Montolieu

Wikipedia

Montolieu
A general view of Montolieu
A general view of Montolieu
Coat of arms of Montolieu
Location of Montolieu
Montolieu is located in France
Montolieu
Montolieu
Montolieu is located in Occitanie
Montolieu
Montolieu
Coordinates: 43°18′36″N 2°12′57″E / 43.31°N 2.2158°E / 43.31; 2.2158
CountryFrance
RegionOccitania
DepartmentAude
ArrondissementCarcassonne
CantonLa Malepère à la Montagne Noire
IntercommunalityCarcassonne Agglo
Government
  Mayor (2020–2026) Bernard Lauret[1]
Area
1
23.65 km2 (9.13 sq mi)
Population
 (2023)[2]
829
  Density35.1/km2 (90.8/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
11253 /11170
Elevation123–407 m (404–1,335 ft)
(avg. 200 m or 660 ft)
Websitemontolieu-livre.fr
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Montolieu (French pronunciation: [mɔ̃tɔljø] ; Occitan: Montoliu) is a commune in the Aude department of southern France.

Village of books

Sometimes referred to as the "Village of Books", Montolieu contains fifteen bookshops,[as of?] mostly specializing in secondhand and antique books.[3][4] Many artists also live and work in Montolieu, with five workshops[as of?] and galleries of painters and sculptors and three photographers' studios.[as of?] The commune also contains a cactus garden, the Cactuseraie d'Escaïre-Figue. In 1990, Michel Braibant, a bookbinder in Carcassonne, came up with the idea of a Village of Books in Montolieu, inspired by the Welsh Hay-on-Wye.[3] He created the association Montolieu Village du Livre and founded the Musée des Arts & Métiers du Livre ("museum of book arts & crafts).[4]

Population

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1968 896    
1975 837−0.97%
1982 852+0.25%
1990 807−0.68%
1999 786−0.29%
2009 766−0.26%
2014 861+2.37%
2020 833−0.55%
Source: INSEE[5]

References

  1. "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  2. "Populations de référence 2023" (in French). National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 18 December 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Montolieu: The French village dedicated to books". bbc.com. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  4. 1 2 "This Charming European Town Has Just 821 Residents – and It's Become a Magnet for Book Lovers". Travel + Leisure. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
  5. Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE