Saint-Hilaire, Aude

Saint-Hilaire (in Occitan: Sant Ilari) is a commune in the Aude department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France.

Geography

The commune of Saint-Hilaire is situated in the Aude department, mid way between Limoux and Carcassonne in the region of the Carcassès. It is mostly covered by the forest of Crausse-Rabassié. The river Lauquet borders it to the north. It is crossed by the Meridian of Paris, otherwise known as the Green Meridian.

History

The history of Saint-Hilaire is closely linked with that of the abbey. It begins in the Roman era but the most important remains date from the Middle Ages. In the eighth century, the abbey was built under the name of Saint Saturnin and then Saint Hilaire, Bishop of Carcassonne in the sixth century. Over the course of centuries, the village grew to surround the abbey.

The abbots built fortifications around the village to protect it from the troubles of the Hundred Years War. A document of 1386 regulates the care of the keys of the village gates. In 1574, the village was burned and partly destroyed by the Protestants of the Lord of Villar.

Aude

Aude (French: [od]; Occitan: [ˈawðe]) is a department in south-central France named after the river Aude. The local council also calls the department "Cathar Country".

Aude is also a frequent feminine French given name in Francophone countries, deriving initially from Aude or Oda, a wife of Bertrand, Duke of Aquitaine, and mother of Saint Hubertus's brother Eudo. Aude was the name of Roland's fiancée in the chansons de geste.

Geography

Location

Aude is located between the Mediterranean Sea and the Pyrenees mountains.

It is part of the current region of Languedoc-Roussillon-Midi-Pyrénées. It is surrounded by the departments of Pyrénées-Orientales, Ariège, Haute-Garonne, Tarn, and Hérault, with the Golfe du Lion on the east.

Natural regions

The countryside in this department falls into several natural regions:

Landscapes

Each natural region of the Aude has its own particular landscape. In the east, lagoons or coastal lakes form a barrier between land and sea. These were formed by accumulated sediments brought down by the rivers Aude, Orb and Hérault. There are many such lakes of brackish water. This environment is demanding for flora and fauna, as it suffers from the rigours of sea, sun, dryness and floods. Halophile (i.e., salt-loving) plants grow there and it is also noted for animals such as the pink flamingo and white stilt.

Aude (disambiguation)

Aude is a department in south-central France named after the river.

Aude may refer to:

People

See also

Aude (character)

Aude, or Alda, Alde, was the sister of Oliver and betrothed of Roland in The Song of Roland and other chansons de geste. The story of her engagement to Roland is told in Girart de Vienne.

In The Song of Roland Aude is first mentioned by her brother Oliver when he tells Roland that the two will never be married, when the two counts are arguing before the battle; they are later reconciled, but both die fighting the Saracens. When Charlemagne returns to Aix and informs Aude that Roland has died, she collapses at the Emperor's feet and dies of grief.

"The Lovely Alda" is part of Edward MacDowell's 1891 orchestral composition, Two Fragments after the Song of Roland.