Langeac (Municipality, Haute-Loire, France)

Last modified: 2005-06-03 by ivan sache
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by Arnaud Leroy

• Presentation of Langeac
• Municipal flag of Langeac
• Vertical flag of Langeac

See also:

• France
• Haute-Loire (Department, France)

Presentation of Langeac

The city of Langeac is a small city (4,300 inhabitants, elevation 485 m a.s.l.) located in south-eastern Auvergne on the river Allier, between Brioude and Saugues.
Langeac is located near the entrance of the wild gorge of Upper-Allier, which can be visited only via a scenic railway line built between Langogne and Langeac in the XIXth century.
Until 1977, one of the biggest fluorine mines in France was located near Langeac.

In the past, Langeac was one of the thirteen bonnes villes (good cities) of Auvergne, which sent representatives to the Etats Généraux (State General) of Auvergne. The city was surrounded by a city wall defended by seven fortified gates, only one of them being still standing. In the XIIIth century, the St. Gal's canonical chapter was set up in Langeac. It was suppressed during the French Revolution.

There is also in Langeac a priory dedicated to St. Catherine, still ruled by Dominican nuns. In the first half of the XVIIth century, the Prioress was Mother Agnès of Jesus.
Agnès was born in 1602 in Le Puy-en-Velay. Aged seven, she decided to serve the Blessed Virgin and to wear a heavy iron chain around her waist for the rest of he