Réquista (French pronunciation: [ʁekista]; Occitan: Requistar, primarily Ric Estar) is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France.

Réquista
Town hall
Town hall
Coat of arms of Réquista
Location of Réquista
Map
Réquista is located in France
Réquista
Réquista
Réquista is located in Occitanie
Réquista
Réquista
Coordinates: 44°02′00″N 2°32′10″E / 44.0333°N 2.5361°E / 44.0333; 2.5361
CountryFrance
RegionOccitania
DepartmentAveyron
ArrondissementMillau
CantonMonts du Réquistanais
IntercommunalityRéquistanais
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Michel Causse[1]
Area
1
59.32 km2 (22.90 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
1,961
 • Density33/km2 (86/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
12197 /12170
Elevation207–670 m (679–2,198 ft)
(avg. 580 m or 1,900 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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Location

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Climate

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Climate data for Réquista
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 10
(50)
11
(52)
16
(61)
18
(64)
22
(72)
26
(79)
28
(82)
29
(84)
24
(75)
20
(68)
13
(55)
10
(50)
18.9
(66.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) 6
(43)
6.5
(43.7)
10
(50)
12
(54)
16.5
(61.7)
20
(68)
22
(72)
22.5
(72.5)
18
(64)
15
(59)
9
(48)
6.5
(43.7)
13.6
(56.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 2
(36)
2
(36)
4
(39)
6
(43)
11
(52)
14
(57)
16
(61)
16
(61)
12
(54)
10
(50)
5
(41)
3
(37)
8.4
(47.1)
Source: Le climat à Réquista (en °C et mm, moyennes mensuelles) Météo msn[3]

History

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Toponymy

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In Occitan, the commune is called Requistar. The name comes from the term ric estar which means "rich place".

Coat of arms

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blazon1
  • The coat of arms for the commune of Réquista are emblazoned as follows:
    • Party:
    • The first gold leopard lioness rounded Gules, with the second also gold lion Gules; all summoned by a chief of sand laden with four flames of gold.



Politics and administration

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List of mayors

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List of successive mayors
Term Name Label Quality
1881 1892 Emile Carcenac Right-wing General Councilor (1886-1892)
1892 1901 Xavier Audouard Independent
1901 1904 Ernest Audouard Independent
1904 1906 Joseph Cluzel Independent
1906 1907 Baptiste Canac Independent
1907 1929 Joseph Cluzel Independent
1929 1935 Pierre Ferral Independent Doctor
1935 1936 Jules Maurs Independent
1936 1941 Elie Saussol Independent
1941 1944 Pierre Ferral Independent
1944 1953 Elie Saussol Independent
1953 1971 Albert Fournier Rad. then UDR General Councilor (1945-1970)
1971 1977 Gabriel Fastré Independent
1977 1989 Gaston Pialat Independent
1989 1995 Marcel Souchon Socialist
1995 2000 Dominique Azam UDF General Councilor (1986-2001)
2000 2001 Lucien Bonnevialle RPR
2001 2014 Eric Bula[4] Socialist
2014 Present Michel Causse DVD
  • Doctor
  • President of the Community of Communes

Population and society

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Demography

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Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
17932,734—    
18002,546−1.01%
18063,663+6.25%
18213,709+0.08%
18313,547−0.45%
18364,025+2.56%
18414,185+0.78%
18463,874−1.53%
18514,380+2.49%
18564,354−0.12%
18614,207−0.68%
18664,017−0.92%
18724,330+1.26%
18763,751−3.52%
18813,387−2.02%
18863,347−0.24%
18913,334−0.08%
18962,821−3.29%
YearPop.±% p.a.
19012,776−0.32%
19062,884+0.77%
19112,655−1.64%
19212,606−0.19%
19262,562−0.34%
19312,500−0.49%
19362,587+0.69%
19462,604+0.07%
19542,583−0.10%
19622,405−0.89%
19682,482+0.53%
19752,625+0.80%
19822,512−0.63%
19902,243−1.41%
19992,060−0.94%
20072,092+0.19%
20122,020−0.70%
20172,005−0.15%
Source: EHESS[5] and INSEE[6]

Cultural events and festivities

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Statue of a sheep and its lamb in front of the town hall of Réquista. The sheep being the symbol of the city.

Since Réquista is the first sheep canton in Europe, a sheep festival is organized every year on the first Sunday of June. A statue of a sheep and its lamb is also erected in front of the town hall. Every Monday morning (or Tuesday morning if Monday happens to be a holiday), the sheep market attracts breeders from the region as well as many buyers from neighboring departments. It begins at 9:00am with gray lambs, continues with lamb exports at 9:30am, cull ewes at 10:00am and lambs at 10:30am. The introduction of this market in 1992 necessitated the construction of a area big enough to fit an annual volume of 120,000 people (4,400m²). Quotations are recorded weekly and serve as reference to the national plan.[7]

Festivities

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  • Ovine market every Monday (Tuesday if Monday is a holiday)
  • Weekly market in the covered hall from 7:30am to 12:30pm every Saturday
  • Monthly fair the second Thursday of the month from 8:30am to 12:00pm
  • Estofinado at the end of March
  • Feast of the sheep every year on the first Sunday of June
  • Bellegarde Hospital Festival the penultimate weekend of June
  • Flea market garage sale gourmet market during Lincou weekend after July 14
  • Lincou Festival the first weekend of August
  • Large flea market in Réquista the 3rd weekend of September
  • Christmas market on the last Sunday of November
  • Medieval day at the college Céléstin Sourrèzes organized by 5th year students
  • Feast of Saint-Julien (municipality of Réquista) with a lottery (Friday), meal and prom musette (Saturday) and bodega (Sunday) penultimate weekend of August
  • Fair at the flea market and exhibition of vintage cars the 3rd weekend of September
  • Fireworks at Lincou and votive festival the first weekend of August
  • Lottery numbers in Réquista and around
  • Wine tasting at the company of chiais
  • Festival of trout August 15 organized by Lévezou Ségala Aveyron XV
  • Votive festival in Lebous the 2nd weekend in September

Local associations

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  • The motorcycle club Réquista has a cross field.
  • National petanque.
  • Dance Gala with students Josiane Nespoulous.
  • Commercial Fortnight (last week of July and first of August) organized by the Union of Traders and Craftsmen of Réquista

Nadalet de Réquista

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Nadalet de Réquista is a song in Occitan written by Paul Bonnefous in 1864. It is sung every year at the Mass on 24 December by the choir of the church of Réquista.

Places and monuments

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  • Church of Réquista
  • Museum art gallery of the Lincou manor
  Click on images to enlarge

In other languages

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The name of the region/commune of Réquista is pronounced Request in English, which is also an acceptable and well recognized name of the region/commune.

References

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  1. ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  2. ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Le climat à Réquista (en °C et mm, moyennes mensuelles) Météo msn". msn.com/fr-fr (in French). Archived from the original on 8 April 2018. [1]
  4. ^ Les Handinautes (10 September 2004). "Yanous ! Chroniques citoyennes du handicap : Eric Bula". www.yanous.com (in French). Retrieved 30 March 2018.
  5. ^ Des villages de Cassini aux communes d'aujourd'hui: Commune data sheet Réquista, EHESS (in French).
  6. ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
  7. ^ "FMBV". fmbv.asso.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 15 June 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2018.