Bélesta, Pyrénées-Orientales

Bélesta (French pronunciation: [belɛsta] ^ⓘ; Occitan: Bèl Estar; Catalan: Bellestar) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.

Bélesta Belhestar
Commune
A general view of Bélesta
Coat of arms
Location of Bélesta
Bélesta Show map of France Bélesta Show map of Occitanie
Coordinates: 42°43′06″N 2°36′28″E
Country	France
Region	Occitania
Department	Pyrénées-Orientales
Arrondissement	Prades
Canton	La Vallée de l'Agly
Intercommunality	Roussillon-Conflent
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Frédéric Bourniole[1]
Area 1	20.52 km2 (7.92 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[2]	212
• Density	10/km2 (27/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	66019 /66720
Elevation	122–561 m (400–1,841 ft) (avg. 380 m or 1,250 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Geography

Localisation

Bélesta is located in the canton of La Vallée de l'Agly and in the arrondissement of Perpignan.

Map of Bélesta and its surrounding communes

Government and politics

Mayors

Mayor	Term start	Term end
Jacques Biles[3]	?	June 1815
Baptiste Pugnaud[3]	June 1815	?
Gilbert Bourniole	2001	2007
Roger Morin	2007	2014
Frédéric Bourniole	2014

Population

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1968	312	—
1975	262	−2.46%
1982	247	−0.84%
1990	223	−1.27%
1999	215	−0.41%
2007	214	−0.06%
2012	225	+1.01%
2017	221	−0.36%
Source: INSEE[4]

Sites of interest

• Prehistory museum
• Bélesta dolmen
• Bélesta cave
• Church of Saint Barthelemy in Bélesta
• Church of Saint Barthelemy in Jonqueroles
• Llébrès, an abandoned medieval hamlet
• Caladroy, hamlet with Château de Caladroy and an important winery

• 
  Bélesta dolmen
• 
  Medieval gate
• 
  Ancien fortification
• 
  Church of Saint Barthelemy de Bélesta church (west)
• 
  Church of Saint Barthelemy de Bélesta church (northeast)
• 
  Inscription above the portal of Saint-Barthélemy de Bélesta church, dated 1648
• 
  Museum of prehistory
• 
  Château de Caladroy
• 
  Chapel Sacré-Cœur de Jésus of château de Caladroy
• 
  Chapel Saint-Michel of château de Caladroy

See also

• Communes of the Pyrénées-Orientales department

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. Fabricio Cardenas, Vieux papiers des Pyrénées-Orientales, Bélesta, le 21 juin 1815, 31 january 2014
4. Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE