Villelongue | |
|---|---|
 Viewed from the bridge of the D921 road, the Gave de Gavarnie marks the boundary between Soulom hydroelectric power station to the left and centre, and Villelongue on the right | |
.svg) Coat of arms | |
Location of Villelongue  | |
  Villelongue  Villelongue | |
| Coordinates: 42°57′19″N 0°03′25″W / 42.9553°N 0.0569°W | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Occitania |
| Department | Hautes-Pyrénées |
| Arrondissement | Argelès-Gazost |
| Canton | La Vallée des Gaves |
| Intercommunality | Pyrénées Vallées des Gaves |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Pierre Tramont[1] |
| Area 1 | 20.46 km2 (7.90 sq mi) |
| Population (Jan. 2021)[2] | 368 |
| • Density | 18/km2 (47/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 65473 /65260 |
| Elevation | 457–2,484 m (1,499–8,150 ft) (avg. 500 m or 1,600 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Villelongue (French pronunciation: [vil.lɔ̃ɡ]; Occitan: Vilalonca) is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.[3]
Villelongue is situated on the flank of the Hautacam mountain, around a stream called the Ruisseau d'Isaby, and descends to the Gave de Gavarnie torrent.
It consists of a main village with a smaller hamlet above called Ortiac. Ortiac has a medieval chapel. The woods above Ortiac conceal the Abbey of Saint-Orens, now in ruins.
Villelongue has considerably expanded in recent years[when?], as new tracts are open to development and as the road infrastructure have developed to allow inhabitants to commute to Lourdes and Tarbes.
Villelongue is unusual among local towns in having a latinate name, rather than a name deriving from Bigourdan (the local dialect of the Occitan language). The name is said to derive from a Latin villa (i.e. a large farm) dating from late antiquity, situated in the lower part of the modern village, in an area known as "Las Longas".
