Milhars

Milhars is a common French, located in the department of the Tarn and the area the Midday-Pyrenees.

Geography

Milhars belongs to the Country of Vaour which is composed of 6 other picturesque villages: Marnaves, Warp end, Roussayrolles, St Michel of VAX, Vaour and Montrosier. This country is located in skirt of forest of Grésigne, of the vineyard of Gaillac, the Throats of Aveyron and it valley of Cérou. These landscapes still carry the print of those which lived it since prehistory (caves, dolmens, oppida, bridges, crosses, laundrettes, fountains, pigeon, mills, vaults). These peaceful villages allure impassioned old stones and places in charge of history (medieval castles, commandery of Templiers, castrum, churches, museum, site cathare).

The village of Milhars is located at 100 km of Toulouse, 60 km of Montauban, 66 km of Cahors, 30 km of Villefranche de Rouergue, 100 km of Rodez, 48 km of Albi, 17 km of Cord-on-Sky

The village of Milhars has a surface of 1.628 ha.

History

Prehistory 5000 to 2500 years before J. - C: One finds various traces of an human life on the establishment of the current commune at the time known as of the " hone polie" , that is to say from 5000 to 2500 years before J. - C. Two vestiges of still visible Mégalithiques constructions nowadays testify to this presence: 1) The Dolmen of the Rock of the Virgin whose 586 various parts were found in the neighborhoods and who has his stone punt split in two parts. 2) The Dolmen of Grézelles of which a score of parts were recovered around the site.

Roman epoch at the year Thousand: The Romans posed a milliary terminal in a place which was called " Miliacum" and located on a Roman way connecting the Albigensian to Rouergue and Quercy, with the site which with the wire of the centuries, will become Milhars (to pronounce millar). A Roman camp was to even be on the current plate today called " the parc" , all in top of the old village, behind the castle, place with the high altitude and which constituted an ideal strategic position for the monitoring of the alley of Cérou and its confluence with Aveyron. They are present on the edges of Aveyron as can testify some to the remainders of potteries gone up during ploughings. To the fall of the Roman Empire, as in all the area, the place was crossed and occupied, in turn, by the Vandals (Germanique people), the Visigoths (connects of Goths in the Danubienne area), the Francs and Sarrazins.

" The cure miraculeuse" the legend of Didier Saint: In year 654, under the reign of Sigebert, king d' Austrasie, the body of St Didier, bishop of Cahors and treasurer of Dagobert, Milhars crossed. It was transported by its servants to be buried in his good town of Cahors where the church was located which it had controlled during 26 years. A had woman of the demon was brought near the coffin. Hardly it had touched the edge of it, that at once obsession from its heart and the torments of its body disappeared.

Year Thousand with the Revolution 1258 -1690: Milhars will be initially attached to the Counts de Toulouse then will turn over to the Crown of France under Saint-Louis in 1258. During the One hundred Year old war, at the beginning of 1351, various lords will be the managers: 1) Géraud OF CASAUBAN 2) Ratter OF CASTELNAU OF BE WORTH 3) Raymond OF CASTELNAU OF ARE WORTH 4) Arnaud IV BERAIL 5) Géraud BERAIL 6) Jean BERAIL. This fortified town will be used to defend the valley of Cérou, sees passage natural in edge of the impenetrable forest of Grésigne. From 1550 to 1625, during the wars of religion, Milhars will be divided between two zones of influence: 1) That of Cords, held by Papists 2) That of Saint-Antonin under influence of Huguenots (Protestants). One knows for this period an alternation of engagements, demolitions, plunderings and rebuildings. In 1574, one considers that Milhars is ruined. Peace will return only in 1625. During two centuries of 1450 to 1683, family CAZILLAC will be owner of the castle with the successive titles of Lord, Baron, then Marquis de Milhars. From 1683 with the revolution, two other families will obtain the pleasure from it: family LAMOIGNON and family REY OF SAINT-GERY. The period more ostentation will be at the neighborhoods of 1690: Milhars will become a prosperous marquisat. The castle will be rebuilt in 1630 by Maître ORADOU, Master mason of Toulouse and will have the aspect that one knows to him nowadays. A drain will bring the water of the " Mother of Dieu" and will feed a lake located on " Parc". History of the lake of the park: A capuchin (very dependant order with the family of the lord of Milhars), skilful to discover the sources, collected into 1636 clear and abundant water of the Mother of God (source of Bonnan). After a course of 5 km, they flowed by gravity, borrowing a drain arranged for this purpose and which one finds some vestiges still today, with the locality " Parc". An artificial lake close to the castle was thus made up, vast water reserve, with fish pond where the boats could evolve/move. In 1678 one records the death by drowning in the hollow of the Lake of the Park of Mister the Marquis of VILLENEUVE, 24 years, of NOAILLES. This installation was demolished with the Revolution and the park was covered with vines and today with cereals. The large dovecote of the castle will be built on Right Bank of Cérou.

The Age Revolutionary 1790 - 1794: In 1790, Milhars is Chef place of Canton. In 1793, the castle becomes residence without report/ratio. July 6th, 1794, the last Marquis de Milhars, Clément Jean Augustin of Gery Saint is carried out place of the Throne in Paris. It is one of the last to know the drama of the terror which ended on July 27th, 1794. The castle will become the communal house thereafter where the Town hall and the Public school functioned.

The Contemporary Time 1864 - 1997: The construction of the building nowadays sheltering the Town hall and the Public school, located on the place of the chestnut trees, was carried out thanks to the sale of the castle to a Albigensian trader, Mr ROUMIGIERE. October 24th, 1864: on the railway connecting Paris by Capdenac which has just been finished, the first steam train circulated. In 1910, Milharsais discover electrical energy thanks to an alternator driven by a turbine installed in the mill on Cérou. In 1914, the village counts 1000 inhabitants but the population will be seriously touched by the First World War. In 1920, the castle becomes the property of the BRILLIANT Charles writer. The commune of Milhars counts 52 farms at that time. In 1948, the Belgian painter Albert LEMAITRE, professor with the Royal Academy of Beautiful arts of Liege, becomes owner of the castle. In 1975, Mrs LAMBORELLE, raises of the painter and its legatee, becomes owner about it. With its dispariation, the castle is transmitted to its descendants which occupy it still nowadays. In 1950, construction of a new water pipeline with installation of a tank to the Park. In 1980, Milhars counts nothing any more but 7 farms. In 1990, Milhars counts 316 inhabitants at the time of the census.

Administration

Demography

Places and monuments

Medieval small village primarily organized to control the entry of the valleys of Cérou (passage between Quercy and the Albigensian) and of Bonnan (access to Grésigne), this village will reveal you its two facets. Side stones, it below acts of snail constructions, hung on a modest rocky outcrop a feudal castle restored in 1630. It is often named “village of the walls”. These walls constitute one of the elements outstanding and characteristic of the village. To be cordial, they got dressed with ocher color clearly. Picturesque vestiges testify to its last rich person.

Departure of the point of information on the place of the Chestnut trees. To take the tarred way of Cargomietze, while crossing D600 enters the stone bakery and cross (Cross of Alric). To a hundred meters, following a court raidillon, to take the dirt track, bordered of boxwood: point of view on the whole of the old village. 100 m after a advance in overhang of a closed garden, to take again the asphalt road on the left under the ramparts. Turn at the end of the rise on the line, direction old man village. Arrival on the place of Ravelin. Visit entry of the castle: take the door of the castle (High Door) on the left. Go up on 30 m by borrowing Peyrade, turn on the line. You pass in front of a farm (old stables of the castle). Reconsider your steps until the place of Ravelin. Visit high street: pass under the door in vault located between the tower and the house overhung of pigeon. Walk on 50 m between the old houses under the turret of angle and the terrace of the castle. Reconsider your steps until the small place. Go down on the foirail by engaging you in the passage between the retaining wall from the place and the restored house. Descend the foirail, the way tightens itself to arrive on a small square (Place of Ormeaux). Skirt the restored houses and take on the left, under a door in vault (the low door). Go up by the lanes until under the ramparts of the castle. Point of view of the Ground of Hoste, under the relieving arches of the ramparts. Take on the line the grass way of the Turret, bordered of boxwood, which will bring you until the starting point while turning on the left after an old iron balustrade damaged, and by taking again on the line the asphalt road to which you will lead.

Personalities related to the commune

Family of Cazillac, Family of the LAMOIGNON of BASVILLE, Mgr Jean-Guillaume MOLINIER (1733-1813: Constitutional bishop of the Hautes-Pyrénées), Charles BRILLIANT (Rennes, Nov. 12, 1870 - Cagnes March 19th, 1931: Writer), Albert LEMAITRE - (1886 - 1975: Painter)

See too

Common of the Tarn

External bonds

www.milhars.com, Web site devoted to the village of Milhars
Milhars on the site of the national geographical Institute
Milhars on the site of INSEE
Milhars on the site of Quid
Localization of Milhars on a chart of France and communes bordering
Plane on Milhars on Mapquest

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