Arnave

Municipality of Arnave

Altitude: 514m
Location: between the towns of Bompas and Cazenave
Number of inhabitants: 218
Distances: Tarascon-sur-Ariège 3 km-Les Cabannes 17 km-Vicdessos 21 km


A few kilometers from Tarascon-sur-Ariège, nestles the picturesque old village of Arnave.

Of medieval origin, the village of Arnave was once the capital of a large seigniorial family of the same name, known from the beginning of the 12th century. Feudal family loyal to the Counts of Foix, its property extended to the north and east of the county, to Saverdun and Mirepoix. A fortification is counted in Arnave in 1272, but we do not know where it was located: perhaps it was built at the northeast entrance of the village as suggested by archaeological prospecting? A few hundred meters from the village, there is a splendid chapel of pre-Romanesque origin dedicated to Saint-Paul and linked to a miraculous cult.
We also discovered -near Arnave- objects dating from the Bronze Age. A family of ennobled blacksmiths, the Traversiers, were lords of Arnave in the 16th century.
During the insurrection of 1848, the manor of Castelet located above the village was looted, the bourgeois blacksmiths were driven out and the forester was mistreated. These actions took place within the framework of the revolts of the peasants against the large landowners, the forest guards and the State, because the forest code of 1827 imposed very severe regulations on the forests, limiting the collection of wood, the cuts and above all animal grazing, gathering, etc.
Today, a path near the village leads to the Romanesque chapel of Saint-Paul d'Arnave located above the village. It was classified as a historical monument in 1965, passing through the Col de Bazech at 560 m.

Town hall hours
Monday: 2 p.m.-6 p.m.
Friday: 8 a.m.-12 p.m.

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