Montolieu
Montolieu  | |
|---|---|
![]() A general view of Montolieu  | |
 ![]() Coat of arms  | |
Location of Montolieu  | |
![]() Montolieu ![]() Montolieu  | |
| Coordinates: 43°18′36″N 2°12′57″E / 43.31°N 2.2158°E | |
| Country | France | 
| Region | Occitania | 
| Department | Aude | 
| Arrondissement | Carcassonne | 
| Canton | La Malepère à la Montagne Noire | 
| Intercommunality | Carcassonne Agglo | 
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Bernard Lauret[1] | 
Area 1  | 23.65 km2 (9.13 sq mi) | 
| Population  (2022)[2]  | 829 | 
| • Density | 35/km2 (91/sq mi) | 
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) | 
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) | 
| INSEE/Postal code | 11253 /11170  | 
| Elevation | 123–407 m (404–1,335 ft)  (avg. 200 m or 660 ft)  | 
| Website | montolieu-livre | 
| 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, mostly specializing in secondhand and antique books.[3][4] Many artists also live and work in Montolieu, with five workshops and galleries of painters and sculptors and three photographers' studios. 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
| Year | Pop. | ±% 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
- ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
 - ^ "Populations de référence 2022" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 19 December 2024.
 - ^ a b "Montolieu: The French village dedicated to books". bbc.com. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
 - ^ a b "This Charming European Town Has Just 821 Residents – and It's Become a Magnet for Book Lovers". Travel + Leisure. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
 - ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
 

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