Bassignac

Bassignac
The Romanesque chapel of Saint-Jacques, in the hamlet of Vendes, in Bassignac The Romanesque chapel of Saint-Jacques, in the hamlet of Vendes, in Bassignac
Bassignac
Location within Auvergne region Bassignac
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Department	Cantal
Arrondissement	Mauriac
Canton	Saignes
Intercommunality	Sumène Artense
Government
• Mayor (2008–2014)	Marc Maisonneuve
Area1	11.95 km2 (4.61 sq mi)
Population (2010)2	224
• Density	19/km2 (49/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	15019 / 15240
Elevation	359–671 m (1,178–2,201 ft) (avg. 412 m or 1,352 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Bassignac is a French commune in the Cantal department in the Auvergne region of south-central France.

Geography

Bassignac is located some 35 km north-east of Tulle and 10 km south by south-west of Bort-les-Orgues. Access to the commune is by the D922 road from Ydes in the north which passes through the length of the commune and the village and continues south to Mauriac. The D12 comes from Veyrières in the west and goes down the western border joining the D922 at Vendes. The D512 branches off the D12 and passes through Parensol continuing north to join the D922 south of Ydes. Apart from the village there are the hamlets of Le Fau, Le Marlat, Parensol, Montgroux, Vendes, Brousse, and Champleix. The commune is mixed forest and farmland.

Vendes is the largest village in the commune with 60 inhabitants in winter and about 100 in summer and is dominated by the old Sumène viaduct.

The Sumène river flows through the commune from north to south turning west to form the southern border of the commune and continuing west to join the Dordogne north of Arches. The Ruisseau de la Graille rises in the centre of the commune and flows north then south to join the Sumène. The Ruisseau de Rouillade flows south forming the eastern border of the commune before joining the Sumène near the centre of the commune.

Mapping

A list of online mapping systems can be displayed by clicking on the coordinates (latitude and longitude) in the top right hand corner of this article.

History

In the 10th century the hamlet of Vendes was the property of Artaud de Charlus. Charlus was a promontory some 4 km north of Vendes and had a fortified chateau on top. There are no remains except a view across the mountains of Auvergne. The Lévis-Charlus family was a noble family.

Bassignac appears as Baßignac on the 1750 Cassini Map and as Bassignac on the 1790 version.

There was a railway running through the commune with the second longest viaduct in Cantal at 367m and a height of 46m. The viaduct and railway were opened in 1893 as part of the SNCF line from Paris-Austerlitz-Aurillac. The line closed on 3 July 1994 and the viaduct was abandoned.

Administration

List of Successive Mayors

From	To	Name	Party	Position
2001	2020	Marc Maisonneuve	PS

(Not all data is known)

Demography

In 2010 the commune had 224 inhabitants. The evolution of the number of inhabitants is known from the population censuses conducted in the commune since 1793. From the 21st century, a census of communes with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants is held every five years, unlike larger communes that have a sample survey every year.

Population Change (See database)

1793	1800	1806	1821	1831	1836	1841	1846	1851
539	545	570	520	585	535	512	600	587

1856	1861	1866	1872	1876	1881	1886	1891	1896
584	515	531	455	512	508	485	1,260	635

1901	1906	1911	1921	1926	1931	1936	1946	1954
636	639	540	567	562	637	461	524	422

1962	1968	1975	1982	1990	1999	2006	2010	-
358	276	223	209	208	230		224	-

Sources : Ldh/EHESS/Cassini until 1962, INSEE database from 1968 (population without double counting and municipal population from 2006)

File:Population - Municipality code 15019.svg

Population of Bassignac

Education

The commune has a public primary school at Vendes.

Associations

• Association 3V - The espavents, Vendes Viaduct Village: Association to safeguard the Sumène viaduct and the festival of scarecrows.

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

The commune has many buildings and sites that are registered as historical monuments:

• The Sumène Viaduct (1893) The interior decor of the Viaduct is also registered as an historical object.
• A Priory House (1746)
• The Chateau Park
• Coal Mining Industrial Buildings (19th century)
• Houses and Farms (17th-20th century)
• A Flour Mill at Vendes (1799)
• A City of Miners at Champleix (20th century)
• A Farmhouse at Lavaurs (1865)
• A Mercahnt's House at Lachamp (1868)
• A Farmhouse at Le Fau (1769)
• A Farmhouse at La Riagaire (1799)
• A Farmhouse at Montgroux (1830)
• A Farmhouse at Emprades (16th century)
• The Chateau du Rieu Farmhouse at Le Rieu (1755)
• A Road Bridge at Vendes (18th century)
• A Wheelwright and Blacksmith's House at Vendes (18th century)
• A House at Vendes (1746)
• A Chateau at Vendes (1780)
• A Chateau (15th century)

Religious heritage

The commune has several religious buildings and sites that are registered as historical monuments:

• The Church of Vendes (11th century)
• Monumental Crosses (19th-20th century)
• The Benedictine Priory of Saint Jacques (1778) The priory contains several items that are registered as historical objects:
  • The Furniture in the Priory
  • A Group Sculpture: Education of the Virgin (19th century)
  • A Statuette: Saint Marguerite of Antioch (19th century)
  • A Statuette: Saint Barbe (18th century)
  • 2 Statuettes: Saint Jacques and Saint Joseph (1855)
  • A Stoup (Middle Ages)
• The Parish Church of Sainte-Marie and Sainte-Radegonde (12th century) The Church contains many items that are registered as historical objects:
  • A Stained glass window: God the Father blessing (15th century)
  • A Stained glass window: Christ blessing (15th century)
  • An ex-voto Painting: The Crucifixion (1633)
  • 4 Capitals and 2 bases (12th century)
  • The Furniture in the Church
  • A Candle Mould (19th century)
  • A Chalice (18th century)
  • A Statue: Saint Radegonde of Poitiers (17th century)
  • A Painting: The Adoration of the citizens (19th century)
  • A Painting: Saint Radegonde of Poitiers (19th century)
  • A Painting: The Crucifixion (1633)
  • 2 Windows: Christ blessing and God the Father (16th century)

See also

• Communes of the Cantal department