Chirac (French pronunciation: [ʃiʁak]; Occitan: Chairac) is a former commune in the Lozère département in southern France. On 1 January 2016, it was merged into the new commune of Bourgs-sur-Colagne.[2] Its population was 1,144 in 2019.[1]

Chirac
A view of Chirac and St-Bonnet
A view of Chirac and St-Bonnet
Coat of arms of Chirac
Location of Chirac
Map
Chirac is located in France
Chirac
Chirac
Chirac is located in Occitanie
Chirac
Chirac
Coordinates: 44°31′29″N 3°15′58″E / 44.5247°N 3.2661°E / 44.5247; 3.2661
CountryFrance
RegionOccitania
DepartmentLozère
ArrondissementMende
CantonChirac
CommuneBourgs-sur-Colagne
Area
1
33.79 km2 (13.05 sq mi)
Population
 (2019)[1]
1,144
 • Density34/km2 (88/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
Postal code
48100
Elevation605–1,254 m (1,985–4,114 ft)
(avg. 640 m or 2,100 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography

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Situated on the banks of the Colagne river in the heart of the Massif central. The D809 road passes through the village.

Population

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Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1962801—    
1968789−0.25%
1975689−1.92%
1982894+3.79%
1990983+1.19%
19991,006+0.26%
20061,080+1.02%
20191,144+0.44%
Source: EHESS[3] and INSEE[1]

Places and monuments

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  • The Fare dolmen
  • The twelfth century Romanesque church.
  • The chapel of Saint-Jean-Baptiste.
  • The family chapels of the Chazette and the Volmanières
  • The English cross: The English, who ravaged the country in the 14th century, were soundly beaten in a battle on the heights of the village. This place carries today the name of Cemetery of the English or Cross of the English. A cross, on which there is an inscription "CH des M" and "1701 - 1922", marks the site of the battle. During the construction of the A75 autoroute, the cross was renovated and moved a few metres from its original position.
  • The bridge over the Colagne river.

Activities

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As in the majority of the towns of Lozère, the principal activity is farming, although service industry sectors have started to play a larger part in the region.

  • Farming is essentially sheep and cattle. The size of the upland meadows allows the farmers to have comparatively large flocks.

Notable people

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  • Colonel Marceau Crespin (1915–1988)
  • Nicolaï Greschny (1912–1985), artist

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Téléchargement du fichier d'ensemble des populations légales en 2019, INSEE
  2. ^ Arrêté préfectoral 15 December 2015
  3. ^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Chirac, EHESS (in French).
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