentGard
ArrondissementNîmes
CantonRedessan
IntercommunalityPont du Gard
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Thierry Astier[1]
Area
1
16.04 km2 (6.19 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
744
 • Density46/km2 (120/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
30207 /30210
Elevation168–261 m (551–856 ft)
(avg. 230 m or 750 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography

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Pouzilhac is situated on the right bank of the Rhone next to the route national 86 and its close access to the A7 motorway (Remoulins, Tavel, Bollène).[3] The commune covers 16 km² and has 733 inhabitants since the last population census in 2018. Surrounded by the municipalities of Valliguières, La Capelle-et-Masmolène and Saint-Paul-les-Fonts, Pouzilhac is located 14 km southwest of Bagnols-sur-Cèze, the largest city in the area. Located at 218 meters above sea level, the Ragouse is the main waterway that crosses the town of Pouzilhac.

History

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The oldest occupation of the site dates back to the Bronze Age, around 2500 B.C.[3]

The Romans left many traces of their occupation, an inscription in the masonry of the church testifies to the existence of a "villa".[3]

During the medieval period, since the 11th century, a castrum existed, first mentioned in 1121 as Castrum de Posilhac.[4]: 171  In 1176 it appeared as Villa de Posiliaco [4] In 1258, the municipal archives of Valliguières mention it as 'Posillanum' and in 1355 as 'Posilhacum'.[4] A Posillac took part in the First Crusade alongside the Count of Toulouse.[3]

It was during the religious wars in Europe in 1662 that the community took strategic importance with the construction of fortifications, and experienced a demographic progression.[3] Pouzilhac belonged to the viguerie of Roquemaure, a viguerie of the diocese of Uzès which included fourteen villages: Les Essarts, Lirac, Montfaucon, Pujaut, Rochefort, Roquemaure, Saint-Geniès-de-comolas, Saint-Hilaire-d'Ozilhan, Saint-Laurent-des-Arbres, Sauveterre, Saze, Tavel, and Valliguières.[4]: 188 

The 12 th century chapel of Saint-Privat de Pouzilhac appears under the name 'Priory Sainct-Privat de Pouzilhac' in 1620.[4] The chapel occupies a site located along the ancient Roman road linking Nîmes to Alba Augusta, on which ancient inscriptions and epitaphs have been discovered.[5]: 525 

Population

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Historical population
YearPop.±%
1962328—    
1968357+8.8%
1975372+4.2%
1982403+8.3%
1990373−7.4%
1999434+16.4%
2008612+41.0%
2010618+1.0%
2014660+6.8%
2018734+11.2%
2020739[6]+0.7%

Sights

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Chateau and église de Pouzilhac

There is the Château de Pouzilhac and the Église Saint-Privat de Pouzilhac, (both private property) as well as the Chapelle Saint-Privat de Pouzilhac. There are also 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites within a radius of 30 km around Pouzilhac: Nimes, Orange, Avignon and Pont du Gard.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 4 May 2022.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Communes - Pont du Gard". 14 January 2015. Archived from the original on 14 January 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e Eugène Germer-Durand, 'Dictionnaire topographique du département du Gard, Imprimerie impériale, Paris, 1868
  5. ^ Michel Provost, Carte archéologique de la Gaule (30/2 GARD), Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, 1999.
  6. ^ "Populations légales 2006 − Commune de Pouzilhac (30207)". www.insee.fr. Retrieved 30 April 2023.