On November 4, 2024, La Poste issues a stamp from the tourist series on Lagrasse, a medieval city located in the Aude.
Lagrasse is located in the hollow of a meander of the Orbieu valley, in the department of Aude. This region called Basses-Corbières is characterized by hills covered with pines and Mediterranean vegetation. Until 1914, the hillsides were completely bare, grazed or cultivated in terraces. On the flat parts, the vines survived the agricultural decline and the cultivation of olive trees was recently revived. The dominant activity today is tourism, linked to the label of "Most beautiful village of France".
The medieval town developed in the wake of the Benedictine abbey founded by Charlemagne in 779. The urban plan, the sculptures and painted decorations, the gutter facades on the narrow streets, the remarkable buildings bear witness to the past commercial and artisanal prosperity. On the opposite bank, connected by a stone bridge from the end of the 13th century, the abbey was a spiritual, economic and political centre from the 8th to the 18th century, extending its possessions from the South of Toulouse to Catalonia. The abbey was seized as national property and split into two lots during the Revolution. The 18th century part, Maurist, has been occupied since 2004 by a community of religious. The medieval part is the property of the Department of Aude. It houses the Cultural Meeting Centre Les arts de lire which manages the monument and organises artistic and cultural activities throughout the year, including the famous Banquet du livre d’été. Lagrasse is the northern commune of the Corbières-Fenouillèdes Regional Natural Park, making it a place for protecting living heritage as well as promoting local cultures and historical heritage.
