Mont Valier
Encyclopedia
Mont Valier is a mountain in Ariège
in the Pyrenees
.
Its name comes from Valerius (Saint Valier, ca. 452), the mythical first bishop of Couserans
, who made an ascent of the peak. Bernard de Marmiesse, another bishop of Couserans, had a marble cross erected on the peak in 1670.
A set of valleys originate on its sides:
(on the French side): the stream of Artigues, a tributary of the Salat (which itself rises a few miles from Mount Valier); the Ribérot, a tributary of the Lez, itself a tributary of the Salat.
(on the Spanish/Catalan side): the Noguera Pallaresa, and a few miles to the west, one of many sources of the Garonne
.
, an escape route from St. Girons to Esterri in Catalonia
crossed Mont Valier. The "Path to Freedom" – the name given in 1994 to the hiking trail that follows course – enabled the escape of 782 people between 1940 and 1944 and remained operational despite increased surveillance of the Germans from 1943 and denunciations from the French collaborators. The route was operational until the end of the war.
, including the crown reserve of Mount Valier – founded in 1937 (and one of the oldest in the Pyrenees ) – and nearly all federal lands of the Fonta massif was classified as a "special protection area" and a site of the Natura 2000
network.
Ariège
Ariège is a department in southwestern France named after the Ariège River.- History :Ariège is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from the counties of Foix and Couserans....
in the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
.
Its name comes from Valerius (Saint Valier, ca. 452), the mythical first bishop of Couserans
Couserans
Couserans is a small former province of France located in the Pyrenees mountains. Today Couserans makes up the western half of the Ariège département, around the towns of Saint-Girons and Saint-Lizier. A small part of Couserans is also in the extreme south of Haute-Garonne, just across the border...
, who made an ascent of the peak. Bernard de Marmiesse, another bishop of Couserans, had a marble cross erected on the peak in 1670.
Geography
Mont Valier belongs to the Pyrenean axial channel. A small glacier occupies its north-eastern slope and the summit is located on the perimeter of the regional park of the Ariège Pyrenees.A set of valleys originate on its sides:
(on the French side): the stream of Artigues, a tributary of the Salat (which itself rises a few miles from Mount Valier); the Ribérot, a tributary of the Lez, itself a tributary of the Salat.
(on the Spanish/Catalan side): the Noguera Pallaresa, and a few miles to the west, one of many sources of the Garonne
Garonne
The Garonne is a river in southwest France and northern Spain, with a length of .-Source:The Garonne's headwaters are to be found in the Aran Valley in the Pyrenees, though three different locations have been proposed as the true source: the Uelh deth Garona at Plan de Beret , the Ratera-Saboredo...
.
History
During World War IIWorld 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...
, an escape route from St. Girons to Esterri in Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
crossed Mont Valier. The "Path to Freedom" – the name given in 1994 to the hiking trail that follows course – enabled the escape of 782 people between 1940 and 1944 and remained operational despite increased surveillance of the Germans from 1943 and denunciations from the French collaborators. The route was operational until the end of the war.
Protected zone
By ministerial decree of 5 July 2005, a large territory centred on the village of SeixSeix
Seix is a commune in the Ariège department in southwestern France.-Population:Inhabitants of Seix are called Seixois....
, including the crown reserve of Mount Valier – founded in 1937 (and one of the oldest in the Pyrenees ) – and nearly all federal lands of the Fonta massif was classified as a "special protection area" and a site of the Natura 2000
Natura 2000
Natura 2000 is an ecological network of protected areas in the territory of the European Union.-Origins:In May 1992, the governments of the European Communities adopted legislation designed to protect the most seriously threatened habitats and species across Europe. This legislation is called the...
network.