Auriac, Corrèze


Auriac is a commune in the Corrèze department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of central France.
The inhabitants of the commune are known as Auriacois or Auriacoises.

Geography

Auriac is located in the Massif Central on the left bank of the Dordogne some 50 km east of Brive-la-Gaillarde and 30 km south by south-east of Égletons. The D13 road from Bassignac-le-Haut to Saint-Merd-de-Lapleau passes through the north-western corner of the commune. The D65 branches off the D13 in the commune and goes south-east to the village then continues south-east to join the D145 just west of Rilhac-Xaintrie. The D111 branches from the D65 south of the village and goes to Saint-Julien-aux-Bois in the south. The D72 branches from the D111 in the south of the commune and goes north-west to Bassignac-le-Haut with the D75 branching off it in the commune and going to Servières-le-Château in the south-west. Apart from the village there are the hamlets of La Vedrenne, Anjoux, Le Mons, Dezejouls, Chadirac, Selves, Job, Lalo, Labouldoire, Verchapie, and Rigieix. About 60% of the land area is forested with the rest farmland.
The Dordogne river forms the entire northern border of the commune with many streams rising in the commune and flowing north to join it including the Ruisseau de la Cascade with its tributary the Ruisseau de Selves, the Ruisseau de Murat, the Ruisseau des Bialles, and the Ruisseau de Valette with its tributaries the Ruisseau de Longuechaux and the Ruisseau de Courpou which forms much of the south-eastern border.

Neighbouring communes and villages

Toponymy

Old forms of the name Auriac come from a Latin man's name Aureus which was Auriaco in 1105.

History

Auriac has been inhabited since prehistory
In the 12th century Stephen of Obazine and Cistercian monks from Obazine Abbey founded the Abbey of la Valette in Auriac. The construction of the from 1947-1952 resulted in the submersion of the remains of the Abbey.
In the 13th century the Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Géraud of Aurillac established a priory in the commune with the Prior having the right of high justice with a chateau of which there are remains of the Keep still standing.

Heraldry

Administration

List of Successive Mayors
FromToNamePartyPosition
20012008Bernard Selves
20082020Nicole Bardi

Demography

In 2010 the commune had 228 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 towns that have a sample survey every year.

Economy

cattle are raised in the commune.

Local culture and heritage

Civil heritage

Since 2013 there has been a Natural Heritage Interpretation path which leads to the top of the Xaintrie at Puy du Bassin from the town centre.

Religious heritage