Lavaudieu
Commune in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lavaudieu (French pronunciation: [lavodjø]) is a commune in the Haute-Loire department in south-central France. It is a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (The Most Beautiful Villages of France) Association.
Lavaudieu | |
|---|---|
Commune | |
Bridge on the Senouire River and St. André abbey. | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Location of Lavaudieu | |
  Lavaudieu  Lavaudieu | |
| Coordinates: 45°15′49″N 3°27′17″E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes |
| Department | Haute-Loire |
| Arrondissement | Brioude |
| Canton | Brioude |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2023–2026) | Pascal Piroux[1] |
Area 1 | 17.54 km2 (6.77 sq mi) |
| Population (2023)[2] | 243 |
| • Density | 13.9/km2 (35.9/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 43117 /43100 |
| Elevation | 438–727 m (1,437–2,385 ft) (avg. 550 m or 1,800 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Geography
The village lies on the right bank of the Senouire, which flows west through the commune.
Population
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 242 | — |
| 1975 | 229 | −0.79% |
| 1982 | 237 | +0.49% |
| 1990 | 238 | +0.05% |
| 1999 | 225 | −0.62% |
| 2009 | 224 | −0.04% |
| 2014 | 234 | +0.88% |
| 2020 | 250 | +1.11% |
| Source: INSEE[3] | ||
Sights
- Romanesque Lavaudieu Abbey, long known as Lavaudieu Priory (Abbaye Saint-André de Lavaudieu), was established by Robert de Turlande, the first abbot of the nearby Abbey of La Chaise-Dieu, in the 11th century.[4] It was founded as a Benedictine community of nuns but later became a house of secular canonesses (i.e., pious women living in community but not taking religious vows) from the Auvergnat nobility. It was raised to the status of abbey in 1719.
