Capdenac-Station

Capdenac-Station is a common French, located in the department of the Aveyron and the area the Midday-Pyrenees. Its inhabitants is called Capdenacois.

Its main features are to be a recent city (she celebrates its 150 years in 2007) and to be themselves developed starting from a railway station.

Geography

Topography

Capdenac is located at the hollow of a broad meander of the Lot, out of left bank, with the limit between the departments of the Aveyron and the Lot.

This situation in the alluvial plain gives him a weak local relief, in a zone where the Batch is sometimes strongly boxed in its valley and where this topography can produce strong constraints on the passage of the transportation routes.

Transportation town planning and routes

The station is in the north-western zone of the meander, ensuring the junction between the railway line which follows the valley of the Batch towards the west, that leaving towards the east and crossing the river shortly after the station, and finally that leaving towards the south. The principal highway network follows, rather logically, the ways of railroad to connect the commune to the other cities of the neighborhoods.

The urban fabric of the downtown area, coupled in the south of the station, is organized according to a squared plan. The more recent urbanization, towards the south and the east, is mainly made up of allotments going to the slopes closing the southern edge of the alluvial plain.

History

Antiquity

The commune of Capdenac-Station (formerly common of Saint-Julien d' Empare) is populated at least since the Gallo-Roman time. Indeed, of work in the axis of the current street Carnot, in 1947, allowed the setting the day of a portion of way in granite flagstones, firmly built through the plain, ascribable at the time Roman (the town hall preserves paving stones extracted from this one). This way, probably coming from Rodez, is directed towards the river of the Batch: its layout supposes a passage to ford at the end of this one.

XIXe century: creation of the station

The history of the town of Capdenac-Station begins in 1857, when Morny, half-brother of the emperor Napoleon III which reigns then in Paris, is with the head of the Compagnie of Orleans. It is him which is at the origin of the layout of the railway and of the choice of the place says Tinsou in the commune of St-Julien-in Empare for the site the station. The company of Orleans will authenticate the denomination of Capdenac-Station in 1859.

The railroad stopped, at the beginning, Tinsou. Coming from Montauban, intended to reach by the Batch the coal basin of Aubin- Decazeville in full expension, this traffic takes place then by the river. Coal left the basin by the Batch then was ammené until Tinsou and left then by train towards Montauban.

The development of the station will be extremely fast. In 1859, the station occupies already 13 hectares. It is into 1860 that the line will go until Rodez. In 1862, is inaugurated the line of Brive to Capdenac, after Gustave Eiffel designed the metallic bridge which spans the Batch.

The installation of the inhabitants

Parallel to the development of the station, the new city of Capdenac-Station is built. Thus, the new city is built on a vast plain, which appears quasi-desert, except for some isolated hamlets (such Boudonie or Peyrade), on the land register known as Napoleonean. To place the employees and the workmen who worked at the station, the Company of Orleans makes build a series of buildings baptized of the name of " Casernes".

In 1866, the Commune of St Julien d' Empare reached the 2092 inhabitants. The same year, house RAYNAL and ROQUELAURE will take its first steps. Mr. Raynal, had become the manager of the Dresser of the Station and Mr. Roquelaure was his chief cook. The fame of their products exceeded the limit of the commune quickly. At this point in time is created the food preserve company which we know always today.

July 7th, 1884, the Municipal council asks that the chief town of the commune be transferred to Capdenac. May 16th, 1831, Capdenac is set up in Commune. The Commune of St-Julien-in Empare becomes Commune of Capdenac-Station then. Capdenac-station continues its development and in 1899, one builds a church more important than the preceding one: " Notre Dame of Voyageurs".

XXe and XXIe centuries

During the German occupation at the time of the Second world war, Capdenac will be a hearth of resistance. Jewish children are hidden in the convent of Massip with Capdenac. Many actions of resistance will be felt. An important group of the maquis of Montmurat will make jump the shunting of the Shoe, thus immobilizing the convoys Nazis for Paris. They will be made intercept by German and will be killed.

In 2007, that is to say 150 years after its creation, Capdenac-Station is a young city and account approximately 5.000 inhabitants.

Administration

Demography

Sites neighborhood to be visited

Capdenac is located in the middle of many sites (cities, villages, monuments, caves…), most remarkable are:

Foissac and its caves (located at 13 km)
Figeac (located at 8 km)
old Capdenac Gallic oppidum (located at 3 km)
Peyrusse-the-Rock (located at 15 km)
Rocamadour (located at 54 km)
Conches (located at 43 km)
Millau and its viaduct (located at 128 km)
Rodez (located at 59 km)

Sports and Leisures

It is possible to make very many excursions in the neighborhoods of Capdenac. There are circuits for various levels (easy and the least easy…)who make you discover the surrounding landscape. Passages in small villages, circuits in the valley of the Batch, circuits on the heights of Capdenac which offer very many points of view.

Twinnings

See too

Common of Aveyron
Capdenac - Article on Capdenac-Uxellodunum

External documentation

Bibliography :

" Of Saint Julien D' Empare with Capdenac 1850/1950" - Grapho 12 Villefranche de Rouergue - 1987
" Capdenac" - C.G.I Graphic - ISBN: 2.907279-23-8 - 1996

external Bonds :

Site of the tourist office of the country capdenacois
Localization of Capdenac-Station on a chart of France and communes bordering
Plane on Capdenac-Station on Mapquest
Site of the Voltaire College (Public) of Capdenac

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