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A brief history of Belpech

Belpech is a town of 1300 inhabitants built at 245 meters above sea level; old medieval Bastide located at the foot of a sunny slope of Lauragais, just upstream from the confluence of the Vixiège (which runs through the village) and the Hers rivers.  Belpech is situated on the site of an ancient Gallo-Roman settlement called Bellopodio-Beaupuy, the Gallo-Roman bridge across the River Vixiege is still being used, and as a protected monument has been recently renovated. The name Belpech comes from a combination of 2 words, “Belenos” for the Celtic sun god and “pech” from Occitan meaning hill. Even today people living in Belpech are known as Bellopodien or Bellopodienne. The village is dominated by the ruins of the 11th century castle called the Castelas, built on the hill behind the town. Just to the south of it are the ruins of the Chapel of the Rosary from the 14th century Monastery of Our Lady of Garnac. The large church of St Saturnin also has a dominant position in the village and was built in the 14th century, replacing an older Romanesque building, of which only the 13th century portal now remains. This Toulousain Portal is a protecteprotected monument and has also just been restored. The centre of the village has many tiny streets and some 14th century half-timbered houses. Belpech is less important today than in the past, notably in 1226 when Louis XIII stopped for a visit and much later in the 18th and 19th centuries when the town was involved in the textile industry and became quite prosperous. In 1791 a big fire burned down 97 houses and in 1805 Belpech was noted as being one of the 8 largest towns in the Aude with a population of over 2000. Today Belpech is a quiet village of about 1350 inhabitants and is a centre for many outlying agricultural areas. There are shops, doctors, hairdressers, a primary school, a bar, bank, fire station, garage and many services available, including plumbers, builders and electrician. Belpech is well known for its Foire du Gras festival in December, a weekend fair of local produce which draws people from a wide area to buy the famous local Foie Gras. There are many smaller festivals and events throughout the year, some are agricultural and some are fairs like the Grand Fete over the first weekend of July with live bands and fairground rides.