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Benquet (French pronunciation: ​[bɛ̃kɛ]) is a commune in the Landes department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France.[3]

Benquet
Commune
Town hall
Location of Benquet
Benquet Show map of France Benquet Show map of Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Coordinates: 43°49′51″N 0°30′02″W
Country	France
Region	Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Department	Landes
Arrondissement	Mont-de-Marsan
Canton	Mont-de-Marsan-2
Government
• Mayor (2020–2026)	Pierre Mallet[1]
Area 1	29.33 km2 (11.32 sq mi)
Population  (Jan. 2019)[2]	1,832
• Density	62/km2 (160/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
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.

Geography

Benquet is situated 5 miles (8 km) south 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%

Year Pop. ±% 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% 2013 1,587 +13.0%

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

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

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Benquet.

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