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Aveyron is a department in southern France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
 named after the Aveyron River
Aveyron River

The Aveyron is a 291 km long river in southern France, right tributary of the Tarn River. It rises in the southern Massif Central, near S?v?rac-le-Ch?teau....
.

ron is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution
French Revolution

The French Revolution was a period of political and social upheaval and radical change in the history of France, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudalism for the aristocracy and Roman Catholic Church clergy, underwent radical change to forms based on Age of Enlightenment principles of cit...
 on March 4, 1790.

The first known historical inhabitants of the region were the Rutenii tribe, but the area was inhabited previously to this, boasting many prehistoric ruins.

department is part of the current Midi-Pyrénées
Midi-Pyrénées

Midi-Pyr?n?es is the largest Regions of France of metropolitan France by area, larger than the Netherlands or Denmark.Midi-Pyr?n?es has no historical or geographical unity....
 region
Régions of France

France is divided into 26 regions or r?gions , of which 21 are in continental metropolitan France, one is the island of Corsica, and four lie overseas....
.






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Aveyron is a department in southern France
France

France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....
 named after the Aveyron River
Aveyron River

The Aveyron is a 291 km long river in southern France, right tributary of the Tarn River. It rises in the southern Massif Central, near S?v?rac-le-Ch?teau....
.

History

Aveyron is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution
French Revolution

The French Revolution was a period of political and social upheaval and radical change in the history of France, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudalism for the aristocracy and Roman Catholic Church clergy, underwent radical change to forms based on Age of Enlightenment principles of cit...
 on March 4, 1790.

The first known historical inhabitants of the region were the Rutenii tribe, but the area was inhabited previously to this, boasting many prehistoric ruins.

Geography

The department is part of the current Midi-Pyrénées
Midi-Pyrénées

Midi-Pyr?n?es is the largest Regions of France of metropolitan France by area, larger than the Netherlands or Denmark.Midi-Pyr?n?es has no historical or geographical unity....
 region
Régions of France

France is divided into 26 regions or r?gions , of which 21 are in continental metropolitan France, one is the island of Corsica, and four lie overseas....
. It is surrounded by the départements of Tarn, Tarn-et-Garonne
Tarn-et-Garonne

Tarn-et-Garonne is a French departments of France in the southwest of France....
, Lot, Hérault
Hérault

H?rault is a departments of France in the southwest of France named after the H?rault River....
, Gard
Gard

Gard is a departments of France located in Southern France France in the Languedoc-Roussillon Regions of France. It is named after the river Gardon ....
, Lozère
Lozère

Loz?re , is a departments of France in southeast France near the Massif Central, named after Mont Loz?re....
, and Cantal
Cantal

Cantal is a departments of France in south-central France. It is named after the Cantal mountain range, a group of extinct, eroded volcanic peaks, which covers much of the department....
. Three main plateau compose the department: Aubrac
Aubrac

Aubrac is a town in the southern Massif Central of France. The name is also applied to the surrounding landscape, which is properly called L'Aubrac in French language....
, Lévézou and Larzac
Larzac

The Causses du Larzac is a limestone karst plateau in the south of the Massif Central, France, situated between Millau and Lod?ve . It is an agricultural area, where sheep are bred to produce milk for Roquefort cheese....
.

The highest point in the department is the summit of Mailhebuau at 1469 m (Plateau of Aubrac
Aubrac

Aubrac is a town in the southern Massif Central of France. The name is also applied to the surrounding landscape, which is properly called L'Aubrac in French language....
).

Demographics

The inhabitants of the department are called Aveyronnais, inhabitants of Rodez are called Ruthénois, based on the first Celtic settlers, the rutenii.

Tourism

Aveyron contains a part of the Cévennes National Park
Cévennes National Park

The C?vennes National Park is a national park, located in southern France, in the mountainous area of C?vennes.The park was created in 1970. Its administrative seat is located in Florac at Florac Castle....
. Well-known tourist attractions are the castle of Najac
Château de Najac

Ch?teau de Najac or the royal fortress of Najac is located in Najac, in the Aveyron d?partement in France, in southern France.The castle was built in 1253 by the villagers on the orders of Alphonse de Poitiers, brother of Louis IX of France, on the site of an older castle built in 1100 by Bertrand of Toulouse, son of Raymond IV...
, a medieval ruin perched high on a hill, and the many beautiful old monasteries such as Conques Abbey, Sylvanès Abbey, Bonneval Abbey
Bonneval Abbey (Aveyron)

Bonneval Abbey is a Cistercian monastery, located in Le Cayrol, in the department of Aveyron, in the south of France. It is now inhabited by Trappist nuns....
 and Loc-Dieu Abbey
Loc-Dieu Abbey

'Loc-Dieu Abbey' is a Cistercian abbey located near Martiel, 9 km west from Villefranche-de-Rouergue, in the department of Aveyron in France.Founded in 1123 in a place formerly called Locus Diaboli due to the large number of dolmens around it, it was renamed Locus Dei in Latin by the monks, which in French language became Loc-Dieu...
, located near Martiel
Martiel

Martiel is a Communes of the Aveyron department in the Aveyron departments of France in southern France....
 in a region with many dolmen
Dolmen

File:paulnabrone.jpgFile:KilclooneyDolmen1986.jpgA dolmen is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of three or more megalith supporting a large flat horizontal capstone ....
s. The small city of Millau
Millau

Millau is a Communes of France in the Aveyron Departments of France in southern France. It is located at the confluence of the Tarn River and Dourbie rivers....
 is the site of the world's tallest bridge, the Millau viaduct
Millau Viaduct

The Millau Viaduct is a large cable-stayed bridge viaduct that spans the valley of the River Tarn near Millau in southern France. Designed by the structural engineer Michel Virlogeux and British architect Norman Foster, Baron Foster of Thames Bank, it is the tallest vehicular bridge in the world, with one mast's summit at ? slightly taller...
, opened by President Chirac
Jacques Chirac

Jacques Ren? Chirac served as the President of France from 17 May 1995 until 16 May 2007. As President he also served as an ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra and Grand Master of the French L?gion d'honneur....
 in December 2004.

Activities include horseriding, fishing, swimming in the Lacs du Lévézou and hiking/camping. The inhabitants are also very good craftsmen, and Aveyron is full of various craft objects, handmade, that can be found locally. Examples include the couteau de Laguiole
Laguiole knife

The Laguiole knife is a high-quality traditional French pocket-knife, originally produced in the town of Laguiole in the Aveyron region of southern France....
, the world famous Roquefort
Roquefort (cheese)

Roquefort is a sheep milk blue cheese cheese from the south of France, and together with Bleu d'Auvergne, Stilton and Gorgonzola is one of the world's best-known blue cheeses....
 cheese, from the village of the same name and other local produce. Markets take place every Saturday on market places around the region.

Saint-Sernin-sur-Rance
Saint-Sernin-sur-Rance

Saint-Sernin-sur-Rance is a Communes of France in the Aveyron Departments of France in southern France....
 is the commune where the feral child Victor of Aveyron
Victor of Aveyron

Victor of Aveyron was a feral child who apparently lived his entire childhood naked and alone in the woods before being found wandering the woods near Saint-Sernin-sur-Rance, France in 1797....
 was found in the late 18th century.

See also

  • Cantons of the Aveyron department
  • Communes of the Aveyron department
  • Arrondissements of the Aveyron department


External links