Editing Cagot (section)

== Geography ==

=== Distribution ===

[[File:(65) Bagnères de Bigorre - l'adour et le quartier des cagots.jpg|thumb|A postcard of the subprefecture of [[Bagnères-de-Bigorre]], showing the neighborhood of the Cagots and the river [[Adour]] which separates it from the main town]]

The cagots were present in France in [[Gascony]] to the [[Basque Country (greater region)|Basque Country]], but also in the north of Spain (in [[Aragon]], south and north [[Navarre]], and [[Asturias]]).{{sfnp|Antolini|1995}}

Cagots were typically required to live in separate quarters,{{sfnp|Winkle|1997|pp=39–40}}<ref name="Jolly, 200a">{{harvp|Jolly|2000|p=200|ps=: "{{lang|fr|Dans toutes les localités où les cagots étaient présents, un quartier d'habitation, dont le nom diffère pour chaque village, leur était réservé. Ce quartier est généralement situé aux marges de l'habitat et n'est pas en continuité directe avec le reste du village Quand les cagots accédaient au foncier, c'était d'abord sur les marges du terroir cultivé, à la limite du communal, sur les terrains les moins propices à l'agriculture.}} ["In all the localities where the cagots were present, a residential area, whose name differs for each village, was reserved for them. This district is generally located on the margins of the habitat and is not in direct continuity with the rest of the village When the cagots accessed land, it was first on the margins of the cultivated land, at the limit of the communal on land less suitable for agriculture."]}}</ref>{{sfnp|Cabarrouy|1995}} these hamlets were called {{lang|fr|crestianies}} then from the 16th century {{lang|fr|cagoteries}},{{sfnp|Tuke|1880|p=376}}{{sfnp|Michel|1847|p=96}} which were often on the far outskirts of the villages. On the scale of [[Béarn]], for example, the distribution of Cagots, often carpenters, was similar to that of other craftsmen, who were numerous mainly in the piedmont. Far from congregating in only a few places, the Cagots were scattered in over 137 villages and towns. Outside the mountains, 35 to 40% of communities had Cagots, especially the largest ones, excluding very small villages.{{sfnp|Bériac|1987}} The buildings making up the {{lang|fr|cagoteries}} are still present in many villages.{{sfnp|Veyrin|2011|pp=85–86}}

=== Toponomy ===

[[File:Rue du village de Campan (Hautes-Pyrénées) 3.jpg|thumb|A sign for {{lang|fr|Rue du Pont des Cagots}} in [[Campan]].{{sfnp|Tuke|1880|p=378}}<ref>{{cite web |title= Les cagots à Campan |language=fr |trans-title=The Cagots in Campan |website=Lieux et légendes dans les Hautes-Pyrénées |url=http://lieux.loucrup65.fr/cagotscampan.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418083831/http://lieux.loucrup65.fr/cagotscampan.htm |archive-date=18 April 2024}}</ref>]]

Toponymy and topography indicate that the places where the cagots were found have constant characteristics; these are gaps, generally across rivers or outside [[Defensive wall|town walls]],{{r|Jolly, 200a}} called "{{lang|fr|crestian}}" (and derivatives) or "{{lang|fr|place}}" (Laplace names are frequent) next to water points, places allocated to live and above all to practice their trades.{{sfnp|Tuke|1880|pp=377–378}}

Toponymy also provides evidence of areas where Cagots had lived in the past. Various Street names are still in use such as {{lang|fr|Rue des cagots}} in the municipalities of [[Montgaillard, Hautes-Pyrénées|Montgaillard]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Les cagots à Montgaillard: et dans les Hautes-Pyrénées |language=fr |trans-title=The Cagots in Montgaillard: and in the Hautes-Pyrénées |website=Lieux et légendes dans les Hautes-Pyrénées |url=http://lieux.loucrup65.fr/cagots.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418083107/http://lieux.loucrup65.fr/cagots.htm |archive-date=18 April 2024}}</ref> and [[Lourdes]],<ref name="Lieux-Lourdes">{{cite web |title=Les cagots à Lourdes |language=fr |trans-title=The Cagots in Lourdes |website=Lieux et légendes dans les Hautes-Pyrénées |url=http://lieux.loucrup65.fr/cagotslourdes.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418082611/http://lieux.loucrup65.fr/cagotslourdes.htm |archive-date=18 April 2024}}</ref> {{lang|fr|Impasse des cagots}} in [[Laurède]], {{lang|fr|Place des cagots}} in [[Roquefort]], {{lang|fr|Place des capots}} in [[Saint-Girons, Ariège|Saint-Girons]], and {{lang|fr|Rue des Capots}} in the municipalities of [[Mézin]], [[Sos, Lot-et-Garonne|Sos]], [[Vic-Fezensac]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Vic-Fezensac. La visite du quartier des Capots attise la curiosité des Vicois |language=fr |trans-title=Vic-Fezensac. A visit to the Capots district arouses the curiosity of the people of Vicois |date=25 February 2009 |url=https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2009/02/25/563944-vic-fezensac-visite-quartier-capots-attise-curiosite-vicois.html |work=[[La Dépêche du Midi|La Depeche]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418091626/https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2009/02/25/563944-vic-fezensac-visite-quartier-capots-attise-curiosite-vicois.html |archive-date=18 April 2024}}</ref> [[Aire-sur-l'Adour]], [[Eauze]], and [[Gondrin]].

In [[Aubiet]], there is a locality called "{{lang|fr|les Mèstres}}". It was in this hamlet, that the cagots ({{lang|fr|Mèstres}}) of Aubiet lived, on the left bank of the [[Arrats]], separated from the village by the river. The discovery of the name of the place allowed teachers to discover the local history of the Cagots and to start educational work.<ref>{{cite web |language=fr |title=Les cagots d'Aubiet et ceux du Gers |trans-title=The Cagots of Aubiet and those of the Gers |url=http://www.occe32.net/fichespatrim/docs/F27cagots.html |website=OCCE |date= |access-date=13 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328225806/http://www.occe32.net/fichespatrim/docs/F27cagots.html |archive-date=28 March 2022}}</ref> Until the beginning of the 20th century, several districts of Cagots still bore the name of {{lang|fr|Charpentier}} ("Carpenter").{{r|Lieux-Lourdes}}