Villelongue

Villelongue is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in south-western France.

Villelongue
Commune
Viewed from the bridge of the D921 road, the Gave de Gavarnie marks the boundary between Soulom hydroelectric power station to the left and centre, and Villelongue on the right
Coat of arms
Location of Villelongue
Villelongue Show map of France Villelongue Show map of Occitanie
Coordinates: 42°57′19″N 0°03′25″W
Country	France
Region	Occitanie
Department	Hautes-Pyrénées
Arrondissement	Argelès-Gazost
Canton	La Vallée des Gaves
Intercommunality	Vallée d'Argelès-Gazost
Government
• Mayor (2008–2014)	Jean-Paul Boudet
Area 1	20.46 km2 (7.90 sq mi)
Population  (2017-01-01)[1]	399
• Density	20/km2 (51/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	65473 /65260
Elevation	457–2,484 m (1,499–8,150 ft) (avg. 500 m or 1,600 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Villelongue is situated on the flank of the Hautacam mountain, around a stream called the Ruisseau d'Isaby, and descends to the Gave de Gavarnie torrent.

It consists of a main village with a smaller hamlet above called Ortiac. Ortiac boasts a charming medieval chapel. The woods above Ortiac conceal the Abbey of Saint-Orens, now in ruins.

Villelongue has considerably expanded in recent years, as new tracts are open to development and as the road infrastructure have developed to allow inhabitants to commute to Lourdes and Tarbes.

Villelongue is unusual among local towns in having a latinate name, rather than a name deriving from Bigourdan (the local dialect of the Occitan language). The name is said to derive from a Latin villa (i.e. a large farm) dating from late antiquity, situated in the lower part of the modern village, in an area known as "Las Longas".