Canton Valence-sur-Baïse Area 11.31 km² Local time Wednesday 12:48 AM | Region Occitanie Time zone CET (UTC+1) Population 141 (1999) | |
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Weather 9°C, Wind S at 0 km/h, 83% Humidity | ||
Saint-Orens-Pouy-Petit is a commune in the Gers department in southwestern France.
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Map of 32100 Saint-Orens-Pouy-Petit, France
Central to the commune is the classic Gers Pierre Blanche bastide of St Orens, consisting of a walled community on a fierce outcrop of rock, situated 2 km to the east of the D654 between Condom and Saint-Puy. St Orens commands magnificent views to the south, including the Pyrenees in fine weather.
On a facing hill is the hamlet of Hameau de Pouy-Petit.
Saint Orens holds a fine Catholic church and the Château St Orens (sixteenth century). Hameau de Pouy-Petit has the Château gascon de Pouy-Petit (eighteenth century).
Economy
St Orens sits within of a large agricultural region, with common crops including corn, colza, sunflowers and grain. There are also a number of vineyards, producing grapes for wine or distilling.
Local market towns are renowned for their fine fruit and vegetables, particularly Condom, Nérac and Lectoure
Other products from local producers include:
Sites of interest
Arts
Like much of the Gers, St Orens had seen a slow period of decline through the twentieth century, leaving a number of properties in the village empty. An influx of newcomers and returnees in the 1970s and 1980s helped reverse this process. A number of these people were artists and artisans, creating a vibrant artistic community. The Salle de Fête regularly hosts arts exhibitions by local artists, and the nearby Musée d'Art Naïf (Béraut) compliments this picture.
Flora and fauna
Observed around the bastide:
Coypu, various deer species, wild boar
Barn owl, golden oriole, hoopoe, black redstart, kestrel, common buzzard, black kite, greenfinch, rock bunting, pigeon
Orange tip, peacock, southern swallowtail, clouded yellow, small blue, white admiral, red admiral, painted lady, Queen of Spain fritillary