Castelnau d’Estrétefonds (31)

Castelnau d’Estrétefonds, here is a 100% Occitan name which is pronounced in lenga nòstra: Castèlnau d’Estretasfonts. First of all, you have the name Castelnau or rather Castèlnau. Castèlnau is a compound noun. A castethere is a castle and nau, it is new, that is to say a ” new castle ”, therefore a new castle. Castelnau d’Estrétefonds castle dates from the end of the 11th century. Los Comtes de Tolosa foguèron los pus primièrs proprietaris / castle initially belonging to the counts of Toulouse. Then Raymond VI will give the castle to Aymeric de Castelnau. At the end of the 14th century, it passed into the hands of the powerful Isalguier family.

So much for the origin of Castelnau but where does the name Estrétefonds come from?

Dedins the name Estretasfonts, with the word font / in the name Estrétefonds, you will find the word make. Una font in Occitan, aquò’s de’n primièr una sorsa / in Occitan, the term font designates first and foremost a source. It was not until the 12th century that the word font va designates a fountain. Estretasfonts which you translate as “narrow sources”. In other words, the toponym Estretasfonts refers to a narrow passage between two natural obstacles. Originally, these water points were located in a deep valley (the one that separates the “ château-neuf ” / lo castèlnau from the heights of Capech).

In Castelnau d’Estrétefonds, there is the Camp del Rey alley …

Here is an Occitan-sounding road name: Alèa or l’Andana del Camp del Rei: the alley of the King’s Field. You also have the Chemin de la Clède / lo camin de la Cleda. La cleda, it is the barrier or the place to park certain animals … End of the day, end of May of 6200 estatjants in Castèlnau d’Estretasfonts / 6,200 inhabitants in Castelnau d’Estrétefonds. Farewell-siatz to all the Estrétefontains who are listening to us on 91.8.