Benquet
Encyclopedia
Benquet is a commune
in the Landes department in Aquitaine
in south-western France
.
Its inhabitants are called Benquetois.
city of Mont-de-Marsan
, at the confines of the Landes forest
and of the agricultural region of Chalosse. It is 55 miles (89 km) from the Atlantic Ocean
.
Neighboring cities are: Saint-Pierre-du-Mont
, Bretagne-de-Marsan
, Saint-Maurice-sur-Adour
, Saint-Sever
, Bas-Mauco
, Haut-Mauco
.
, was under the rule of the abbey of Saint Sever. Jehan Bernard de Benquet, vassal of the prince of Navarre
, had the title of Sénéchal of Marsan and of Gabardan. Fights with French Huguenots are reported here.
, on the German border. As a matter of fact, population from Alsace
flew their region and found shelter in South-Western France when the Nazi troops arrived in the early stages of World War II
.
). Benquet boasts a the privately-owned château de Laurens Castelet
and a "miraculous" spring, close to the church of St Christau.
King Henri IV
had an elegant home in Benquet: the Château-Vieux lodge (no longer exists).
is still spoken by some elderly people on some occasions.
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 Landes department in Aquitaine
Aquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
in south-western 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...
.
Its inhabitants are called Benquetois.
Geography
Benquet is situated 5 miles (8 km) South of the préfecturePréfecture
A prefecture in France can refer to :*the Chef-lieu de département, the town in which the administration of a department is located;*the Chef-lieu de région, the town in which the administration of a region is located;...
city of Mont-de-Marsan
Mont-de-Marsan
Mont-de-Marsan is a commune and capital of the Landes department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.Mont-de-Marsan airbase « Constantin Rozanoff » is a major installation of the French Air Force. The base includes CEAM , an air defense radar command reporting centre, and an air defence control...
, at the confines of the Landes forest
Landes forest
The Landes forest or the Landes of Gascony , in the historic Gascony region of southwestern France now known as Aquitaine, is the largest maritime-pine forest in Europe...
and of the agricultural region of Chalosse. It is 55 miles (89 km) from the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
.
Neighboring cities are: Saint-Pierre-du-Mont
Saint-Pierre-du-Mont, Landes
Saint-Pierre-du-Mont is a commune in the Landes department in Aquitaine in south-western France.-References:*...
, Bretagne-de-Marsan
Bretagne-de-Marsan
Bretagne-de-Marsan is a commune in the Landes department in Aquitaine in south-western France.-See also:*Communes of the Landes department...
, Saint-Maurice-sur-Adour
Saint-Maurice-sur-Adour
Saint-Maurice-sur-Adour is a commune in the Landes department in Aquitaine in south-western France.-References:*...
, Saint-Sever
Saint-Sever
Saint-Sever is a commune in the Landes department in Aquitaine in south-western France.-History and geography:Saint-Sever stands on an eminence...
, Bas-Mauco
Bas-Mauco
Bas-Mauco is a commune in the Landes department in Aquitaine in south-western France....
, Haut-Mauco
Haut-Mauco
Haut-Mauco is a commune in the Landes department in Aquitaine in south-western France....
.
History
Benquet, belonging to the former royal province of GasconyGascony
Gascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
, was under the rule of the abbey of Saint Sever. Jehan Bernard de Benquet, vassal of the prince of Navarre
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
, had the title of Sénéchal of Marsan and of Gabardan. Fights with French Huguenots are reported here.
Economy
Mostly corn-growing, breeding (ducks, geese), foie-gras making. Agri-foodstuff research center.Twin cities
Benquet is the twin village of Muespach-le-HautMuespach-le-Haut
Muespach-le-Haut is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
, on the German border. As a matter of fact, population from Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
flew their region and found shelter in South-Western France when the Nazi troops arrived in the early stages of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Places and monuments
Churches St John the Baptist (19th century) and Saint Christau (eleventh century). Benquet is a stopover on the midieval pilgrimage route to Santiago Compostela (route of VézelayVézelay
Vézelay is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France. It is a defendable hill town famous for Vézelay Abbey. The town and the Basilica of St Magdelene are designated UNESCO World Heritage sites....
). Benquet boasts a the privately-owned château de Laurens Castelet
Château de Laurens Castelet
Château de Laurens Castelet is a château in Benquet, Landes, Aquitane, France. It dates to 1872....
and a "miraculous" spring, close to the church of St Christau.
People
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
had an elegant home in Benquet: the Château-Vieux lodge (no longer exists).
Religion and language
People are mostly Catholic. The official language is French. The Gascon languageGascon language
Gascon is usually considered as a dialect of Occitan, even though some specialists regularly consider it a separate language. Gascon is mostly spoken in Gascony and Béarn in southwestern France and in the Aran Valley of Spain...
is still spoken by some elderly people on some occasions.
Recreational activities
Hunting (woodcocks, pheasants...) and fishing are very popular + walking (pilgrims to Santiago are still to be met), cycling, basketball playing.External links
| Previous stop Saint Pierre-du-Mont |
Santiago Compostela pilgrimage  Via Lemovicensis |
Next stop Saint-Sever Saint-Sever Saint-Sever is a commune in the Landes department in Aquitaine in south-western France.-History and geography:Saint-Sever stands on an eminence... |