Arrigas

Arrigas is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.

Geography

The village is in the Cévennes, above the D999 road between Le Vigan and Alzon.

History

Arrigas possesses a number of Megalithic remains including the dolmen of Arrigas on the route to Peyraube, and the dolmen of Peyre Cabussélado near the border with the commune of Arre. There are also three knocked-over menhirs at the mountain pass de Vernes, and more lower down at the place called Troulhas.

The village itself was founded in the 12th century by a colony of Benedictine monks under the dependency of St Victor of Marseille; a church is mentioned in 1113 and a monastery in 1135. By the 14th century, during the Hundred Years' War, the church was fortified.

During the French Wars of Religion the d'Albignac family, lords (seigneurs) of Arrigas, embraced the Reformation, alongside part of the population. But later their loyalty to the Crown led the d'Albignacs to change camp. In 1625, when Henri, duc de Rohan led the uprising of the Protestants of Languedoc, Charles d'Albignac took up the Catholic cause of the King, Louis XIII.