Hautpoul

Hautpoul is a village pertaining to the commune of Mazamet. The village is planted on a rock piton overhanging the city, and is regarded as the cradle of the city.

History

Hung with its rock piton, dominating the town of Mazamet, the village of Hautpoul keeps the entry of the Black Mountain and its vast forests. According to the legend, Hautpoul would have been founded in 413 by Atholph 1st, king Visigoth who there installs a community and draws the first contours of a fortress. But under the reign of Clovis, the Francs push the Visigoths in Spain, occupy in their turn in the village of Hautpoul and give a new dimension to the fortress. At that time the etymology reports that one speaks about Alto pullo which means place perched , and which will deveindra Hautpoul, with the passing of years.

In 1212, during the Crusade against the Albigensians, Simon de Montfort besieges the citadel converted with the Catharisme. After four days of seat, it seizes " this nest of hérétiques" and makes dismantle the castles. The inhabitants of Hautpoul are installed then in the valley, on the edges of Arnette where they found a small village which will become Mazamet. They develop textile and paper activities to with it to supplement the low-incomes of agriculture on these not very fertile grounds of mountain.

At XVIè and XVIIè centuries, the wars of religion make village of Hautpoul the theater of many fixings. In turn with the hands of the catholics or the Protestants, it still shows a savage resistance and affirms its strategic position.

The industrial development of XVIIIè and XIXè centuries sees developing an important textile activity, relayed as from 1851 by the Délainage, technical news which consists in separating wool from the leather and which will make the glory and the fortune of the country mazamétain.

At the XXè century, Hautpoul empties little by little its inhabitants with the profit of the valley of Mazamet but today, the village knows a new youth: the old houses accommodate craftsmen and their workshops of plays and toys out of wooden, the lanes and the small squares without become animated to disturb the quietude of the place.

Appendix

Proper name D' Hautpoul

External bond

Site on the village of Hautpoul
the site of association Villages perched in Black Mountain

Random links: