Mont-Louis

Mont-Louis
Mont-Louis
Commune
	An aerial view of Mont-Louis
	Coat of arms
	Location of Mont-Louis
	Mont-Louis Show map of FranceShow map of OccitanieShow all
	Coordinates: 42°30′33″N 2°07′15″E / 42.5092°N 2.1208°ECoordinates: 42°30′33″N 2°07′15″E / 42.5092°N 2.1208°E
Country	France
Region	Occitanie
Department	Pyrénées-Orientales
Arrondissement	Prades
Canton	Les Pyrénées catalanes
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Joëlle Cordelette
Area 1	0.39 km2 (0.15 sq mi)
Population (Jan. 2018)	149
• Density	380/km2 (990/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	66117 /66210
Elevation	1,516–1,608 m (4,974–5,276 ft) ; (avg. 1,600 m or 5,200 ft)
	1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Mont-Louis (French pronunciation: [mɔ̃ lwi] (listen); Catalan: Montlluís or el Vilar d'Ovansa) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.

Geography[]

Mont-Louis is located in the canton of Les Pyrénées catalanes and in the arrondissement of Prades.

Map of Mont-Louis and its surrounding communes

Government and politics[]

Mayors[]

Plan de Mont-Louis 1798

Mayor	Term start	Term end

Michel Aldebert^[3]	c. 1815	?

Christian Pécout	2001	2002
Jean-Michel Larmet	2002	2010
Pierrette Cordelette	2010

Population[]

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1968	391	—
1975	250	−6.19%
1982	239	−0.64%
1990	200	−2.20%
1999	270	+3.39%
2007	284	+0.63%
2012	185	−8.22%
2017	152	−3.85%
Source: INSEE^[4]

Sites of interest[]

Solar furnace of Mont-Louis

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In 2008, the citadel and the city walls of Mont-Louis were listed as part of the Fortifications of Vauban UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Mont-Louis Solar Furnace, is the world's first solar furnace, built in 1949, by engineer Félix Trombe. It is open to visit for practical education on solar energy uses and technologies.

The citadel has been hosting for more than half a century the National Commando Training Center (French Army) which trains elite French troops and some foreign ones^{[example needed]} in the usage of commando techniques and for enduring heavy physical and mental stress in combat situations. Nevertheless, some places of the citadel, like the "Puits de Forçats",^[5] can also be visited, being accompanied by a local guide.

Notable people[]

Signature of mayor Michel Aldebert in 1815

Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban (1633-1707), military engineer who conceived and directed the construction of Mont-Louis.
Pedro Étienne Solère (1753–1817), classical clarinetist
Jean Gilles (1904-1961), French Army general who died in Mont-Louis.