Sainte-Cécile-d'Andorge
Encyclopedia
Sainte-Cécile-d'Andorge is a commune
in the Gard
department in southern France
.
, forming part of the border with Lozère
. Its river, the Andorge here joins the larger Gardon d'Alès (sometimes known as the Long Valley) whose sources lie further up the valley in Lozère. The waters flow through this long cevenol valley through the former mining village of la Grand-Combe
and down to the flatter land at Alès
.
and some paintings mainly in the hamlet of Ponchets. The current houses date from the 18th century and have been protected from modern development. They are mas built from the local stone schist
.
Unusually for a village in the fiercely protestant Cevennes
, Sainte Cecile remained Catholic. During the Guerre des Camisards
(1702 - 1705), it was the scene of violent action. On 11 October 1703 the villages of Sainte Cécile d’Andorge and Saint Julien des Points were set alight by Rolland et Jouanny : 800 to 900 Camisard attacted the papist village of Sainte Cécile d’Andorge, enraged by the dévastation of the previous months in the Hautes Cévennes. The residents took refuge in their fortified church but 9 were too slow are were slaughtered. Several days later, Abbé Vidal, curé de Sainte Cécile lead a revenge attack on the neighbouring reformed parish of Blannaves
.
The church tower dates from the 13th century.
to Mende
, This secton of the line was approved in 1861 and opened 5th May 1870, and provided the link between Languedoc, Alès and Issoire and Paris. It hosted three express trains. There is still a twice daily local service. From the station at Sainte-Cécile-d'Andorge there is a 1 metre gauge railway to Florac
. It is 49km long. . This is known as the TAC. Authorised in 1859, the line was built by the Chemins de Fer Départementaux to bring wooden pit props down to Alés, with some passenger traffic. This amounted to two trains a day. The track is very winding, and climbs to 1024 m to cross the Col de Jalcreste. It closed in 1968. Enthuiasts are restoring it. They run a passenger pulling diesel locomotive on the first section, which includes the Viaduct d'Andorge.
Between 1859 and 1867 there was a gravity driven rail line from the mainline at Le Levade, La Grand-Combe to Portes et Sénéchas. This was to serve the mines at La Vernarède. The full wagons descending to the river pulled up the empty wagons by a system of cables. It was the idea of the engineer Paul-Adrien Bourdaloue
.
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 Gard
Gard
Gard is a département located in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.The department is named after the River Gard, although the formerly Occitan name of the River Gard, Gardon, has been replacing the traditional French name in recent decades, even among French speakers.- History...
department in southern 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...
.
Geography
The commune or Sainte Cécile d'Andorge is sparsely populated. It lies at the extreme north of the department of GardGard
Gard is a département located in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.The department is named after the River Gard, although the formerly Occitan name of the River Gard, Gardon, has been replacing the traditional French name in recent decades, even among French speakers.- History...
, forming part of the border with Lozère
Lozère
Lozère , is a department in southeast France near the Massif Central, named after Mont Lozère.- History :Lozère is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
. Its river, the Andorge here joins the larger Gardon d'Alès (sometimes known as the Long Valley) whose sources lie further up the valley in Lozère. The waters flow through this long cevenol valley through the former mining village of la Grand-Combe
La Grand-Combe
La Grand-Combe is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.-Geography:The town lies on the opposite bank of the River Gardon d'Alès from Les Salles-du-Gardon. It is 13 km upstream and north of Alès in the Cevennes gardoises.-Etymology:...
and down to the flatter land at Alès
Alès
Alès is a commune in the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. It is one of the sub-prefectures of the department. It was formerly known as Alais.-Geography:...
.
Population
Coal
This was a coal mining area, with important collieries of high-grade coal both in this valley and at Portes. These mines closed in 1973.Railroads
There are three notable railways in the commune, one in operation, one under reconstruction and one defunct.Dams
The waters of the Gardon d'Alès have been tamed by to dams forming two reservoirs. The first, the Barrage de Camboix, was a hydro-electic scheme designed to supplement the power for the coal mines at Grand-Combe, and the second, the barrage de Sainte Cécile, was designed as a holding reservoir to control the violent 'crue' the area suffers when violent storms in the hills send an uncontrolled surge of water down the river flooding low-lying houses and agricultural land.Démography
The area has been depopulating since 1900.History
The commune of Sainte Cécile d'Andorge has a long history. There are some prehistoric remains to be found such as tumuliTumulus
A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...
and some paintings mainly in the hamlet of Ponchets. The current houses date from the 18th century and have been protected from modern development. They are mas built from the local stone schist
Schist
The schists constitute a group of medium-grade metamorphic rocks, chiefly notable for the preponderance of lamellar minerals such as micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is...
.
Unusually for a village in the fiercely protestant Cevennes
Cévennes
The Cévennes are a range of mountains in south-central France, covering parts of the départements of Gard, Lozère, Ardèche, and Haute-Loire.The word Cévennes comes from the Gaulish Cebenna, which was Latinized by Julius Caesar to Cevenna...
, Sainte Cecile remained Catholic. During the Guerre des Camisards
Camisard
Camisards were French Protestants of the rugged and isolated Cevennes region of south-central France, who raised an insurrection against the persecutions which followed the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685...
(1702 - 1705), it was the scene of violent action. On 11 October 1703 the villages of Sainte Cécile d’Andorge and Saint Julien des Points were set alight by Rolland et Jouanny : 800 to 900 Camisard attacted the papist village of Sainte Cécile d’Andorge, enraged by the dévastation of the previous months in the Hautes Cévennes. The residents took refuge in their fortified church but 9 were too slow are were slaughtered. Several days later, Abbé Vidal, curé de Sainte Cécile lead a revenge attack on the neighbouring reformed parish of Blannaves
Branoux-les-Taillades
Branoux-les-Taillades is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
.
The church tower dates from the 13th century.
The railways
THe principal line, part of the PLM Transcévenol, threads its way along the Gardon valley from Alès to GénolhacGénolhac
Génolhac is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.-Population:-External links:*...
to Mende
Mende
Mende may refer to the African ethnic group and its language, various individuals and places.Ethnic group* Mende people* Mende language* Mende syllabary People:...
, This secton of the line was approved in 1861 and opened 5th May 1870, and provided the link between Languedoc, Alès and Issoire and Paris. It hosted three express trains. There is still a twice daily local service. From the station at Sainte-Cécile-d'Andorge there is a 1 metre gauge railway to Florac
Florac
Florac is a commune of the Lozère department in southern France.-Twin towns:Florac is twinned with:* L'Anse-Saint-Jean, Quebec, Canada since 1984* Arbucies, Catalonia, Spain since 1987-References:* -External links:...
. It is 49km long. . This is known as the TAC. Authorised in 1859, the line was built by the Chemins de Fer Départementaux to bring wooden pit props down to Alés, with some passenger traffic. This amounted to two trains a day. The track is very winding, and climbs to 1024 m to cross the Col de Jalcreste. It closed in 1968. Enthuiasts are restoring it. They run a passenger pulling diesel locomotive on the first section, which includes the Viaduct d'Andorge.
Between 1859 and 1867 there was a gravity driven rail line from the mainline at Le Levade, La Grand-Combe to Portes et Sénéchas. This was to serve the mines at La Vernarède. The full wagons descending to the river pulled up the empty wagons by a system of cables. It was the idea of the engineer Paul-Adrien Bourdaloue
Paul-Adrien Bourdaloue
Paul Adrien Bourdaloue was a French civil engineer and topographer, who proposed the first orthometric levelling of France.-Life:...
.