Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste
Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste
Prats de Molló i la Presta | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 42°24′17″N 2°28′47″E / 42.4047°N 2.4797°E | |
Country | France |
Region | Occitania |
Department | Pyrénées-Orientales |
Arrondissement | Céret |
Canton | Le Canigou |
Government | |
• Mayor (2020–2026) | Claude Ferrer[1] |
Area 1 | 145.09 km2 (56.02 sq mi) |
Population (2021)[2] | 1,134 |
• Density | 7.8/km2 (20/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
INSEE/Postal code | 66150 /66230 |
Elevation | 575–2,693 m (1,886–8,835 ft) (avg. 735 m or 2,411 ft) |
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. |
Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste (French pronunciation:
Geography
Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste is located in the
Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste is located in the canton of Le Canigou and in the arrondissement of Céret.
History
The town, along with other Vallespir municipalities of Roussillon was separated from the rest of Catalonia, and therefore from Spain, by the Treaty of the Pyrenees (1659), which France got from Spain part of Catalonia.
During the Spanish Civil War it was the location of a refuge financed by the pacifist organisation War Resisters' International and run by Professor José Brocca. It was also the site of a concentration camp housing Republican refugees from Spain at the end of the Spanish Civil War.[4] It was one of a number of initial sorting camps.[5]
Population and society
Population
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
---|---|---|
1968 | 1,351 | — |
1975 | 1,190 | −1.80% |
1982 | 1,142 | −0.59% |
1990 | 1,102 | −0.44% |
1999 | 1,080 | −0.22% |
2007 | 1,144 | +0.72% |
2012 | 1,074 | −1.25% |
2017 | 1,163 | +1.61% |
Source: INSEE[6] |
Festivals and traditions
Built on the banks of the river Tech, surrounded by mountains, Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste was one of the most important border towns in the area, and today still boasts much evidence of its rich past, both architectural and traditional.
In February, two events traditionally take place at Prats: the Fête de l'ours (in Catalan : Festa de l'Ós, i.e. bear festival) and Carnaval. Both are full of fascinating traditions handed down over the years. During the Bear Festival, celebrated annually at the beginning of spring, the locals dress up as bears, covering themselves with soot or coal and oil, and "attacking" the onlookers, attempting to get everyone dirty. Others dress up as hunters, playing the role of "protectors". The festival ends with the "ball de l'os (bear dance).[1] There is a reference to this tradition in the Catalan author Joan-Lluís Lluís' novel El dia de l'ós (The Day of the Bear).
One of the events during carnival week is the Ball de la Posta. The 'posta' is a plank 1.5 m long and 30 cm wide, with a picture of a pretty girl at one end, representing the
Sites of interest
This walled town is a maze of narrow cobbled streets and
Notable people
- Chantal Gorostegui (1965-) : racing cyclist born in Prats-de-Mollo-la-Preste.
See also
References
- ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
- ^ "Populations légales 2021". The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
- ^ INSEE commune file
- ISBN 0-304-35840-1.
- ISBN 978-0-7538-2165-7.
- ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE