Lisle-sur-Tarn

Lisle-sur-Tarn
Commune
The main square in Lisle-sur-Tarn
Coat of arms
Location of Lisle-sur-Tarn
Lisle-sur-Tarn Show map of France Lisle-sur-Tarn Show map of Occitanie
Coordinates: 43°51′16″N 1°48′42″E
Country	France
Region	Occitania
Department	Tarn
Arrondissement	Albi
Canton	Vignobles et Bastides
Intercommunality	CA Gaillac-Graulhet
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Maryline Lherm[1]
Area ^1	86.56 km^2 (33.42 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[2]	4,775
• Density	55/km^2 (140/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	81145 /81310
Elevation	95–285 m (312–935 ft) (avg. 127 m or 417 ft)
^1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km^2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Lisle-sur-Tarn (French pronunciation: [lil syʁ taʁn]; Occitan: L'Illa d'Albigés) is a commune in the Tarn department in southern France.

Geography

Lisle-sur-Tarn sits along the A68 motorway, halfway between Toulouse and Albi, within the Gaillac wine region and next to the Tarn river. Historically speaking, it is also located on one of the ancient Ways of St. James.

History

Lisle-sur-Tarn was founded as a bastide (fortified town) by Raymond VII, Count of Toulouse, in the 13th century, following the destruction of the nearby castle of Montagut by the crusaders during the Albigensian Crusade. Thanks to local products like pastel (a local cake) and Gaillac wine, the city was developed into a vibrant market town with a busy river port along the Tarn. This extensive heritage, in a region that is still producing wine nowadays, plays an important role in the local tourism-oriented economy.

Demography

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1968	3,376	—
1975	3,385	+0.04%
1982	3,413	+0.12%
1990	3,588	+0.63%
1999	3,683	+0.29%
2007	4,171	+1.57%
2012	4,379	+0.98%
2017	4,694	+1.40%
Source: INSEE[3]

Transport

Lisle-sur-Tarn station has rail connections to Toulouse, Aurillac, Albi and Rodez.

Notable facts

Lisle-sur-Tarn has a large number of period properties

The town's grid-like layout includes straight, uniform streets lined with half-timbered, red-brick houses. The town is made up of four districts, each of which is enclosed by a fortified gate. The market square is the largest of all the south-western bastides, with about 5,000 m². It was renovated in 2000. The town has a museum on the main square to the artist Raymond Lafage.

Trivia

Lisle-sur-Tarn is featured in the novel The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier.

See also

• Communes of the Tarn department
• Sivens Dam
• Tourism in Tarn

References

1. "Répertoire national des élus: les maires". data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises (in French). 2 December 2020.
2. "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
3. Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE