Benquet

Benquet
The town hall in Benquet
Benquet
Location within Aquitaine region Benquet
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Aquitaine-Limousin-Poitou-Charentes
Department	Landes
Arrondissement	Mont-de-Marsan
Canton	Mont-de-Marsan-Sud
Government
• Mayor	Pierre Mallet
Area1	29.33 km2 (11.32 sq mi)
Population (2009)2	1,471
• Density	50/km2 (130/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	40037 / 40280
Elevation	46–91 m (151–299 ft) (avg. 60 m or 200 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Benquet is a commune in the Landes department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.

Geography

Benquet is situated 5 miles (8 km) South of the préfecture city of Mont-de-Marsan, at the confines of the Landes forest and of the agricultural region of Chalosse. It is 55 miles (89 km) from the Atlantic Ocean.

Neighboring cities are: Saint-Pierre-du-Mont, Bretagne-de-Marsan, Saint-Maurice-sur-Adour, Saint-Sever, Bas-Mauco, Haut-Mauco.

History

Benquet, belonging to the former royal province of Gascony, was under the rule of the abbey of Saint Sever. Jehan Bernard de Benquet, vassal of the prince of Navarre, had the title of Sénéchal of Marsan and of Gabardan. Fights with French Huguenots are reported here.

Population

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1793	1,470	—
1800	1,281	−12.9%
1806	940	−26.6%
1821	1,243	+32.2%
1831	1,288	+3.6%
1836	1,280	−0.6%
1841	1,238	−3.3%
1846	1,304	+5.3%
1851	1,284	−1.5%
1856	1,246	−3.0%
1861	1,183	−5.1%
1866	1,222	+3.3%
1872	1,155	−5.5%
1876	1,173	+1.6%
1881	1,155	−1.5%
1886	1,134	−1.8%
1891	1,096	−3.4%
1896	1,054	−3.8%
1901	1,016	−3.6%
1906	1,039	+2.3%
1911	1,036	−0.3%
1921	907	−12.5%
1926	875	−3.5%
1931	832	−4.9%
1936	803	−3.5%
1946	801	−0.2%
1954	867	+8.2%
1962	858	−1.0%
1968	828	−3.5%
1975	1,039	+25.5%
1982	1,154	+11.1%
1990	1,240	+7.5%
1999	1,293	+4.3%
2006	1,405	+8.7%
2009	1,471	+4.7%

Its inhabitants are called Benquetois.

Economy

Mostly corn-growing, breeding (ducks, geese), foie-gras making. Agri-foodstuff research center.

Twin cities

Benquet is the twin village of Muespach-le-Haut, on the German border. As a matter of fact, population from Alsace flew their region and found shelter in South-Western France when the Nazi troops arrived in the early stages of World War II.

Sights

Churches St John the Baptist (19th century) and Saint Christau (eleventh century). Benquet is a stopover on the medieval pilgrimage route to Santiago Compostela (route of Vézelay). Benquet boasts a the privately owned château de Laurens Castelet and a "miraculous" spring, close to the church of St Christau.

• 

  Château de Benquet

• 

  11th century church

King Henri IV had an elegant home in Benquet: the Château-Vieux lodge (no longer exists).

Religion and language

People are mostly Catholic. The official language is French. The Gascon language is still spoken by some elderly people on some occasions.

Recreational activities

Hunting (woodcocks, pheasants...) and fishing are very popular + walking (pilgrims to Santiago are still to be met), cycling, basketball playing.

Events

• Music Festival Atout Choeurs : early May
• Fair of Benquet : early July

See also

• Communes of the Landes département

References

• INSEE population

External links

• Site the village of Benquet (in French)
• Site of the Roitelets basketballclub (in French)

Previous stop Saint Pierre-du-Mont

Santiago Compostela pilgrimage Via Lemovicensis

Next stop Saint-Sever